Ahmed Shaheen, Director of Sales & Marketing for award-winning Crown & Champa Resorts (‘CCR’) has been with the company for over 23 years and offers insightful secrets to success in the Sales & Marketing arena of the Maldives.
From Market Trends, Sales Strategies and Marketing Plans to Sales Calls, International Trade Shows and Lead Generation, Sales & Marketing is an essential department in the Hospitality Industry, which is visible in multiple stages of the Guests’ Journey between initial knowledge of a destination, to the checkout and aftersales experience.
Year after year, CCR continues to grow as leading Resort & Hotel brand in the Maldives, which currently manages a total of 8 properties with several new developments underway. The Sales & Marketing Department ensures that each Resort and Hotel individually, as well as a part of the renowned group, is well represented across all Markets and platforms among our partners, Travel Agents and Tour Operators.
Born and raised in Maldives, Shaheen holds a Higher Diploma in Hospitality Management from Taylor’s College in Malaysia and has climbed the ladder from a young age with experience in various departments of the hospitality industry. He has grown in his career with CCR during the past 23 years focusing on Accounts, Operations, Sales & Marketing and currently now taking lead of the Sales & Marketing team representing the entire award-winning Group.
Travel and Hospitality in the Maldives is a rapidly changing environment and an industry where one has to focus to stay ahead of the market. CCR’s diverse and experienced Sales & Marketing team sets the Group apart. Shaheen adds that, ‘each member in the team contributes valuable experience and knowledge to our sales strategies in order to keep up with the new trends of each market in the world and the destination itself.”
In his advise to Sales & Marketing professionals on setting a successful sales strategy, Shaheen lists the follow key points:
- Listen to your sources and evaluate their statements, concerns, suggestions and opinions.
- Discuss with your team of experts and evaluate the same.
- Use the contributions to implement a customized strategy.
“By listening to our valued partners all around the world, we focus on evolving our brand and creating new trends for our partners to join us on our journey of new and fresh offerings.”
International Trade Fairs are a great way for Sales & Marketing professionals to foster Business-to-Business (B2B) partnerships, including some of the World’s leading travel events like ITB Berlin and the World Travel Market. At such events, Shaheen estimates that the team manages an average of 70 meetings including Tour Operator functions and networking events.
“A typical day at a trade show for our team includes a combination of meetings to acquire, developing and retain partners. With each partner, we actively solicit discussions on how we can improve, as well as plan and strategize how to keep up with the market trends and empower these relationships.”
The goal, to ensure that Crown & Champa Resorts remains the best partner in the Maldives, is intrinsically linked to the Group’s vision, as well as the mission to exceed all expectations, whether from behind-the-scenes, as with Sales & Marketing efforts, harnessing valuable feedback from partnerships or improving the overall guest experience.
Learn more about Sales & Marketing efforts in the Travel and Hospitality Industry. Read the 5 little known facts and the link between these efforts and the guest experience.
