JOB SUMMARY
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 (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 proposal, writing contract, customer correspondence).
At Marriott International, we are dedicated to being an equal opportunity employer, welcoming all and providing access to opportunity. We actively foster an environment where the unique backgrounds of our associates are valued and celebrated. Our greatest strength lies in the rich blend of culture, talent, and experiences of our associates. We are committed to non-discrimination on any protected basis, including disability, veteran status, or other basis protected by applicable law.
About the TeamThe Autograph Collection is a growing collection of four and five-star independent hotels, each offering unique and memorable experiences. Each hotel is thoughtfully chosen for its quality, originality, bold character, and ability to offer today’s traveler a range of unique experiences suited to their individual sense of style and adventure. All Autograph Collection hotels look to attract The Individualist, the brand's target consumer. The Individualist is someone who uses travel as an opportunity to add to their personal narrative – in essence they are hand selecting our hotels whether for personal or corporate travel because it is much more than simply a place to rest. In joining Autograph Collection, you join a portfolio of brands with Marriott International. Be where you can do your best work, begin your purpose, belong to an amazing global team, and become the best version of you.
What We Do
Marriott International, Inc. is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of more than 7,500 properties in 30 leading hotel brands spanning 132 countries and territories. Its heritage can be traced to a root beer stand opened in Washington, D.C., in 1927 by J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott. Marriott International is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring a diverse workforce and sustaining an inclusive culture. Marriott International does not discriminate on the basis of disability, veteran status or any other basis protected under federal, state or local laws. Community Guidelines: We reserve the right to remove without any notice content that we determine in our sole discretion is offensive or illegal, contains personally identifiable information, trademarks or copyrights belonging to a third party, advertises a third party’s products or services, or is otherwise inappropriate. Application Tips: We encourage job seekers to protect themselves from email and recruiting scams. Please note: 1) We do not accept applications via email or fax; 2) We never ask for money as part of the application process; 3) We only contact job applicants from approved email domains. Please find more information about Marriott International’s job application process and approved email address domains here: http://www.careers.marriott.com/tips-for-applying/
