Catering Sales Manager

Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants•New Orleans, LA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

You’ll be responsible for sales and operations of the catering and private dining departments, and spend your primary time on direct selling. You’ll act as the liaison between the restaurant and the hotel, and between the client and banquet operations. You will also handle room blocks for the social market.

Requirements

You’re highly creative, with strong sales and interpersonal skills.
A minimum of 2 years of hospitality experience, ideally within a restaurant or related banquet setting.
You’re current on industry trends, and you seek creative ways to infiltrate markets and accounts.
Professional phone etiquette, writing skills, and knowledge of Microsoft Office.
Well organized, detail-oriented, with excellent follow-up skills.
You’ve got great communication skills both internally and externally.
Ability to read, write, and verbally communicate effectively and professionally with other business departments, guests, and vendors.
Ability to diplomatically deal with difficult situations and people, while exhibiting a consistent level of professionalism.

Nice To Haves

Previous structured sales training course is a plus.

Responsibilities

Actively understand and implement the sales process as outlined in the Shopper’s Report.
Maintain appropriate balance of account maintenance, prospecting for new business, and build profitable relationships with clients.
Produce marketing plan and assist in developing the annual sales budget with the restaurant team. Implement a monthly action plan in order to meet and exceed the budgeted sales goals.
Complete weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual production reports; as well as weekly and monthly sales activity reports.
Assist the Director of Catering in developing specific goals and strategies in assigned territory to positively impact revenues.
Thorough knowledge of property, space, capacities, concept, and food style (menus). Review and update menus, packages, and upgrades as requested to satisfy client needs and to maximize revenue.
Be familiar with the hotel’s competitive set and shared accounts.
Effectively cross-sell with sister restaurants and hotels for referral business.
Communicate a clear sense of strategic direction and goals for assigned territories and markets.
Maintains accurate and thorough notes and traces for accounts within the PMS and Catering Database.
Create appropriate sales collateral and tools for the department.
Join and attend appropriate market organizations.
Adhere to the “Sundown Rule” for all client correspondence.
Supervise execution of banquets on occasion.
Expertise of the restaurant’s overall layout, rate structure, and capacities.
Assist with additional reports and/or special projects as assigned.