Personal Selling Practices and Marketing Mix: An Exploratory Study of Hotel Catering in Taiwan

Abstract

Banquet and catering income usually occupies 50-65% of the F&B revenue of a five-star hotel in Taiwan, which in turn accounts for 23-30% of the total revenue. Thus, it is imperative to explore the selling skills of the catering sales staff along with the understanding of the operation of the department of the catering sales of a hotel. Furthermore, the success of catering sales cannot be isolated from implementing marketing mix to fulfill a hotel's goal. This study employed 30 catering sales in-depth interviews among five hotels in Taiwan. Research findings showed that attaining the pre-planned sales performance targets and maintaining coherent teamwork are the personal selling and sales management strategies most often emphasized. Satisfying customers' unique demands and nurturing a successor for the catering director were difficult challenges and problems often faced by each of the surveyed hotels. Marketing mix of each surveyed hotel is discussed. Results, implications, and recommendations are also provided for both academic and practitioners' reference.