Account Director, Catering - Full-time / Part-time

JOB SUMMARY

The position serves as the primary sales person for a large complex property or for a group of properties. Responsible for proactively soliciting and handling large group/catering related opportunities with significant revenue potential for each participating property. Works to develop, build and maintain long-term, value-based group customer relationships in order to achieve personal and team related revenue goals for all assigned properties. According to properties’ needs, the Senior Account Executive can focus on all types of accounts, or can specialize and focus on specific accounts (e.g., Corporate, Association, etc.). Ensures business is turned over properly and in a timely fashion for proper service delivery in accordance with brand standards. Responsible for driving customer loyalty by delivering service excellence throughout each customer experience. Provides service to our 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 Markets & Maximizing Revenue

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

• Targets group accounts, markets or segments with heavy emphasis on proactive solicitation and account saturation.

• Identifies, qualifies and solicits new accounts with a focus on increasing business.

• Strives to achieve personal and each property’s revenue goals.

• Closes the best opportunities for each property based on market conditions and individual property needs.

• Identifies and develops new markets.

Developing & Executing Sales Plans

• Develops and implements an effective sales plan.

• Executes designated sales strategies to develop and solicit specific accounts to achieve revenue goals.

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

• Achieves solicitation and prospecting goals.

• Maintains and grows business of existing accounts.

• Designs, develops and sells creative catered events.

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

Building Successful Relationships

• Works collaboratively with Strategic Accounts and Market Sales, Convention Bureaus, and other property counterparts to drive revenue, ensure customer satisfaction and increase market share.

• Works collaboratively with off-property sales channels (e.g., , Market Sales, Strategic Accounts) to ensure sales efforts are coordinated, complementary and not duplicative.

• Develops and manages relationships with key stakeholders, both internal and external.

• Uses sales resources and administrative/support staff effectively.

Providing Exceptional Customer Service

• Builds and strengthens relationships with existing and new customers, industry organizations and brand network to enable future bookings. Activities include sales calls, entertainment, FAM trips, trade shows, etc.

• Maintains customer, account and opportunity data in SFA.

• Drives customer loyalty by delivering service excellence throughout each customer experience.

• Services customers in order to grow share of the account.

• Executes and supports brand’s Customer Service Standards and property’s Brand Standards.

• Executes and supports the company’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 company.

• 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.

Additional Responsibilities

• Utilizes intranet for resources and information.

• Manages group or interpersonal conflicts effectively.

• Conducts site inspections.

• Creates contracts as required.