It’s no secret that exceptional work stems from the power of collaboration. So in addition to featuring notable young professionals and entrepreneurs every single day, we’ll be chatting to some of Canada’s best teams every Thursday to get an inside look at how they combine talents to stand out in their industry. Today we’re talking to the Trump Toronto Hotel‘s sales and marketing team…
WORK
Describe what you and your team focuses on in less than 140 characters. Go.
We invite our clients to be our guests and in the process, we provide an unparalleled level of service.
What kick ass projects/programs have you been working on recently?
Twice a year, as a brand, we hit the streets for Customer Connections Week (CCW), taking the opportunity to say thank you to our clients and hopefully make new connections along the way.
This year, here in Toronto, we took a creative approach to building stronger relationships. We hosted experience-focused events such as a Blogger Dinner, gourmet cooking classes, and cinq-a-sept in Montreal. We also amped up our theme of Spring Blooms with a breakfast table spread to kick-off our CCW week and ended it with candy station for that all-important sugar rush. We later found out that we won the Best Team Spirit Award!
The buzz doesn’t stop there. This summer season we are working on a summer photo contest for roommates, #WeTheRoomies. In addition, our Social Media Influencer in its second year continues to gain momentum, with more exciting collaborations to come – stay tuned!
What are some of the benefits of working on a team?
The best part of working on a team is the synergy and camaraderie that we share. Everyone looks out and genuinely cares for one another. Our skill sets and diverse personalities complement each other and everybody brings something to the table that makes coming to work fun every day!
What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced?
It seems we are always trying to change people’s perception of us. As a luxury property with a well-known name sitting atop our building, people have a preconception of who we are; or rather, who we should be. All perceptions aside, we are not button-down and stuck-up. We’re quite the opposite: Fun, approachable and always willing to share a good laugh or tell a funny story. Business is important too but it isn’t what drives us. We’re all about the relationship… and a good glass of wine!
Do you have any advice for other young professionals working within a team?
Our three pillars of success: Passion, Drive, and Enthusiasm.
Does your team have a designated leader?
Our Director of Sales & Marketing, Peter Bruyere, provides strong leadership and motivation. Our leader challenges us to be the best version of ourselves, holds weekly one-on-one meetings to ensure we are being heard, and continually supports us as we aim to achieve our goals. But he also makes it fun, starting the day with our morning round-up, a free forum for discussion and laughter, which also includes the ‘Daily Quiz’ to boost our energy for the day.
Within your organization are teams switched up every once in a while or do they maintain the same? What are some of the benefits and cons of that?
We’re always looking to make this better, so we tweak a lot here and there – switching up sales territories or changing around a few internal process. But the players remain the same. In the sales and social media world, consistency is key. It’s important for us to build strong relationships with our clients, and to that end our clients appreciate the fact that we’ve had relatively the same team in place for several years now. It allows us to build a foundation of confidence and trust that supports business development through shared goals.
What does the word collaboration mean to you?
Everyone on the team has a voice, and we all feel comfortable voicing our thoughts and opinions. No one person is right, and decisions are often made as a group.
What has been you and your teams favourite project/campaign/initiative to work on and why?
Without a doubt our annual gingerbread house decorating event! It’s a wonderful thing seeing the clients you have worked with over the year exercise their inner child as they stand in the middle of our ballroom decorating a gingerbread house. You can’t go wrong with candy, icing sugar, cocktails, desserts, and a ballroom full of competitive clients competing to win the prize for decorating the best gingerbread house.
PLAY
Where is your team’s favourite place to wine/dine in your city and why?
We wine and dine everywhere in the city. But you’ll mostly find our team hopping from one restaurant to another around the financial district.
Do you and your team go out together? Where and why?
The best thing about working in the hospitality industry is that we always get invited to industry or patio sponsored events. When it comes to invites, we also work as a team. Be sure to count the whole team when you invite one of us.
What’s the best thing that has happened to you and your team recently?
It’s interesting, we’ve received some of the industry’s most prestigious awards ever since the day we opened, but it’s the little things that excite us the most. As a Sales & Marketing Team, we are very competitive. Each year the Trump organization does a company-wide, old-fashioned sales blitz, and there are awards in various categories. Two years running, we have won the award for best Team Spirit. Yes, the selling aspect is important but more important for us is that we do it with flair, emotion, and spirit. We weren’t too upset that we didn’t win the sales award – we’ll leave that to our colleagues in Chicago – but we’re damn proud of our team spirit.
Are there any other teams within your company or any company that you know of that are killing it?
No one does it better than our Attache Team. Even before you arrive, they’re reaching out to you in anticipation of your stay with us. I can’t tell you the number of times they get requests from young male clients looking for assistance in planning the perfect proposal – we’ve booked out restaurants, roof top parties, gardens, and even the big screen at the Leafs Game all in the name of love. And to best of our knowledge, the answer has always been yes!
And finally, what does success look like to you and your team? Work, play, or otherwise…
Quoting Toronto’s global ambassador, Drake: “work hard, play hard!”
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