Discussion Points

Discuss these points during your next company meeting. Challenge them!

1. Verbs and adjectives make catering sales. Nouns are boring. So, “Buffet” is not the same as “A Sixteen Foot Skirted Buffet With Our Friendly Staff Serving Your Special Guests”.

2. A professional catering salesperson needs to know their batting average in making sales happen.

3. One of the best ways to start a sales presentation is to say to the shopper “Before we begin today, I’d like to tell you why I decided to join the catering team at ABC Catering...”

4. There are two different types of marketing for caterers. “Me-Too” marketing where you simply copy what other caterers are doing or “Me-Different” marketing which is original and demonstrates leadership. The interesting thing is that both are correct in certain circumstances.

5. Hold a citywide recipe contest for corporations to find the best Chili or Chicken Salad or whatever. You arrange for judges and the winners become part of your menu offerings which says “ABC Widget Company’s Egg Salad”.

6. Take your job very seriously but don’t take yourself too seriously.