Associate Director - Catering Sales

JOB SUMMARY 

Responsible for handling local social catering opportunities for the property. Responsible for achieving and exceeding the hotel catering sales revenue goals. Provides day-to-day supervision to Catering Sales associates that are on-property, dependent on the volume of local social catering business. Contracts and closes local catering and social business, and ensures that business is turned over properly and in a timely fashion for quality service delivery. Achieves catering revenue goals by actively up-selling each business opportunity to maximize revenue. Implements the brand’s service strategy and applicable brand initiatives in all aspects of the sales process and drives customer loyalty by delivering service excellence throughout each customer experience.

CANDIDATE PROFILE 

Education and Experience

• High school diploma or GED; 2 years experience in the sales and marketing, guest services, front desk, or related professional area.

OR

• 2-year degree from an accredited university in Business Administration, Marketing, Hotel and Restaurant Management, or related major; no work experience required.

CORE WORK ACTIVITIES 

Maximizing Revenue & Managing Profitability

• Identifies, qualifies and solicits new catering business to achieve personal and hotel revenue goals.

• Proactively solicits affiliate business associated with citywide events

• Understands the overall market - competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, economic trends, supply and demand etc. and knows how to sell against them.

• Maximizes revenue by up-selling packages and creative food and beverage offerings.

• Identifies and implements process improvements and best practices.

• Gains understanding of the hotel’s primary target customer and service expectations.

• Ensures successful performance by increasing revenues, controlling expenses and providing a return on investment for the owner and the business.

Managing Sales Activities

• Manages the sales efforts for the hotel related to local social catering business.

• Responds to incoming catering opportunities for the hotel.

• Closes the best opportunities for the hotel based on market conditions and hotel needs.

• Uses negotiating skills and creative selling abilities to close on business and negotiate contracts.

• Designs, develops, and sells creative catered events.

• Develops and manages catering sales revenue and operation budgets, and provides forecasting reports.

• Identifies and assists with selling, implementing and following-through on catering promotions.

• Promotes accountability to drive superior business results.

• Executes Sales strategies and business processes.

• Executes and supports Customer Service Standards and hotel’s Brand Standards.

• Executes and supports the operational aspects of business booked (e.g., generating proposal, writing contract, customer correspondence).

• Participates in and practice daily service basics of the brand (i.e., MHR Spirit to Serve Daily Basics, RHR Savvy Service Basics, Courtyard Basics of the Day).

Building Successful Relationships

• Works collaboratively with property Sales and Marketing colleagues and Above Property Sales, as well as other hotel departments to ensure sales efforts are coordinated, complementary and not duplicative.

• Develops a close working relationship with operations to ensure execution of strategies at the hotel level.

• Works with the management team to create and implement a catering sales plan addressing revenue, customers and market.

• Works with the property’s Food and Beverage team to develop menus that drive sales.

• Interacts effectively with vendors, competitors, local community, catering associations and other hotel departments (including Sales, Kitchen and Events) in order to ensure guest satisfaction.

• Ensures that the property implements a seamless turnover from sales to operations and back to sales while consistently delivering high level of service.

Providing Exceptional Customer Service

• Serves the customer by understanding their business, business issues and concerns, to offer better business solution both prior to, and during the program/event.

• Executes exemplary customer service to drive customer satisfaction and loyalty by assisting the customer and ensuring their satisfaction before and during their program/event.

• Serves the customer by understanding their needs and recommending the appropriate features and services that best meet their needs and exceed their expectations, while building a relationship and loyalty to Marriott International.

• Monitors the effective resolution of guest issues that arise as a result of the sales process by creating mechanisms to channel issues to property leadership and/or other appropriate stakeholders.

Additional Responsibilities

• Performs other duties, as assigned, to meet business needs.