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In general, everything that has ever been said about sales can be also said about the art of selling a banquet. All the techniques that apply to selling software, shoes or hay apply equally to catering sales. While there are limitless approaches and strategies for managing the sales process, selling well is no real mystery. Much of it boils down to perseverance, organizational skills and a little bit of personality. There is no question that some individuals are just naturally much better at this craft than others. It is often true in the food business that many who enjoy the art of cooking are not as comfortable in the art of serving. And some who enjoy serving clients are not particularly good at convincing them to make a purchase. So you must be sure that whoever is assigned the sales function is the right person for the job. Your sales staff must combine a pleasant nature, unbelievable patience, good administrative skills and the ability to convince a complete stranger to do things the way you want them done; at your price. Of these skills, the first two are probably the most valuable. But generating sales in a catering operation is much more than just being bubbly and informed. In order to formalize the process of attracting and keeping clients, caterers must qualify and quantify their approach. Having the best food and service in the world means nothing, of course, if you can’t get the customer to experience it. The first step in any marketing program is to do a full and detailed analysis of who your potential clients are in the local marketplace. * Where are they located? * Are they business or residential? * Are they large or small? * Are they high budget or lower end? * Do you do weddings or Bar Mitzvahs? Second, it is appropriate to get as much information as you can about who your competition is and what they are doing. The first order of business would be too simply call every caterer in the phone book and have them mail you a copy of their menus. Ask about what types of events they specialize in and what clients they have hosted recently. Understanding your competition better enables you to present your relative strengths and to play down your weaknesses.
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