Sales Manager

Pyramid Global Hospitality • Fort Wayne, IN

9d • Onsite

About The Position

The Catering Sales Manager directs, coordinates, trains, and supervises Banquet and Catering Support staff. The position develops existing accounts and obtains new accounts to maximize hotel revenue, while analyzing methods for increasing sales through marketing efforts. It focuses on corporate and social catering sales, client development, key relationships, target markets, revenue forecasting, and profitability. The manager coordinates with food and beverage and hotel staff to execute catered functions and oversees assigned customer experiences from file turnover through the post-event phase.

The position is at The Bradley, a hotel in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It may require travel, including automobile travel for sales calls and account service and possible airline travel to out-of-town destinations. The employee must have reliable transportation, a valid state driver's license, and a good driving record. The work environment is usually moderately noisy, and sales calls may involve working outdoors in varying weather conditions.

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 work through 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 understand the competitive landscape and adjust plans and strategies to market and economic changes.
• Ability to deal effectively with internal and external customers, using patience, tact, and diplomacy when needed.
• 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; respond to customer or business-community inquiries and complaints; and present information effectively to groups or individual accounts.
• Ability to calculate discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume.
• Ability to solve practical problems with limited standardization and interpret written, oral, diagrammed, or scheduled instructions.
• Must have reliable transportation, a valid state driver's license, and a good driving record for sales calls.

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 quality and service expectations.
• Delphi experience.

Responsibilities

• Direct, coordinate, train, and supervise Banquet and Catering Support staff.
• Maintain knowledge of banquet food service standards, best practices, policies, and service initiatives, and ensure the Banquet team follows them.
• Develop market awareness, anticipate revenue opportunities, and establish proactive strategies.
• Set individual sales plans and goals for corporate and social catering.
• Monitor and analyze top-account production and market trends; maintain prospects and independently solicit and book business.
• Develop strategies to increase competitive share when hotel revenue penetration goals are not being met.
• Analyze market information to determine customer needs, volume potential, pricing, and discounts, and develop catering sales campaigns to meet company goals.
• Analyze and control division expenditures to meet budgetary requirements.
• Develop clients and key relationships, identify target markets and sales products, and work to meet or exceed revenue goals.
• Adjust sales plans and strategies in response to competitive, market, and economic changes.
• Coordinate with food and beverage and hotel staff to execute catered functions.
• Conduct client visits and participate in industry events with other sales managers.
• Plan the design and structure of catered events creatively.
• Develop contracts, proposals, and customized menus that address client needs and financial goals.
• Conduct site inspections and tastings as needed to secure business; greet clients before functions or events as needed.
• Inspect meeting rooms daily to ensure setups are correct.
• Communicate with management daily or through weekly reports about potential and lost business, customer and operational issues, discounted events, specialized room setups, and related matters.
• 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 on solutions or alternatives.
• Manage customer budgets to maximize revenue and meet customer needs.
• Oversee customer experiences from file turnover through the post-event phase and hand the account back to sales afterward.
• 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: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED