How to get people to order from our catering firm?

We've set up a catering company and in the morning I'm due to visit local businesses with information on what we provide. I'll be taking samples with me (so they can taste the food) along with loyalty cards, promotional fliers and discount coupons.

What is the best way to encourage people to order? Should I leave the menu and information with them and let them decide in their own time?

Promotion wise we've got flyers in circulation and we're booking onto every networking event going at the moment.

What do others do to promote their catering/businesses in general?

when you go out visiting local business, take a good supply of samples to leave in their office along with your promo flyers, and loyalty cards. i would suggest you have two trays, a small one for the manager you are meeting and a slightly bigger one that you could leave in their coffee room before you go. some managers feel it is their right to keep all samples for themselves and take them home. by offering two trays you will be ensuring at least one will make it to the staff lounge.
perhaps you could have a draw of some sort, every office you visit give them a ballot and after a specified time [2 weeks?], make your draw and the office with that ticket gets a tray of snacks for their staff's friday afternoon coffee breaks.
try banks as well as 'offices'. i suggest banks as in our end of the world the majority of bank staff are young females and thats who is most apt to know brides-to-be......one of your targets!
any bank i worked in over the years have always made friday afternoons coffee breaks a big deal. staff take turns bringing in snacks and treats for the entire bank, as well as friday is when they tend to go out for lunch instead of eating in. you would be a big hit offering up some great snacks and nibblies and treats for their friday tea.
also the nurse's lounge in clinics, e.r. rooms.
try leaving a tray on a friday or saturday at the best beauty salon in your area, bridal salon, day spa, for their clients to sample. again, leave your pamphlets.
keep your business cards on you and give them to everyone you meet. your family, friends, neighbors, whoever. you never know who will need your services or when, so get your cards out there.

try senior citizen complexes, not care homes, but condo or rental complexes that have an over 55 years old rule ......quite often these places have weekly get-togethers playing cards, visiting, whatever. you could offer to leave a tray along with all your pamphlets. contact their council/board of directors/property manager, whatever they call themselves.
the radio stations! our radio stations here quite often mention whatever local coffee shop, or caterer, or donut shop, has provided them with special treats for valentine's day, easter, whatever excuse!
bridal fairs - rent a space and set up shop there - have lots of samples and a questionaire they have to fill out, telling you about their weddings - their name, address, phone #, date of wedding, # of attendants, # of guests, expectations for their reception, etc. have a draw - winner gets a free lunch for the bride and her attendants to enjoy. [obviously you need to set limits so no one shows up with a dozen 'attendants']. then a week or so after the fiar start contacting the brides-to-be and reminding them you are there and ask if they need any assistance.
if you can set up a website. advertise at local beauty salons, bridal salons, spas!
does your local shopping mall offer kiosks at a daily/weekly rate? or do they have weekends where they have 'antique fairs', spring festival, that kind of thing. if so, offer to help organize the event, bring a sample tray to the meetings and rent a kiost on a holiday weekend and be ready to offer samples again.
you have a lot of work ahead of you, but with perseverence and high standards you can make it! good luck to you!

It seems like you thought of everything. The only thing I would say is....make sure you have competitive pricing. I would do some research on the top 3 to 5 caterers in the area and see how much they charge for services. You want to have a lower price on certain services. Most of the companies have been using the same catering services for a few years, so you must convince them that you have better quality at a lesser price.

I wonder how you left out a website get yourself a good dynamic website where you can ask you customers and fill in a easy form and order online and that become much easy and just go for a SEO on your site some one from you local community visits google and types for catering services and your site pops up on the results and they just take simple tour what you are , looks at the menu clicks on the order and zoom you get a email and you call them up and provide more information or you can ask them pay online at your website wow isnt that wonderfull.

Just go for a website on your business and promote the site with fliers, ads and what not and see the difference. It will do wonders for you and can contact me for more tips manoj@oopies.com

When leaving your information you should always followup within 3days. after that time people and situations could get in the way of decision making. You could always offer a small gift for referrals to businesses, although the business you left with the information may not be interested they could know others that would be. Your local newspaper is a great source also. Cold Calling potential partners. Call, ask to speak w the manager /owner; once on the line give them a date you would like to bring samples and discuss future endeavors, if they say no offer other dates, and let them know about referrals..

set up a myspace for your catering company, its great free advertising. the guy from wahoo's tacos came to our school and told us how great advertisng through myspace is so im not making this up. just put your menu on your site and be sure to specify how far you will cater to.

I think you are off to a great start. Good luck with the business.

Think out of the box.

Who is your target audience? What businesses or places do they frequent?

For example, if I were selling cakes or cookies, I would call a few schools not too far from where my business is to find out when the PTA meetings or staff meetings are scheduled. I would check with the principal or her staff and tell them of my business and would they be receptive if I provided FREE a few of my treats. If that was cool with them, I would take a few flyers/cards and proceed from there. I know you know that in order to make money you have to spend money and this is really an investment in you and your business.

Dont try to overdo it with the marketing -- It sounds like a good thing but what if you get so much business that you don't have the staff, man hours, materials etc to get it done in a timely fashion? . You will have disappointed customers and lose the business you may have had because of dissatisfaction. If your food is good but you cannot deliver the goods, you haven't made a sale and lost potential long term business.

God Bless You

Have great marketing/sales people who can attact business.
Also, if the food samples are excellent, they should sell themselves.

hai
for the promotion of your business provide some coupons in online market. here is one site . go for it. provide your coupons in that. online customers also can book orders. no need to go every where taking the coupons.
byee. go for this site.

Give them a discount with there order, and if they tell someone and that person places a order then give them a discount , if they like the service and food you will see it, or with orders leave something you made for them as a thank you, its sound like you are on the right path , leave the menu yes, and word of mouth is great, how do I know I am good let me show you and then I will and I did a lot of talking,family, friends strangers anyone who would want my service and it did for me good luck and remember every one you talk to may be your next customer good luck

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