Corporate Catering Sales Manager

Corporate Catering Sales Manager

The Corporate Catering Sales Manager is responsible for selling and servicing events for in-house groups as well as outside clients. The primary focus is to sell banquet food and beverage with other responsibilities including menu planning, agenda setting, and hotel meeting services. Other duties will include reviewing contracts and facilitating communication before, during, and post event with hotel staff to ensure a high level of service. The Corporate Catering Sales Manager will also contribute to site inspections, maintaining strong customer relationships, and working as a team member with the sales and catering staff.

Responsibilities include constantly developing and executing sales action plans to close on targeted accounts and business within a market segment, responding to incoming sales inquiries within four hours, maintaining a balance of account maintenance and prospecting for new business, contacting representatives from respective market segments to solicit business for the hotel, adhering to the hotel's sales guidelines and booking profitable business, establishing and maintaining existing accounts within your market segment, and soliciting, negotiating, and confirming new and repeat business to maximize revenues.

Additional responsibilities include using networking tools such as LinkedIn to research existing and potential accounts, entertaining potential clients / guests, and making prospecting calls. The Corporate Catering Sales Manager will also develop and implement creative sales strategies, participate in training and community organizations, analyze requirements of functions, and assist in planning and participating in sales blitzes.

Frequently, the Corporate Catering Sales Manager will consult newspapers, trade journals, and the internet to learn about market trends, follow through on leads from the group sales department, meet or exceed annual sales goals, confer with guest and hotel department heads to plan function details, utilize proper communication channels to inform operating areas, prepare for and attend pre-cons and post-cons, arrange for VIP amenities and check on functions regularly, prepare and send advance brochures and menus, manage the function book, sell liquor in accordance with state liquor laws, work with group sales and the Executive Chef in menu planning, relay accurate forecasting information, promote employee empowerment, demonstrate positive leadership characteristics, report unsafe conditions, participate in annual competitor surveys, and complete other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Qualifications include a bachelor's degree and / or two or more years of hotel sales experience, one year of food and beverage experience, strong understanding of negotiation and interpretation of contracts, developed business communication skills, understanding / knowledge of Microsoft Office, confident and professional appearance, proactive sales approach, execute and support hotel customer service standards and hotel brand standards, understanding of respective market segment, competitor's strengths, weaknesses, economic trends, supply and demand, work well under pressure, time management skills, ability to communicate effectively with the public and other employees, creativity in designing events, working knowledge of banquet department, ability to design menus in conjunction with the culinary department to maximize operating profit, and experience with major hospitality sales CRM systems.

Benefits include multiple tiers of medical coverage, dental and vision coverage, 24 / 7 teledoc service, free maintenance medications, pet insurance, hotel discounts, tuition reimbursement, paid time off, and 401K match.