Catering Sales Manager

Pacific Hospitality Group•Santa Ana, CA

14d•Onsite

About The Position

The Catering Sales Manager will actively solicit new business opportunities through prospecting new customers, including groups, travel managers, travel agents, and consumers. This role utilizes network channels to open doors to new customers and seeks methods to penetrate key business activities within the marketplace, finding profitable ways to bring this business to the hotel. The manager will research market and industry trends and the clients supporting those markets locally, actively participate in industry-related organizations, attend trade shows, community events, and industry meetings to develop business, and participate in Sales blitzes. They will make onsite and field presentations to prospective clients, participate in pre-event meetings, training, and other sales-related meetings as required. The role involves developing long-term relationships with clients through consistent communication and excellent customer service, analyzing business opportunity requirements, and researching market trends, competition, and customers. The Catering Sales Manager will respond to RFPs, outline available hotel space, menus, and facilities, quote prices, and meet with clients and hotel department managers to plan function details, space requirements, food service, and decor. They will prepare correspondence to customers, internal booking reports, and client data, maintaining detailed client information in the property's computer systems. The role also includes attending Business Review Meetings, researching new companies, creating and implementing direct mailing campaigns, attending training, making presentations, conducting familiarization trips, and participating in the local community to develop business. Additionally, the Catering Sales Manager will respond to guest inquiries, coordinate special arrangements and requests, resolve guest complaints within their scope of authority (referring matters to upper management when necessary), and notify supervisors of any unusual events or circumstances.

Requirements

High school diploma or general education degree (GED), or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Two or more years of related catering/event sales experience in a similar sized hotel/resort or winery operation.
Ability and experience in successfully selling and working in a high volume, time sensitive environment.
Ability to learn, follow and maintain effective sale processes designed to attain maximum revenue while ensuring adherence to established operating criteria.
Strong knowledge of sales techniques with strong skills and ability to negotiate and close sales.
Requires ability to determine needs of customers and persuasively present sales options through verbal face-to-face and telephone interactions.
Must be able to create and effectively provide sales presentations and materials to potential customers.
Contacts sometimes contain confidential/sensitive information so requires ability to use discretion.
Must demonstrate positive attitude and professional demeanor.
Requires strong communication and interpersonal skills and commitment to a high level of guest satisfaction.
Uses logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Must be able to solve problems and remain calm and alert if dealing with difficult guest, during busy activity periods or in an emergency situation.
Requires working knowledge of MS Office applications and ability to learn and use telephone and computer systems used at the hotel.
Position requires working from property location.
Must maintain a clean appearance and professional demeanor.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality desired.
Experience working with multi-cultural weddings or events desired.
Knowledge of cost control measures (i.e. labor, food and beverage and materials) involved with events and meetings desired.
Possess solid knowledge of hotel service standards, guest relations and etiquette.
Proficiency with DELPHI preferred.

Responsibilities

Actively solicits new business opportunities through prospecting new customers (including groups, travel managers, travel agents and consumers).
Uses network channels to open doors to new customers.
Seeks methods to penetrate key business activities within the marketplace and finds profitable ways to bring this business to the hotel.
Researches information on market and trends and the clients supporting those markets locally.
Actively participates in industry related organizations.
Attends trade shows, community events and industry meetings to develop business.
Participates in Sales blitzes.
Makes onsite and field presentations to prospective clients.
Participates in pre-event meetings, training and other sales-related meetings as required.
Develops long-term relationships with clients or potential clients by maintaining consistent verbal and written communications and providing good customer service.
Analyzes requirements of business opportunities.
Researches and maintains knowledge of market trends, competition and customers.
Responds to RFP’s.
Outlines available hotel space, menus and facilities.
Quotes prices.
Meets with clients and hotel department managers to plan function details, space requirements, food service and decor.
Prepares correspondence to customers, internal booking reports and client data.
Maintains detailed information about clients/prospective clients and enters data into property's computer systems.
Attends Business Review Meetings.
Researches new companies.
Creates and implements direct mailing campaigns.
Attends training.
Makes presentations.
Conducts familiarization trips.
Participate in local community to develop business.
Responds to guest inquiries and coordinates special arrangements and requests.
Resolves guest complaints within scope of authority, otherwise refers the matter to upper management.
Notifies supervisor and/or Security of all unusual events or circumstances.
Achieves or exceeds sales goals by effectively selling the public space, food and beverage, and function planning services of the property.
Establishes new client relationships and maintains existing relationships to maximize revenue.