JOB SUMMARY
The Catering Sales Manager is responsible for contracting and closing local catering and social business and ensuring that business is turned over properly and in a timely fashion for quality service delivery. The position is responsible for achieving catering revenue goals by actively up-selling each business opportunity to maximize revenue. The incumbent implements the brand’s service strategy and applicable brand initiatives in all aspects of the sales process and drives customer loyalty by delivering service excellence throughout each customer experience.
CANDIDATE PROFILE
Education and Experience
• High school diploma; 2 years experience in the sales and marketing, guest services, front desk, or related professional.
OR
• 2-year degree from an accredited university in Business Administration, Marketing, Hotel and Restaurant Management, or related major; no work experience required.
CORE WORK ACTIVITIES
Managing Sales Activities
• Manages sales efforts for the company including local corporate and social catering.
• Responds to incoming catering opportunities for the company.
• Identifies, qualifies and solicits new catering business to achieve personal and revenue goals.
• Understands the overall market - competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, economic trends, supply and demand etc. and knows how to sell against them.
• Closes the best opportunities based on market conditions and catering needs.
• Uses negotiating skills and creative selling abilities to close on business and negotiate contracts.
• Designs, develops and sells creative catered events.
• Maximizes revenue by up-selling packages and creative food and beverage.
• Manages catering sales revenue and operation budgets, and provides forecasting reports.
• Develops menus which drive sales.
• Executes and supports the operational aspects of business booked (e.g., generating proposal, writing contract, customer correspondence).
• Participates in and practices daily service basics of the brand.
• Monitors the effective resolution of guest issues that arise as a result of the sales process by creating mechanisms to channel issues to property leadership and/or other appropriate stakeholders.
• Ensures successful performance by increasing revenues, controlling expenses and providing a return on investment for the owner and the company.
Providing Exceptional Customer Service
• Interacts effectively with sales, kitchen, vendors, competitors, local community and catering associations in order to ensure guest satisfaction.
• Executes and supports the company’s Customer Service Standards and Company Brand Standards.
• Executes exemplary customer service to drive customer satisfaction and loyalty by assisting the customer and ensuring their satisfaction before and during their program/event.
• Serves the customer by understanding their needs and recommending the appropriate features and services that best meet their needs and exceed their expectations, while building a relationship and loyalty to the company.
• Gains understanding of the company’s primary target customer and service expectations; serve the customer by understanding their business, business issues and concerns, to offer better business solution both prior to, and during the program/event.
• Develops a close working relationship with operations to ensure execution of strategies at the hotel level.
Additional Responsibilities
• Performs other duties, as assigned, to meet business needs.
