INDIANAPOLIS — As more hotel companies work to merge sales, marketing and revenue management into a combined commercial team, experts in those respective fields say it's more important than ever for people in those fields to understand each other.
During a series of sessions at the 2025 HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference, leaders of each of those disciplines discussed what their colleagues should know about what they do.
Bryan King, vice president of sales and marketing at Atrium Hospitality, described the current decade as the "era of commercial harmony."
"This wouldn't happen 10 years ago — commercial was something you saw on TV," he said. "Now we're at commercial harmony in 2025."
Revenue
Revenue leaders are urged to understand that not everyone else understands the intricacies — or even the major functions — of their jobs.
"Most marketing people don't know how to read a STAR Report, and I know that because I've trained probably 100 of them at this point," said Lauren Travis, corporate director of integrated marketing for Sage Hospitality Group.
She noted that marketing has to think big picture about a brand or property's identity, and that line of thinking can sometimes run contrary to what seems like a logical short-term revenue strategy of discounting to drive demand.
"It's really easy to just throw a discount at something," Travis said. "In the marketing world, we call it 'Don't become the Macy's of everything.' Macy's used to be a little bit of a fancy brand, and then they started discounting. Now Macy's has to discount otherwise no one's shopping there."
From a sales perspective, Tré Wilke IV, national sales manager for Evans Hotels, said it's important to recognize the relationship-building aspect of the job, which can sometimes run contrary to typical revenue management practices.
"I think it's so important that we maintain flexibility for our customers to remain competitive," he said. "When a customer wants rate to come down a little bit but we want to hold the [average daily rate], you still have to have that flexibility and not lose out on the rest of the revenue that's there."
He also said it's crucial to look beyond just revenue per available room when quantifying the value of clientele.
"It's about the total revenue, not just the ADR, not just the RevPAR, and realizing there's food and beverage and so much more that goes into it," he said.
Sales
Experts said the sales function has almost completely evolved in the hotel industry over the past decade, driven in large part by the data available and the rise of the revenue management function.
"There's this revolution of data that really requires commercial leadership, and it changes the sales game," King said. "The sales leader now is armed with data. They used to be armed with golf clubs and a cocktail for a 3 o'clock meeting."
Sales people are urged to think more about the profitability of the business they're fighting to convert, which includes a better understanding of things such as the cost of acquisition.
"Do you know how much each channel is costing you?" asked John Brosnan, director of the strategic account team for Cvent. "Some brands are more transparent than others, but you need to understand or have a good sense of what it costs and then work with your sales team to utilize technology and partners that lower that cost."
Marketing
Revenue leaders said while marketing is key for driving long-term demand, those efforts need to be aligned with what the revenue team sees as the ideal customer for a property.
And that includes understanding what channels their perfect customer is looking to book on, said Nicole Young, vice president of revenue management and distribution, global commercial, for Rosewood Hotel Group.
"That's where revenue management can give you a lot of insights because they're hyper focused on what the customer buys," she said. "So then you're amplifying the critical products that can go forward and have a better chance for conversation and for success."
Christi Davis, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Loews Hotels & Co., said one of the key points she has seen over her career is salespeople need to know the "why" behind marketing efforts for the two teams to properly align. And she says that's key because the "more aligned team" is more efficient and drives better results.
She said sales people are by their nature competitive, so giving them measurables and business intelligence around marketing campaigns can help them sell against them, as well.
"Revenue is king, and the sales discipline is measured by how much business we close," she said. "Sales see each of you in this room, specifically the marketing executives in this room, as a resource to achieve their goal. They're looking for more efficient ways to achieve that goal."