Seasons Group's MD, Sanjay Khullar reveals secrets of word-of-mouth marketing

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SME Times News Bureau | 26 Sep, 2014

Revealing his 'Secrets of Word-of-Mouth Marketing', Managing Director of Seasons Group, Mr. Sanjay Khullar, in an exclusive interview to SME Times, said that planning, executing and controlling are the 'mantras' of success. He said, "The Seasons Group have not been advertising in the past so many decades, but thanks to word-of-mouth, trust and relationships we have reached where we are. The repeat clientele of my brand is 70 percent and that is great number".

However, he made clear that the past 25 years had not been a cakewalk. "All entrepreneurs face challenges. Challenges have come in many forms, internally and externally. Not just financial challenges but challenges of marketing, human resources, legalities, competition and many more but all have been great teachers," he added. He believes that innovation and technology are vital for growth and sustainability.

Established in 1987, Seasons Group owns and manages a wide range of restaurants and hotels across Delhi-NCR (India). The Group, renowned for its outdoor catering services since 1987, has been catering to many prestigious international organizations. Seasons Group has been providing finest hospitality and catering services since eighteen years around the world.

Excerpts of the interview...

The Seasons Group is at present one of the most renowned premium outdoor gourmet service provider in India. Sir, our readers want to know the journey of ups and downs of those remarkable 25 years. Could you please tell something about your success story?
Sanjay Khullar: Seasons Catering, the catering arm of Seasons has undoubtedly carved a niche for itself in the hospitality and catering industry after catering to many prestigious international events, the Formula 1 Indian Grand Prix 2012, JWBL and Avantha Masters international golf tournaments and the XIX Commonwealth Games, 2010 to name a few.

The past 25 years have not been a cakewalk. Challenges began right where the dream began. It was important to be careful and study each risk properly. Although the vision began from catering, it ultimately lead to hospitality (hotels and restaurants). Challenges ranged from identifying the feasibility of an investment to all the groundwork of setting up the infrastructure, my entire team, carefully.

I have been lucky to have great guidance and consistent support from friends and family therefore I could overcome these challenges.

Our young entrepreneurs also want to know what do you think is the 'Mantra' of your success?
Sanjay Khullar: Our commitment towards "Guest Delight" & ensuring each occasion becomes a memorable one for all our guests. Prior planning and detailing of any event from the very beginning. Cuisines, uniforms, cutlery and glassware, the table and buffet setup, raw material quality and special needs related to the theme, everything is meticulously planned.

With a strong team of over 400 people, highly experienced hospitality professionals and hand picked specialty master chefs manage the catering division. Site visits by the operations team; mock setups prior to the event with great attention to detail are executed to ensure the success of each function catered. Planning, executing & controlling!!

25 years ago at starting point, what was the size and structure of your group?
Sanjay Khullar: Initially, I was leading the company with an executive Chef along with a few other hospitality professionals, a rather small team of 15 people.

There was hardly any structure, and owing to the time then, catering was not a concept too well known. At the time Maurya and Taj were the only ones doing it. In fact then one direct competitor I can think of was Kuality.

We were the first to start theme parties in 1989, exclusive catering, food and décor according to specific themes.

Now what is the size and structure of your group?
Sanjay Khullar: Seasons has grown manifold in the past so many years, diversified into different fields in Hospitality (Hotels & Restaurants). International caterings, 2 boutique properties in India (Seasons Tarudhan Valley Golf Resort, Manesar which boasts of a 9 hole international golf course and "Living room” in Goa), Restaurants in Delhi/NCR (Turquoise Cottage from the Orient” popularly known as "TC” located in Gurgaon and DLF Place Mall Saket, New Delhi)

Structurally, the company has grown as well. With specific dedicated teams for all departments whether the Catering division or the Hotels division and even for restaurants the company is today very organized.

Mr. Rainer Stoll is the Director for Seaons Hotels, Mr. Puneet Roy heads all projects and development for Seasons Catering along with Mr. Ashish Gupta who heads Catering Sales. As for the Restaurants, I am looking in to the same for now!

What were the challenges you have faced to make this group a successful brand?
Sanjay Khullar: All entrepreneurs face challenges. Challenges have come in many forms, internally and externally. Not just financial challenges but challenges of Marketing, Human resources, legalities, competition and many more but all have been great teachers.

Diversifying in to Hotels and Restaurants has been a rough ride as well. Products and services are at the heart of any hospitality company and that is exactly what will set you apart from other similar companies. Whether it is selecting the right person for the right job or creating an ambience that will make the difference, it has all been great effort and careful study but gratefully for the support from my mentors, family and friends I have been able to overcome all of these and shall do so in times to come.

At the time when your group was a small company, could you find one biggest issue that SMEs have, out of all challenges? And you get out of that particular issue?
Sanjay Khullar: Initially, while Seasons was being set up, the biggest issue was to do with Human resources and Technology. Apart from which getting business with a structure that was hardly developed was difficult. We had to be extremely careful with our product, people and services. It's all about getting the first opportunity to serve people and that was the challenge like a star struggles for his first break! Keep fighting it and make sure you do your best and that is how you achieve!

Additionally, when we began we faced a lack of technology support. Other companies in the industry who were all set up already had the entire tech support in place and although 25 years back technology did not play a very important role however keeping pace with the dynamic technological environment was quite a challenge. SMEs are considered in a way a risky proposition because sometimes without a sound backing, they may tend to fail and therefore they hardly allure many investors or stake holders. We have however constantly focused on improving Technology and innovating in Culinary and Departmental structures.

Your group continues to be lauded for its quality and service. And so you were honoured with the "Catering Man of the Year" award by the "House of Business Sphere" in 2008 and your group was awarded with Citations for its remarkable work by Pedicon 2006. We know that quality at par with international standers is utmost important in your industry. But how important is innovation and technology?
Sanjay Khullar: Innovation and Technology are vital for growth and sustainability. We always focus on incorporating the two through our business, innovating with food and presenting it uniquely for instance. In the dynamic environment today, we at our own level introduce different ideas consistently, wooden props on buffet layouts, and different utensils for serving are a few ways.

For improved presentation, we have individually portion salads, hot/cold snacks and desserts, display in shot glasses & ramekin dishes. Interactive & live cooking, show kitchens, healthier menus, which keep pace with changing lifestyles and trends, all help enhance guest experience. Most items are cooked fresh in front of the guest on specialized imported hot griddle plates / induction cooking / robatta and weber grills / traditional cooking methods, live tandoor for breads and kebabs, char grills, live wok and teppanyaki stations to name a few.

For technology, our kitchen equipment, our very own transportation fleet, our internal communication network all help. I personally travel to exhibitions and fairs all around the world, Whether ITB, Berlin, the gulf Food Show, Hotel Show in Germany and many more. Constant training of my team and meticulous planning for the year to come helps us equip ourselves.

How important is excellence in services for you? And What do you think that have you earned in last three decades? Not in revenue terms.
Sanjay Khullar: If I look back the past 25 years, I have earned many things some that may be seen and some that are close to my heart. What is mist valuable are the relationships I have gained and built over the decades. I have earned the trust and faith of my patrons. It gives me great pride to tell you that at least 50% of people planning an event or party in Delhi are aware of Sanjay Khullar or Seasons catering or about the other Seasons brands.

Seasons have not been advertising in the past so many decades, but thanks to word of mouth, trust and relationships we have reached where we are. The repeat clientele of my brand is 70% and that is great number.