Important Reminder: 23 Days To Catersource Conference

It's now or never! I can assure you that the conference, tradeshow and events are going to be amazing and offer great opportunity to borrow, steal and reformat what you see, taste, and learn to enhance your sales and image!


If you wish to go but have not been able to convince yourself or justify the cost, please contact me via email or phone so we can discuss how I can possible help convince you or to make your financial burden less.


You should know that the week we are in Las Vegas it is almost a "ghost" town - we are one of the two only conference going on. Nearby hotels (including Belagio) are priced extremely low in their daily rates. There will no waiting in most restaurants!


So, if  you have even the littlest thought of going to Las Vegas please contact me.


            (773) 549-7210   mikeroman@cateringguru.com

Five Thoughts On Marketing - What do you think?

1. Rank your clients by different values i.e. volume, type, payment record, etc. Then, create customized marketing campaigns to excite each group

2. Announce that a certain percentage of each sale for a specific period of time will be going to a special charity fund...it is a great feeling to help others!               

3. Do you really understand the strengths and weaknesses of your competition? 

4. Reward your best buyers with something small and fun. Send an extra dessert, a lotto ticket or a recipe.

5. Marketing is what a company does to locate new buyers; confirm for past buyers that they are already with the best caterer; and finally, to prepare the shopper for your salespeople!     

Put The Spotlight On Your Culinary Team & Food

One creative way to increase your chances of a sale is by using scripts that demonstrate the value of your culinary team. Your catering kitchen, along with everyone and everything in it, can add important benefits to your sales presentations. After all, the kitchen is the heartbeat of your business, the creator and protector of your image and reputation. An event’s success is tied to what does and doesn’t happen in the kitchen. Yet many catering salespeople never talk about their kitchen when selling.

Most buyers are extremely interested in a caterer’s menus and food quality. Create scripts that offer shoppers an opportunity to understand what makes your kitchen better than the kitchens of the other caterers they are shopping with—letting them see why your catering company is the one they should choose for their upcoming event.

Scripts to be used early in the sales presentation:

“One of the reasons I choose to become part of the ABC Catering team is our professionally run kitchen. As part of my employment interview, I was required to observe our kitchen in full operation. Well, I quickly learned that the level of creativity of our chefs and their assistants was the highest I’ve ever witnessed. I knew that when working at ABC, my clients would be getting the best food possible for their guests.”

“It is important to know that our kitchen is fully licensed and inspected by our city’s health department. In addition, our culinary staff is required to take additional sanitation courses that give them an even better understanding of safe food-handling procedures.”

“I’d like to take a moment and tell you a little bit about our Executive Chef (Name). Creativity is her middle name! My customers consistently tell me that their guests enjoyed our chef’s menus—and even requested recipes. I bring this up because a catering company is only as good as its culinary team—and ours is lead by a proven master.”

Fixed Day Tastings

It is a way of life for many clients: “We wish to taste your food before we make a decision.” Caterers have different views on the question of allowing buyers to have tastings. Some believe that it’s okay for all potential buyers to have a tasting. Others believe that only buyers who have given a deposit are eligible for a tasting. Still others have their unique rules of when to permit tastings.

One solution is the fixed-day tasting. This has proven to be very successful for both on- and off-premise caterers. The caterer sets aside two, three or more days a month to hold group tastings for prospective buyers, or for those who already have given deposits.

Scheduling a tasting for a single buyer, even with a large committee or family, is filled with problems. It’s often difficult to capture the same taste when cooking food for two or three people. The energy during the tasting is usually one of non-excitement. With a fixed-day tasting, a variety of buyers are invited in for a group tasting of your latest and best menu items. 

You can offer buffet, station, or plate-served samples. With a group tasting, a “buyer frenzy” may be established when a variety of strangers, all with a common goal, begin “ooohing” and “aaahing” your food. However, problems may be created if tasters are negative. 

“Yes, we do offer tastings Mrs. Smith. However, we do them in a very special way. We discovered a long time ago, that giving tastings to just a few people didn’t allow our culinary team to shine, since all our recipes are for larger groups.

“Now we offer group tastings three times each month. These tastings usually have between fifteen and thirty people, who, like yourself, need to decide on their menu. The group tasting lets our culinary team offer an incredible range of menu items for all to try.

“This month we can offer you a group tasting on Saturday, the 10th at noon, or Wednesday evening the 14th at 6:30, or Tuesday morning the 20th at 10:30. Which of these tasting times is best for you?”

Three Thoughts On Pricing - What do you think?

!. Caterers often hesitate to talk about their pricing when meeting with shoppers. Ultimately all shoppers want to know the approximate price, but they often hesitate in asking because they feel that the salesperson will gain an advantage over them. Being proactive about sharing prices will put your shopper at ease! 


2. Unfortunately, the catering salesperson is usually the only one who thinks their company's prices are too high.

3. By creating a middle priced menu you make it easier for the shopper to choose it without feeling that they are either spending too much or too little. While some will choose the higher price and some will choose the lower price, surveys show that most shoppers buy in the middle! 

Register By Midnight On January 31st To Save Money!