Mgr Catering Sales

InterContinental Hotels Group; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 43,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

InterContinental Hotels Group in Chicago seeks a Catering Sales professional to drive outside sales with local organizations, associations and businesses. You will negotiate F&B pricing, function space and room rentals, and confirm client requirements in writing.

The role requires 1-3 years of catering sales in a 4-star hotel, a Bachelor’s degree in hospitality management, fluent English, and strong interpersonal and problem-solving abilities. Delphi and Opera experience are a plus.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in hospitality management or related field.
• 1–3 years catering sales experience in a 4-star hotel.
• Must speak fluent English.
• Delphi and Opera experience a plus.
• Ability to work over 8 hours when business demands.
• Strong interpersonal and problem solving abilities.
• Proficient use of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel PowerPoint).
• Ability to prioritize and organize delegated work.

Responsibilities

• Establishes client base of organizations through direct outside sales to secure business.
• Negotiates prices and room rates; confirms group requirements in writing.
• Conducts tours of the hotel and banquet facilities.
• Coordinates sales efforts with Sales and Catering to maximize revenue.
• Upsells across food, beverage, room rental, and other income.
• Communicates with Conference Services to guide events.
• Responds to inquiries when team members are absent.
• Maintains an active follow-up system on sales calls.
• Performs other duties and special projects as assigned.
• Ensures compliance with safety requirements.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication

Problem solving

Sales skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in hospitality management

Tools

Delphi PMS

Opera

Job description

• Establishes client base of organizations, associations and commercial businesses through direct outside sales efforts for the purpose of securing business for the hotel to ensure that predetermined sales expectations are met or exceeded.

• Negotiates food and beverage prices, function space, room rates and hotel services within approved departmental booking guidelines. Confirms in writing to the client and all affected hotel departments all group requirements via catering contract.

• Conducts tours of the hotel and banquet facilities; entertains qualified potential clients in accordance with the company and property policies.

• Monitors local competitors and compare their operation with his/her operation.

• Solicits business and follow up on referrals and potential sales leads.

• Keeps aware of trends, systems, practices and equipment in food and beverage through trade literature, hotel show and site visits.

• Responds to all telephone and "walk-in" inquiries in the event of the absence of other team members.

• Maintains an active trace/follow up system on all personal sales calls.

• Communicates with Conference Services and Banquets team to guide them through the function execution of the client events.

• Coordinates sales efforts with Sales Department and Catering Department to ensure proper utilization of function space to yield maximum revenues.

• Finalizes all bookings maximizing all revenue potential by "upselling" in all revenue producing areas; Food, Beverage, Room Rental and Miscellaneous Income.

• At IHG we are committed to providing our employees with a safe, secure and healthy workplace. It is your responsibility to comply with all workplace health and safety requirements, including any department specific training regarding equipment and procedures.

• Perform other duties, tasks and special projects as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree in hospitality management or related field. 1-3 years previous Catering Sales experience in a 4-star hotel. Must speak fluent English. Follow verbal and written instructions, ability to communicate with supervisors and co-workers. Delphi and Opera experience a plus.

• Ability to work over 8 hours when business demands are high, flexible hours

• Strong interpersonal and problem solving abilities

• Proficient use of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel PowerPoint) and other computer programs.

• Ability to perform job functions with attention to detail, speed and accuracy

• Ability to prioritize and organize delegated work and follow through

• Ability to be a clear thinker remains calm and resolves problems using sound judgment.

• Ability to work under pressure, meet guest / co-workers needs and be courteous at all times

• Ability to comprehend instructions

• Ability to work cohesively with co-workers as part of a team

• The statements in this job description are intended to represent the key duties and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be ALL responsibilities or qualifications of the job.

• The salary range for this role is $31.25 to $36.05. This is the lowest to highest pay scale we, in good faith, believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the range may be modified in the future. An employee’s pay position within the pay range will be based on several factors, including relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, shift, travel requirements, sales or revenue-based metrics, and business or organizational needs.