Speaking Engagements
Our portfolio of speaking engagements and interactive workshops feature a range of subjects customized specifically for clients. Several of these topics have been presented at national catering & special event conferences, created for association webinars and developed for the classroom at world-renowned universities and educational institutions.
Jennifer Perna’s communication style has been defined as “relatable and fun” as she presents her broad knowledge base on increasing sales and motivating your team through effective leadership and management best practices.
If you are interested in booking a speaking engagement or would like more information
call 312-515-4380 or click Connect below:
Past Speaking Engagements
The following classes have been presented at national conferences, association workshops and national educational institutions by Jennifer Perna from 2017-2022. Dates and location for each are listed within the session detail.
2023 Catersource Orlando
Catersource in Orlando, March 2023
Salespeople…How the #$%^ Do I Manage It All?
Salespeople have a lot to juggle, including managing clients and managing their day to day schedule. Now they need to learn another new skill set, managing actual members of their own team. This class will teach salespeople how to navigate it all for success.
International Caterers Association Workshop, San Antonio, August 2022
Directors of Sales- We are Back!
What has happened since we last talked? What are the top issues Directors of Sales are dealing with as we are busy into spring season 2022? What major decisions have you made as you continue to rebuild your team? Jennifer will moderate a lively discussion with three Directors of Sales from various geographic regions in the off-premise and on-premise markets.
Catersource, Anaheim, May 2022
Rebuilding a Sales Team: Strategies for Building Strong Teams in Times of Transition
What makes a strong team? Jennifer will moderate a discussion to learn how three different dynamic Directors of Sales have dealt with rebuilding and restructuring their Sales Teams during Covid and what lessons they learned. Learn how to motivate and lead your team through difficult times.
Catersource, Miami, July 2021
Be the Smartest “Sales”Person in the Room
We will discuss the importance of understanding your own product and how customers buy from salespeople they trust. They also buy from salespeople that care. This relationship begins at the initial opportunity (the lead) and often results in repeat business through educating these potential customers of your product portfolio (and NOT sending a PDF of menus). So Show Your Stuff!! We will tap into existing sales “tools” for effective, suggestive selling and discuss why it is crucial to inform your customer that you are knowledgeable, a logistical whiz and THE creative catering
Catersource, Las Vegas, March 2020
Private Client, Washington DC, January 2020
Managing Up!
Sales Managers have many job responsibilities; managing a sales team, developing large strategic client relationships and achieving individual and team sales goals. One large responsibility that is often overlooked is communicating with their manager in an effective way. I call this Managing Up! This class will be a targeted, specific, nuts and bolts approach to teaching Directors of Sales (and all managers) how to organize themselves to better share challenges and opportunities in a structured, methodical way with their superiors.
Catersource, Las Vegas, March 2020
Qualifying Business and the Opportunity Cost of Time
How do we better qualify business to recognize opportunity cost and how to value our own time? We will discuss the actual process of qualifying business from the initial call or web inquiry (the lead) to what questions we can ask to save time. We will also discuss your available resources to make the selling process easier including existing systems, collaboration with vendors, the use of packages vs. customization and the sharing of information amongst the sales team. Last, we will explain closing ratios and show actual percentages to better explain the amount of proposals and contracts that must be written per week to achieve your actual goal.
Private Clients, Washington DC, August 2019; San Francisco, October 2019; Chicago, January 2020
Differentiating Your Company and Communicating Your Value
What talking points can we create to help us feel more confident and comfortable when communicating with our customers? We will clearly define your company’s top five differentiating features and how your unique product and services benefit the customer as their solution-provider.
Private Clients, Washington DC, August 2019; San Francisco, October 2019; Chicago, January 2020
Developing Your Individual Strategic Sales Implementation Plan
This is an interactive, hands-on workshop for sales consultants that want to review and expand their own client base and walk away with a catalyst to starting their own plan. They will learn how to create an individual annual sales plan for professional growth based on SMART goal thinking (Strategic, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely) to include base, stagnant and new business strategies as well as networking and venue relationship development.
Leading Caterers of America, Midwest Region, Chicago, March 2019
Leading Caterers of America, Northeast Region, Baltimore, January 2018
Customer Service and Building Long Term Client Relationships
We will discuss the lost “art” of customer service including the importance of building the relationship from the initial opportunity (the lead) to developing these potential customers into clients (and friends) for life. We will understand the value of relationship building, provide tips on how to start developing this partnership and recognize that time invested is time well spent.
Private Clients, San Francisco, October 2019; Chicago, November 2019; Chicago, January 2020
Creating a Proactive Venue Management Sales Strategy
It is imperative to develop fruitful relationships with sales representatives at off-premise catering venues (preferred and exclusive). This session will encourage the development of an organized, structured sales team strategy to control the high volume of potential events at these off-premise venues for collaborative team selling & venue administrative management.
