Responsible for handling sales of catering opportunities for all event space in hotel, convention center, amphitheater and restaurant event space. Responsible for achieving and exceeding catering sales revenue goals, contracts and closes local catering corporate and social business. Ensures that bookings are 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.
**Please note, Mainsail Lodging & Development is a drug-free workplace. Pre-employment screening, to include a background test and drug screen, is required for all candidates offered a position.
What you have
4-year Bachelor’s degree preferred
Catering Sales and Hotel experience preferred
Familiarization of the local markets preferred
Excellent customer service skills
Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
Ability to effectively present information to individuals or groups
Proficient with Microsoft Office programs, Marriott systems, SFAweb or CI/TY, Social Tables
What you’ll do
Maximizing Revenue & Managing Profitability
Identifies, qualifies and solicits new catering business to achieve personal and hotel revenue goals
Coordinates definite catering business
Generates banquet event orders
Established billing for definite function and ensures deposits are collected
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 and complex related to catering business.
Responds to incoming corporate and social catering opportunities for the hotel and complex
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.
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
Building Successful Relationships
Works collaboratively with property Sales and Events colleagues 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.
Ability to assist the banquet and events team on special events when needed
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.
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
Physical Demand
Ability to sit or stand for extended periods of time
Ability to communicate clearly
Ability to drive/transport self and others
Ability to travel, domestically and internationally
Long hours sometimes required
Mental Demands
Make sound judgments quickly
Work on multiple tasks, making appropriate progress towards deadlines
Able to work independently, take direction and provide direction to others
Manage differing personalities within the office, the hotel and the community
Maintain the highest degree of confidentiality
Ability to work effectively in stressful, high pressure situations
Ability to effectively handle challenges in the workplace, including anticipating, preventing, identifying and solving problems as necessary
Benefits:
Full-time Associate Benefits
Medical, Dental, & Vision | HSA & Flexible Spending Account Options | Basic Life & Disability Plan Options | 401K Retirement Plan | Paid Time Off | Holiday Pay | Career Training & Development Opportunities | Tuition Reimbursement | Bereavement Leave | Employee Assistant Program (EAP) | Jury Duty (May vary by state) | Employee Discounts | Employee Referral Bonus | Free meal for all full-service hotel employeesPart-time Associate Benefits
All above-listed benefits except for Medical Insurance, Holiday Pay, Tuition ReimbursementMainsail is an Equal Opportunity Employer and it does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth and pregnancy-related conditions), gender identity expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, military service and veteran status, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances.