Business Unit: Lodging Partner Services
Department: Global Market Management
Reports To: Area Manager
Position Description
The Market Associate is responsible for maximizing revenues for both Expedia Inc. & key hotel partners in the assigned region. The primary focus of this role is to aid internal management teams and key supply partners in identifying, implementing, and executing strategic initiatives which improve key business metrics, ensure Expedia’s offerings are appropriately positioned to be competitive, and maximize opportunities for distribution and marketing of product offerings within the assigned region.
Market Associates will partner closely with hotel partners in an effort to:
- Increase revenue opportunities
- Resolve content, rate, and availability issues
- Proactively secure additional inventory over high demand and compression periods
- Support efforts to improve market pricing and overall inventory competitiveness
- Secure value-adds and promotional offers
- Assist with the management of inventory blocks and rates to ensure accuracy of data and consistent supply
- Aid in business development with the acquisition of new properties and renewals
This role is internally facing, and also focuses on supporting the Market Management team through business projects and initiative implementation leveraged to improve product competitiveness and support productive revenue generation efforts in the region they support.
Position Responsibilities
- Effectively consult with hotel partners to secure competitive rates and deliver improved metrics; improve product competitiveness through effective price renegotiations
- Evaluate market trends and competitor activity; provide the Market Management team with analysis and recommendations for potential actions and next steps. This includes, but is not limited to: analyzing market competitiveness reporting, prioritizing daily/weekly hotel calls, reporting and tracking progress of programs and initiatives, and analyzing their impact on market performance
- Manage promotional campaigns in market, including pitching promotional opportunities to partners and soliciting deals from hotels
- Work with Market Management team to develop and implement strategies which ensure competitive pricing
- Maintain constant communication with Market Managers to ensure consistency of communications, partner messaging, and implementation and execution of market strategies
- Develop and share best practices with other Market Associates and Market Management teams to help optimize market competitiveness
- Review the quality of rates, inventory, and content on Expedia sites against competitors
- Support Market Management team with the development and delivery of partner communications
- Assist the Market Management team in prospecting new hotels and/or regional chains
- Participate in contract negotiations as needed.
- Support the process of onboarding a new partner upon acquisition of a new property by promoting the full product suite and initiatives
- Educate current partners on the full use of products and tools
- Lead ad hoc projects to improve product competitiveness and support productive revenue generation efforts in the market they support; this could include, but is not limited to: implementation of new systems, work processes and/or technologies, adoption of new initiatives, gathering information regarding Expedia’s competition in a market, etc.
- Demonstrate the energy & drive to be a part of one of the most exciting teams within Expedia Inc.
- Other reasonable duties, as assigned
Supervision To Be Exercised
None
Supervision To Be Received
Direct supervision from Area Manager.
Required Skills & Experience
- Bachelor’s Degree preferred; major in tourism or hospitality a plus
- 0-2 years of related industry experience preferred
- Hotel revenue management / reservation or account management role in another OLTA is strongly preferred
- Experience in consultative sales environment preferred
- Business-oriented professional with high integrity; maintains strictest confidentiality; displays initiative and innovation; exercises sound judgment
- Results-focused and metrics-driven
- Basic knowledge and understanding of revenue management principles and practices
- Strong experience negotiating; experience effectively using a consultative selling approach
- Excellent time management and follow-up skills; ability to be diplomatically persistent in challenging situations
- Working knowledge of revenue and/or account management desirable
- Strong experience using MS Office suite of programs (i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc).
- Sincere relationship builder; earns the confidence of others; bridges and sustains solid partnerships based on mutual support through a collaborative style
- Excellent diplomatic skills; possesses the ability to establish and maintain positive relationships with both internal and external business partners
- Ability to multi-task effectively; must be able to change gears quickly without skipping a beat
- Presents ideas and directives clearly and persuasively; actively listens when spoken/presented to
- Ability to effectively communicate to various levels and through a variety of communication channels
- Able to work independently as well as be a team player
Critical Competencies
- Relationship Management: Establishes and builds healthy working relationships with partners.
- Solution Alignment: Evaluates rates and availability with an understanding of products, services, and the market for the purpose of obtaining favorable arrangements for Expedia.
- Sales & Negotiation: Effectively works in a defined market or region, identifying prospective partners, and negotiating successfully in a constructive, consultative, and collaborative manner.
- Written & Spoken Communications, Listening, and Influencing: Conveys, receives, and interprets ideas and information, presents information appropriately to a diverse range of audiences, and influences partner decisions.
- Build & Maintain Teams: Encourages, motivates, and guides individuals and teams in learning and improving effectiveness and develops and improves individual, team, and organizational performance.
- Strategy Execution: Develops goals, ideas and initiatives that improve the organization's performance, manage costs, and drive change at all levels.
- Drive for Results: Driving high standards for individual, team, and organizational accomplishment; tenaciously working to meet or exceed challenging goals; deriving satisfaction from goal achievement and continuous improvement.
