CJ Sun, 29, works in San Diego as destination sales executive at Marriott International. As a 2017 40 Under 40 honoree, Sun discusses his passion for the events industry.
*Connect with Sun on Twitter and Instagram.
What I do: I am the on-property sales leader for
Coronado Island Marriott Resort & Spa. I develop and implement the hotel’s strategy and initiatives in all aspects of the sales process, leading pull-through efforts for group business to achieve and exceed personal and hotel revenue goals. I also ensure the hotel is converting sensible business and growing market share by successfully partnering with our remote group and area sales teams. I provide on-property expertise by directing and executing all site inspections and drive customer loyalty by delivering service excellence throughout each customer experience.
How I got here: I have had a comprehensive and multidimensional career in Marriott’s sales organization, holding a variety of roles and responsibilities in sales management, account management and destination sales. I have been successful in each position, consistently exceeding my sales quotas and revenue goals year over year, which has helped me fine-tune my leadership acumen and hone the skill set to progress in my career.
My greatest career accomplishment: I have more than seven years of experience in hotel sales, strategic account development, C-level relationship management and executing complex sales strategies to maximize profitable revenue and increase market share for my company. I have achieved top performer results in every role, earning the highest accolades in my company including President’s Circle, our company’s top distinction, finishing in the top 7 percent of the entire sales force in two different roles.
Impressive stats: In my current role, I increased site visit closure for my hotel by 20 percent YOY, achieving a site closure of 62 percent; increased revenue contracted from site visits by 51 percent in my first year; and increased room nights booked from site visits by 49 percent, securing 8,056 room nights in the first year of my role compared to 5,402 the previous year.
A specific improvement I’ve made: I created a new tool to effectively manage a hotel’s sales funnel and booking pace that has been rolled out to our entire organization as a best practice. This tool simplifies data from several reports to give an accurate pulse of the hotel’s sales performance and sales funnel strength.
What I’m working on: I am excited about a new procedure I am implementing at our hotel to more effectively manage our top repeat groups. We greatly value our loyal repeat customers and, with this new procedure, we will ensure their future years’ program dates are secured before they start planning.
What I do outside of work: Outside of the office I like to focus on fun and fitness. I love playing soccer, getting in a good workout and experiencing the world through food and travel.
Five phrases that identify me: Sales leader; soccer player; traveler;gamer; Boilermaker
