Based on what the buyers of catering read and hear in the media, they believe that caterers are more than likely hurting if there is a downturn in the economy. They see themselves as having the upper hand in the buy/sell relationship.
This belief that caterers, and other businesses, are wounded and desperate for sales needs to be neutralized or eliminated. Whenever the buyer tells you the date that they are looking for to reserve an event, the person qualifying them should respond, “The date that you are inquiring about is a busy one for our company as I’m sure it is for the others caterers you’ve called.” Whatever they say in response should be followed by the catering representative saying some version of, “Because of our history of doing outstanding catering, our company is doing extremely well even during this unique economic climate we are all facing.”
The shopper now has to challenge his idea that all caterers are having soft sales. If the prospect is concerned about getting outstanding catering, they now need to put your company at the head of the list. If you’re that busy, the marketplace is verifying the quality of your food and service.
Whenever you hear a prospect say something like, “Well, I happen to know that other caterers are not charging as much for this type of menu as you,” you can fall back on the idea that, unlike other caterers who might have less business currently, you are moving ahead on all cylinders!
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