Sales Manager

Pyramid Global Hospitality • Fort Wayne, IN

8d

About The Position

The Catering Sales Manager directs, coordinates, trains, and supervises Banquet and Catering Support staff. The role develops existing accounts and secures new business to maximize hotel revenue, analyzes sales and marketing opportunities, and works to achieve revenue and client-retention goals. The manager develops sales plans for corporate and social catering, analyzes account production and market trends, solicits and books business, and adjusts strategies in response to competition and economic conditions.

The position coordinates catered events with Food and Beverage and hotel staff, develops contracts, proposals, and customized menus, conducts site inspections and tastings, and oversees customer experiences from file turnover through the event and post-event phases. Responsibilities include managing group room blocks, meeting space, customer budgets, event revenue and profitability, forecasting, and communication with management and property teams. The role has supervisory responsibilities and may require travel for sales calls and customer service.

Requirements

• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information discreetly and professionally.
• Ability to identify sales opportunities.
• Excellent problem-solving and customer service skills, including the ability to solve problems without direct supervision.
• Excellent time-management and organizational skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to track actions and follow through on processes.
• Strong computer skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite: Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to set priorities, multitask, and meet deadlines.
• Ability to deal effectively with internal and external customers, including using patience, tact, and diplomacy to defuse anger.
• Post-high-school education, or one to two years of related experience and/or training in hotel sales or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Highly developed customer service skills.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common journals, financial reports, and sales and catering agreements or contracts.
• Ability to respond to common customer or business-community inquiries and complaints and present information effectively to public groups or individual accounts.
• Ability to calculate discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume.
• Ability to solve practical problems in situations with limited standardization and interpret written, oral, diagrammatic, or scheduled instructions.
• Must have reliable personal transportation, a valid state driver's license, and a good driving record for sales calls.
• Ability to sit, talk, hear, use hands to handle or feel objects, tools, or controls, and occasionally stand, walk, reach, and lift or move up to 10 pounds.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor's degree in Hotel Management, Business Administration, Marketing, or Communication.
• Previous experience in a four- to five-star or boutique hotel and familiarity with its service expectations.
• Delphi experience.

Responsibilities

• Direct, coordinate, train, and supervise Banquet and Catering Support staff.
• Develop existing accounts and obtain new accounts to maximize hotel revenue.
• Maintain knowledge of banquet food service standards, techniques, best practices, policies, and service initiatives, and ensure the Banquet team follows them.
• Maintain market awareness, anticipate revenue opportunities, and establish proactive strategies.
• Establish individual sales plans and goals for corporate and social catering.
• Monitor and analyze production from top accounts, evaluate market trends, maintain prospects, and independently solicit and book business.
• Develop strategies to increase the hotel's share against competitors when revenue penetration goals are not being met.
• Review market analyses to determine customer needs, volume potential, pricing, and discounts, and develop catering sales campaigns.
• Analyze and control division expenditures to meet budgetary requirements.
• Develop clients and key relationships, identify target markets and sales products, and pursue revenue goals.
• Adjust sales plans and strategies in response to competitive, market, and economic changes.
• Coordinate with Food and Beverage and hotel staff to ensure catered functions are properly executed.
• Conduct regular client visits and participate in industry events with other sales managers.
• Plan and design catered events creatively.
• Develop and supervise contracts, proposals, and customized menus that meet client needs and financial goals.
• Conduct site inspections and tastings and greet clients before events as needed.
• Inspect meeting rooms daily to ensure setups are correct.
• Communicate and report to management about prospective and lost business, customer and operational issues, discounted events, and specialized room setups.
• Attend and participate in regular BEO meetings.
• Generate 30-, 60-, and 90-day banquet and catering revenue forecasts.
• Lead pre-event and post-event meetings for assigned groups and communicate group needs and feedback.
• Identify operational challenges associated with assigned groups and work with property staff and customers to resolve them or develop alternatives.
• Manage customer budgets to maximize revenue and meet customer needs.
• Oversee customer experiences from file turnover through the post-event phase and turnover back to sales.
• Manage group room blocks and meeting space for assigned groups.
• Manage event revenue and profitability.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: High school or GED