SALES MANUAL:

Objective:
 Training of new experienced sales team members.

Product Knowledge:

For a sales person it is very important to know about the products offered by the
company. Followings are the products a sales persons know.
 Food
Food offered by the company, i-e Starters/ Appetizers, Bar B Q , Fry
items, Curry, vegetables, Chinese, continental, deserts, cocktails and mock
tails, etc.

 Arrangements:
Arrangements offered by the company i-e standing buffet arrangement,
round table setup, lighting types, linen options, color themes, carpets, tents
types, cutlery and crockery options.
 Venue:
The sales person should know about the venue. The services offered at the
venue i-e marquee, lighting, generator, heating/cooling, valet service etc.
the should have venue comparison with him on quarterly basis.
 Service:
The sales person should know about the service standards of the company
and SOP of the service.

 Miscellaneous:
In a function there are several other things beside the food, arrangements
offered by the company and service. I-e stage décor, lounges, wooden
floor, sound system, etc which we usually have to get from our venders.
The sales people have the knowledge about the venders and the quality of
their work.

Client Assesment; ( Techniques)

Assessing the client is the most difficult and tactful thing a sales person should do.
When a client comes to office the fisrt thing he asks without giving any information is :
“what are the food per head rates of your menus”. The sales persons should not give
the rates; he should ask the following questions from the client:
 What is the date of the event?
It might be possible that we are not available on his date:
 No Of Persons?
On weekends we discourage of having under 100 events during season. after
checking from the system and discussing it the manages the client should be
 regretted if need by saying” We are not available on you date due to over
reservation and closed date” never say the client that we don’t cater under 100
function on weekend, it doesn’t put good impact on client.
 Venue?
What is the venue of the event, city, distance, hall / plot / farm house/ basic
infrastructure available at the venue i-e Water, electricity connection.

 Menu?
All above question should be asked in the starting of the discussion. After
knowing the above information. Menu should be offered to the client. The good
and stable menu always consists of the flowing:
1. Bar B Q
2. Curry
3. Rice
4. nan
5. Raita+ Salad
6. Desert
The sales person should be able enough to help the client in making a menu
within the client’s budget.
 Type of the event and guests Invited:
The sales person should ask the client about the type of event Valima/ nikkah/
barat etc. the sales person should ask the client tactfully about the ratio of the
gents and the ladies. If he thinks that there might be a chance of confusion, he
should ask as what type of the guest is invited i-e urban and rural ratio.
If the majority of the guest and event some ratio of the guest are good eater then
the sales person should increase the food portioning and its cost accordingly. The
increase in the food porting is also depended on the sales person’s judgment

Market Knowledge:
The sales persons should have market knowledge i-e possible competitors, the
services offered by them and comparison with us. He should be able enough to
suggest a venue to the client.

Operations Knowledge:
A function is execuated in three parts.
1. Decoration:
In this part the heavy stuff i-e tent, carpets, table, chairs, kanat etc is
moved to the venue in the morning from the warehouse. Our decoration
staff installs the taent and stacks the other items under the tents.
2. In second part the service team goes to the venue and arranges the setup.
The duty of the service team is to give a proper complete setup of the
function.
3. In third part the kitchen is moved to the venue. If the event is in
Rawalpindi then the kitchen will be moved 3 hours prior to the serving
 time and if the venue is in Islamabad then the food will be send 2 hour
prior to the serving time.

MAJOR BLUNDERS:

Quoting Wrong Rates:

Wrong rates are usually quoted due to the following reasons:
1. Wrong assessment of the client.
2. When a sales person is over occupied.
3. When the menu is customized and the sales person is confused.
4. When the client put pressure on the sales person to give the rates in hurry.

Over Commitment:

1. It usually happens when the sales person commit certain thing which is not
in the inventory. he does this to close the booking without knowing the
circumstances he might face on the event date.
2. The second over commitment is done by the sales persons when he takes
the responsibility of the third party or a person who is not on our vender
list.
3. A sales person some time commits wrong setup timing with the client.

Delay in Documentation of the Event;

A sales person should never waist time in entering the details of the event
in the lotus. I-e Theme of the event. Chair covers , carpets, tent type, cutlery and crockery
type.
If a sales person delays in entering the data after committing to the client, it might be
possible that another sales person commit the same things in the same date.

Lack of Inventory Knowledge:

A sales person should have the inventory details with him . While
committing a thing to the client he should consult the inventory and its possible
commitments.
FAQs
1. What is the price per person on buffets is?--- it is basically the first question a new
client asks without giving any information
2. How long have you been in business?
3. What is the difference between you and other catering companies in town?
4. What Services do you offer?
5. As How early a function should be booked?
6. Is a deposit required?
7. Which kind of menu do you offer?
8. When should  every thing including menu and theme should be decided?
9. Why the rates are not mentioned on the menu?
10. How much space do you need to arrange a event?
11. is site visit required and when it can be arranged?
12. When do I need give a final guest count?
13. Which decorator is on your panel?
14. Do you supply party rentals, equipment, decorations and accessories?
15. Do you have a service charge and/or charge sales tax?
16. Once I have booked an event can the price change?
17. Do you do custom menus?
18. Do you do menu tasting?

For venue

1. What is venue Rental?

2. How early a venue should be booked?
3. What is the capacity of the venue?
4. What includes in the venue rental and what will be charged extra?
5. Can we have our own food arrangement at your venue?
6. Why are expensive as compared to other venues in the city?
First week:

 Product Knowledge (Food, & equipment)

 Ware house inventory

Second week:
 Function visits.
 Functions execution
 Soft Ware use
 Joint meetings with clients.

Third Week:
 Rates
 Costing
 Dummy booking costing.