# Need sales advise ASAP



## zsa427 (Dec 15, 2008)

I was offered a position with a catering company to take over their sales. Right now, the owner handles the sales, this location has been around abit over a year. he said that in one year, I should easily be able to make 60-75K. I live in the burbs of chicago, and their focus is wedding and corporate meetings/events. In this economy is this something that sounds reasonable or am I being taken? Any questions let me know


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

welcome to cheftalk....people still are getting married, they are just not inviting the world (unless you are my niece).....so guest count and blow out menus have decreased for many. Other parties and banquets have been off for many around here.

Interesting that this company would feel a need at this time to hire someone. 

Let's see what responses you get in the catering thread, if there are not a goodly amount we can expand it to the pro thread.


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## mark v catering (Nov 30, 2008)

You might consider asking how much you will have for an advertising budget. Also, is your pesonal network strong enough to bring in the corporate business? Brides come and go, but the steady corporate jobs can be your bread and butter, especially if you can get onsite training gigs, or steady monthly accounts for lunch or training meetings.

The perspective job: Is it all off-site, or does he have a facility? Will your pay be based upon a scale, the more you sell the higher your pay/commission? Can the base salary carry you and your family (if that applies) during the time it takes you to ramp up?

Will you be able to take over the existing accounts, and draw commission from those?

Will you simply close the sale then pass it off to another department, or will you be carrying it from start to finish? Smaller operations like mine, depend on the sales people to walk the deal all the way to the finish. My team helps with everything from set-up, tear-down and sometimes the cooking as well. What will you be required to do?

Sales is a tough job regardless of the economy, but in this particular economy it is extremely harder. Is your experience level high enough to get through the next year or so until things start to correct themselves? Is the job potential better then what you are doing now?

Good luck, and I hope these questions/thoughts help.


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