Without a doubt, the catering sector is competitive, which can make it difficult to grow your business and enhance your bottom line. So, how can you distinguish yourself from the crowd and create a catering program that will have people booking your company for any event?
1. Be inventive in your marketing.
Traditional marketing, such as print ads in local newspapers or e-newsletters, might help raise exposure for your catering service, but these are approaches that many businesses already use. You want to stand out from the crowd. When it comes to marketing, being creative and thinking outside the box will help you reach more potential consumers while also creating a distinctive and authentic catering brand.
2. Targeted marketing
Concentrating on a certain market sector or specialty might provide you a significant advantage over your competitors. Do some research on local event planners and local businesses to see what they are looking for. Consider corporate gatherings, year-end celebrations, wedding showers, and grand openings.Consider your meal options for special diets such as dairy-free, vegan, and gluten-free. By tailoring your catering options to a specific market demand, you may attract a steady stream of related gigs.
3 Provide an introductory sample tasting to boost catering sales.
Sure, you’re definitely aware of how to market your catering company using newsletters and social media. But have you ever held a tasting event? Building personal ties with potential catering clients allows them to observe your presentation talents and sample your delectable menu items. The first step in arranging a tasting is to compile a list of possible catering leads, which should include corporate prospects as well as engaged couples. Send them a fun, customized email with information about your tasting event.
When they arrive, you can give them an overview of your catering services before delving into the specifics of each menu item. Remember to have brochures, takeaway menus, and business cards ready for your departing guests. You can even provide a discount for the first event they book with your catering company to get the most out of your taste.
4. Establish expectations and foster trust
To be successful in the catering sector, you must persuade people to talk about your business. To accomplish this, you must first establish trust with your clientele. Discover what your clients hope to achieve and imagine for their event. To match their expectations, be flexible and attempt to add minor touches.
5. Take advantage of walk-ins
While you may take most catering orders over the phone or through your website, we’re sure there are a few customers who prefer to schedule their event or party in person. Train every member of your staff to manage catering requests in-store, and ready them to answer any questions regarding your catering program that may arise. When every team member is capable of assisting walk-in consumers in booking catering orders, your firm will be more organized and efficient. While not everyone who walks through your doors is eager to place a catering order (especially if you own a restaurant), there is a chance to convert your regular customers into catering clients.
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6. Make an impression with your proposals.
Your sales plan must contain spot-on proposals and contracts, sometimes known as BEOs. Consider these documents as a strategy to highlight you as the ideal catering crew to carry out their event. Include a letter that is branded and personalized to your client’s event. Make sure these materials are digital and tailored to your client’s needs.
You can include a touching About Us section, stunning images of your facility, client testimonials, F&B, pricing, timeframes, policies, and other vital run sheet information. While there is a lot of information, make sure your documents are easy to read and scan.
7. Customers who refer others should be rewarded.
While repeat business is fantastic, getting new catering clients will assist you in growing your business and building your brand. A referral program is an excellent approach to utilize your present consumers. After their catering order is delivered, email or phone each customer to check how everything went and how much they appreciated it. Ask them to send you a referral when you contact them. You should also designate a page on your website to your referral program, making it as simple as possible for current customers to make a referral.
8. This single menu item has the potential to make a significant effect.
Sandwiches boost catering revenues
What menu item can help you increase catering sales? Everyone is familiar with and enjoys the sandwich. That’s right: merely including sandwiches on your catering menu can help you reach new clients at times when you wouldn’t ordinarily be booked. Consider office-packaged lunches.
While having sandwiches provided in bulk presents some issues (for example, how do you keep the bread from being soggy? ), the benefits of reaching new casual customers are well worth it. Furthermore, this crucial menu item will place you on par with established companies like Panera Bread.
9. Create a loyalty program.
Offering a loyalty program tailored to your catering customers is an excellent approach to increasing consumer sales. You’ll get new customers while also maintaining a constant flow of business from repeat transactions. When creating loyalty rewards, make sure you understand your clients’ order cadence so you can retarget them effectively. Choose programs that offer incentives based on the number of orders placed or the amount spent. You might offer discounts or free things.
Make a point of emphasizing your loyalty program while communicating with potential clients during the sales process. This information could be the deciding element in closing the deal.
10. Collaborations
Developing strategic partnerships is an important facet of increasing your catering business. There is a lot of room for brand awareness and new business. Consider networking with hotels, venues, breweries, wineries, tourist destinations, and other businesses. Look for any place that does not have its own food and beverage and could refer you.
Contact venue event planners and cultivate a positive, dependable connection so that they may refer additional business your way. Local businesses that cater to events, such as florists and photographers, can also provide significant connections. To help your business develop, distribute marketing materials, collaborate on social media initiatives, and consider offering bundled discounts.
11. Make use of follow-ups
Consider what you do after the event to create connection with clients and increase business. Sending a thank-you email approximately a week after a catering event is not only thoughtful, but also a solid business practice for soliciting feedback and paving the way for repeat sales.
If you receive actionable insights, take the initiative to put them into action and notify the customer of the changes. You want to show your dedication to improving customer happiness. This will assist you in continuing to increase your sales.
12. Use software to make your life easier.
If you’re using sticky notes or Google Calendar to keep track of all of your catering orders, realize that these manual processes may be preventing you from growing your catering business. Catering software, such as TripleseatDirect, not only simplifies the process of accepting catering orders, but it may also save you time and energy, allowing you to take on more customers and enhance your sales. Cloud-based software may power your firm by providing digital BEOs, a lead form, and the capacity to collect credit card payments online. An added benefit? It will help to eliminate confusion among your team members, allowing you to complete each order correctly.
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