Job Description
Responsible for proactively soliciting and managing large group / catering related opportunities with significant revenue potential. Manages group / catering opportunities not handled by an Event Booking Center (EBC). Actively up-sells each business opportunity to maximize revenue opportunity. Achieves personal and team related revenue goals. Verifies business is turned over properly and in a timely fashion for proper service delivery. Responsible for driving customer / guest loyalty by delivering service excellence throughout each customer / guest experience. Provides service to customers in order to grow the account on behalf of the company.
Candidate Profile
Education and Experience
* High school diploma or GED; 2 years experience in sales and marketing, guest services, front desk, or related professional area.
* 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
Understanding Market Opportunities & Driving Revenue
* Targets group / catering accounts, markets, or segments with heavy emphasis on proactive solicitation and account saturation.
* Partners with group / catering counterpart to effectively manage the business opportunity.
* Responds to incoming group / catering opportunities for the property that are outside parameters of the EBC.
* Handles all opportunities if property does not participate in an EBC.
* Identifies, qualifies and solicits new group / catering business to achieve personal and each property's revenue goals.
* Focuses efforts on group / catering accounts with significant potential sales revenue.
* Develops effective group / catering sales plans and actions.
* Designs, develops and sells creative catered events.
* Maximizes revenue by upselling packages and creative food and beverage.
* Understands the overall market - competitors' strengths and weaknesses, economic trends, supply and demand etc. and knows how to sell against them.
* Closes the best opportunities for each property based on market conditions and individual property needs.
* Uses negotiating skills and creative selling abilities to close on business and negotiate contracts.
Providing Exceptional Customer Service
* Handles complex business with significant revenue potential as well as significant customer expectations.
* Builds and strengthens relationships with existing and new customers to enable future bookings. Activities include sales calls, entertainment, FAM trips, trade shows, etc.
* Develops relationships within community to strengthen and expand customer base for group / catering sales opportunities.
* Supports brand's Service and Relationship Strategy, driving customer loyalty by delivering service excellence throughout each customer experience.
* Provides excellent customer service in order to grow share of the account.
* Executes brand's Customer Service Standards and property's Brand Standards.
* Participates in and practices daily service basics of the brand.
* 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 the property and brand.
* Gains understanding of the property's primary target customer and service expectations; serves the customer by understanding their business, business issues and concerns, to offer better business solutions both prior to, and during the program / event.
Building Successful Relationships
* Works collaboratively with off-property sales channels (e.g., Market Sales, Strategic Accounts) to ensure sales efforts are coordinated, complementary, and not duplicative.
* Manages and develops relationships with key internal and external stakeholders.
* Uses sales resources and administrative/support staff.
Additional Responsibilities
* Utilizes intranet for resources and information.
* Conducts site inspections.
* Creates contracts as required.
* Executes and supports the operational aspects of business booked (e.g., generating proposals, writing contracts, customer correspondence).