Sales Account Manager

Image Tours, an operator of escorted European tours is offering a career opportunity utilizing a combination of marketing, sales through superior customer service, and client relations.

Job Summary

Support and development of leads and relationships through Image Tours’ primary sales channels: travel agencies, tour operators, and group leaders (e.g., senior centers, special interest groups, etc.).  Efforts will include presenting tour programs over the phone and in person.  Domestic travel throughout the United States will be required, using both car and air transportation of approximately one 3-to-5-day trip per month. The objective is to build a list of active partners to advertise our tours and maximize the number of travelers booked by those partners.

Responsibilities

• Drive sales efforts daily in an organized manner by connecting with group leaders, developing travel partner relationships, and strengthening relationships with current partners, including sending new agent packets and providing details of leads to sales leadership.
• Work independently, be on-time and adhere to weekly work schedule.
• Encourage promotional co-op advertising partnerships and prospects to sign up for newspaper, mailer and other marketing opportunities via phone calls and email reminders.
• Add new co-op partnerships to the Advertising System and create co-branding accounts.
• Maintain contact and build relationships with promotional co-op accounts regularly, diffuse issues and retain partnerships.
• Co-op advertisement follow ups, record, remind about tear-sheets and invoices, verify reimbursement receipt.
• Update commission information in reservation system, schedule newspaper specific follow up training (for every new co-op), send brochures, and team communications.
• Learn all phases of the 12-to-18-month sales process, including initial contact, determining the potential client’s greatest needs, and ongoing support of each account.
• Present an idea in an effective manner over the phone, in person, and/or in writing.
• Engage with a diverse group of business owners and group leaders.
• Demonstrate patience with internal requests, using as much diplomacy both internally to office staff, as well as externally to potential clients
• Manage a budget as well as track your own progress.
• Communicate leads/new brochure requests to travel agent and tour operator partners.
• Process brochure requests for sales team, travel agents, and tour operator partners.
• Train new agents via phone calls, video meetings, or send a webinar link as needed.
• Create and conduct webinars, including adding leads to the database and follow up accordingly.
• Assist with weekly ad process (making ads, proofing or processing invoices), as requested.
• Support effort to design and schedule the Image Update email, sent to travel agents (bi-weekly).
• Learn about and educate agents on digital platform information/updates utilized by Image Tours.
• Reach out to newspapers to get contact information, circulation, dimensions, and negotiate rates on behalf of agents weekly, and add updated information to the Advertising System and Excel sheet.
• Encourage agents to leave Google reviews.
• Participate in On Track Meetings for Marketing & Sales (every other week)
• Share Marketing/Sales updates at All Staff Meetings (monthly).
• Support Tour Planning, Reservations, Marketing, and other departments as required.

HOURS:  This is a full-time position. (Inquiries for part-time hours will be taken under consideration)

WAGE:  The starting wage is between $20.00 and $24.00 per hour, depending on previous experience and amount of training required, plus performance bonus.