Sales Associate in Sioux Falls, South Dakota at Bird Dog Hospitality LLC

Position Summary
The Sales Associate is the first point of contact for inbound group, corporate, and event business across the Bird Dog Hospitality portfolio. This role owns the inbound side of the sales process, from the first inquiry through a signed contract. The Sales Associate responds to leads quickly, completes RFPs accurately, builds proposals and contracts, and hands confirmed business off to hotel teams cleanly. This frees the Regional Sales Managers to focus on outbound selling and account growth, while making sure no inbound opportunity slips through the cracks.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities
• Serve as the first point of contact for inbound group, corporate, and event leads across all Bird Dog properties, responding promptly and professionally.
• Qualify inquiries by gathering dates, room block needs, meeting space requirements, budget, and decision timelines.
• Complete and submit corporate and group RFPs on behalf of Bird Dog properties, making sure rates, amenities, and property details are accurate.
• Prepare proposals and group contracts, coordinating with the Revenue Manager and hotel General Managers on availability, rates, and concessions.
• Manage contracts from proposal through signature, including deposits, cutoff dates, attrition terms, and rooming lists.
• Hand off confirmed business to hotel teams with complete and accurate group details.
• Route accounts with larger ongoing potential to the appropriate Regional Sales Manager.
• Log all leads, activity, proposals, and contracts in HubSpot and keep records current.
• Maintain working knowledge of each property's guest rooms, meeting space, amenities, and local demand generators.
• Support other commerce team initiatives as assigned.

Qualifications
Required
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• 0 to 2 years of experience in sales, customer service, or hospitality.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including clear and professional emails and proposals.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, comfortable managing many open leads and deadlines at once.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook).
• Valid driver's license and ability to travel occasionally for company functions and quarterly meetings.
Preferred
• Hotel sales, front desk, or reservations experience.
• Bachelor's degree in hospitality, business, marketing, or a related field.
• Familiarity with group contracts, RFP platforms, or a CRM such as HubSpot.
• Knowledge of midscale and independent hotels in the Midwest and Mountain West.
What Success Looks Like
• Fast, consistent response times on every inbound lead and RFP.
• Accurate RFP submissions and contracts with minimal corrections from hotel teams.
• Healthy conversion of inbound leads into signed group and corporate business.
• Clean, complete HubSpot records that the team can rely on.

Work Environment
Primarily office-based with extended periods of computer and phone work. Occasional travel within the Bird Dog footprint for company functions and quarterly in-person meetings.