Event Planner’s Perspective: Selling the Dream, Serving What?

In the history of event management there’s the dichotomy of sales and service.  If your organization has the same team of people doing both you’re in luck.  But if the people making the promises are selling a certain experience or product that the service team will struggle to deliver on, you may have a gap in your practices.  A few tips to avoid this:

• Let both teams or individuals walk in the other’s shoes.  Show the sales person why it’s impossible to produce individually plated soufflés for 130 people.
• Make sure your sales team understands it’s OK to say “no I’m so sorry but we can’t do that.”  Sometimes the fit isn’t right.  Sometimes you have to tell the client, they might be better served elsewhere, or explain to them why what they are looking for is not something your team can provide.
• Make sure your production team understands it’s their responsibility to do everything they can to deliver.  Yes, maybe it was a little overzealous that the client was promised butler service for 22 people for 4 hours before the wedding ceremony, but if it’s something that can be done, we’re in the hospitality industry right?

 When sales and service are on the same wavelength, everyone, including the client, wins!

Guest Blogger: Kelly Sucharski, Director of Banquets and Catering, Ceviche