Senior Sales Manager / Sales Manager - Celebrations

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 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

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

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

Executes and supports the business 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 solution both prior to, and during the program/event

Building Successful Relationships

Works collaboratively with off-property sales channels (eg, , 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 (eg, generating proposal, writing contract, customer correspondence)