Lynda03
Jun 23, 2009, 02:44 PM
I am need some direction in the art of cold calling. I took over a small catering company ( which I had worked for ) back in Feb. We do mostly corporate catering. Business is good during the summer months. We have an 8 foot charcoal grill with a trailer hitch. So we do a lot of graduations, company picnics etc. The other 8 months out of the year ( I live in mich) We pretty much depend on our corporate clients. Which is very much hit and miss.
I really need to learn how to get to talk to the people that do that type of ordering. When I was working for my boss, he would have me go out with small desert trays to customers that had used us before but had not in a long time. Give them updated menus, try and update contacts etc. I always had a contact person. Starting from scratch now, I am stumbling.
I have looked up the local chamber sites and there are companies that I am reasonably sure that do use catering, but how do I get past the receptionist/operator and contact the person I neeed to. I want to offer to come in and do a taste test and feed 5 or so people for lunch and or offer a very good first time customer discount.
I send out a monthly special to about 100 customers in the beginning of every month. ( via e-mail) I was considering sending out a refer a friend deal with next months special? We have a handful of companies that are excellent customers. I need that number to grow at least some. Any suggestions will be most appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Lynda
I really need to learn how to get to talk to the people that do that type of ordering. When I was working for my boss, he would have me go out with small desert trays to customers that had used us before but had not in a long time. Give them updated menus, try and update contacts etc. I always had a contact person. Starting from scratch now, I am stumbling.
I have looked up the local chamber sites and there are companies that I am reasonably sure that do use catering, but how do I get past the receptionist/operator and contact the person I neeed to. I want to offer to come in and do a taste test and feed 5 or so people for lunch and or offer a very good first time customer discount.
I send out a monthly special to about 100 customers in the beginning of every month. ( via e-mail) I was considering sending out a refer a friend deal with next months special? We have a handful of companies that are excellent customers. I need that number to grow at least some. Any suggestions will be most appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Lynda