International Caterers Association Workshop, Washington DC, August 2019
Leading Caterers of America, Midwest Region, Chicago, March 2019
Leading Caterers of America, Northeast Region, Baltimore, January 2018
It’s Not Just the Sales Number: More Measurement Tools for Sales Success
Sales Consultants typically measure their success by one metric: hitting their annual sales revenue goal at the end of the year. Sales Managers should inspire, lead and encourage this achievement throughout the entire sales year rather than reviewing results at year end. This class provides Sales Managers with proven and successful measurement ideas to make sure the team is on track for sales success including developing realistic monthly revenue targets, understanding closing ratios and tips for effective cost management.
International Caterers Association Workshop, Washington DC, August 2019
International Caterers Association Workshop, Denver, May 2019
A Year in the Life of a Director of Sales
This session will teach Sales Managers how to proactively coach, teach and lead their sales teams. Rather than approaching management as "putting out fires," this is looking at a calendar year in the life of a DOS and strategically focusing on goals from an annual, monthly, weekly, daily, and "non-structured" basis. Learn how to prioritize, delegate and manage with an overall "global" mindset for effective sales team leadership. Lastly, learn communication processes, structure and how to “manage up” with Ownership and Executive Leadership to hold yourself accountable for success.
Podcast: Candid Conversations by Catersource, Vol. One, Ep. 7; August 2019
Catersource, New Orleans, February 2019
International Caterers Association Workshop, Atlanta, July 2019
Tastings: The Show Must Go On, So Love It!
Tastings are an integral part of our business. They have a cost, of course, but also are a huge selling point and client experience. Yet the majority of caterers approach tastings as a complete waste of time, money, and resources, and one that causes much conflict between front of house and back of house. Learn how to mind shift your approach to tastings as the ultimate theatrical moment in the catering sales cycle and create a memorable experience for the customer.
International Caterers Association Workshop, Washington DC, August 2019
Catersource, New Orleans, February 2019
Front of House and Back of House — NOT Versus!
Sharing successful training processes and procedures between the culinary and sales departments is imperative to improving communication and collaboration between the back of house and front of house teams. By encouraging and creating a forum for these team players to share ideas and work together, the ultimate result is higher quality service and products delivered to your clients by more engaged employees.
International Caterers Association Workshop, Kansas City, May 2018; Chicago August 2018
Leading Caterers of America, Northeast Region, Baltimore, January 2018
Free Flow Catering, Sales and Management Q&A
This workshop allows sales and management team members the forum to ask any question they have always wanted to ask a catering and hospitality peer in a comfortable, free-flow manner. In advance of this session, each attendee should arrive with three written questions so there is continuous flow of content for this dynamic and interactive workshop.
International Caterers Association Workshop, Washington DC, August 2019; Atlanta, July 2019
Leading Caterers of America, Midwest Region, Chicago, March 2019
Millennials Can Be Salespeople Too (and Good Ones!)
Millennials (and Generation Zs, too) are a dynamic and often “misrepresented” generation in our workforce. This session teaches the communication style and work habits of this lively "target market" and offers recommendations for the hiring process and compensation & benefits programs desired by this group. Daily management life lessons are provided for Sales Managers who need recommendations on how to connect and lead this influential generation today.
Catersource, Las Vegas, February 2018
Sales is Sales is Sales
All sales challenges are relative and relatable for the $1 million, $5 million, or $25 million company — no matter where you are located in the U.S., and no matter what the industry! This is a discussion regarding sales management and how you still nurture, and grow the client no matter where you are or what your revenue total is — because truly… sales is sales is sales!
Catersource, Las Vegas, February 2018
Off-Premise Catering and Event Planning from a Catering Salesperson Perspective
This introductory session defines the role of a catering salesperson in the event planning process including the steps of sales and production, how they budget an event, what elements of an event they control and how they get inspired. What do clients really want? What influences them? How have caterers adapted? This also includes a discussion of the four stages of the event planning process including managing inquiries, proposal development, internal and external production and post-event follow up.
Cornell School of Hotel Administration, Special Events Class, October 2018, September 2019
“It’s Back to Sales School Time”
This class is particularly relevant and timely in August and September to reboot the sales team before the busy holiday production season, so they will be ready to kick off the new year with a fresh start. The discussion is a back-to-school tutorial to get the sales team in gear for next year including a refresher on goal setting, developing sales plans, enhancing client relationships and providing creative ideas for the management of existing customers.
International Catering Association Workshop Series, Boston, September 2018
“Owning” Your Own Business as an Employee
This is a “healthy and realistic” conversation recommended for organizational leaders that recognize long-term, dedicated employees will eventually move on for personal and professional growth. Jennifer Perna will discuss her 25 plus year career in sales in the hospitality industry. She was a successful, dedicated employee throughout her career and approached each work opportunity with the mind-set and daily practice as if she owned the business.
Leading Caterers of America, Northeast Region, Baltimore, January 2018
If you are interested in booking a speaking engagement, or would like more information
call 312-515-4380 or click Connect below.