Most restaurant owners (the successful ones) have a database for their restaurant guests. If you want to be successful, you have to know who your best guests are and market to them on a regular basis.
This same technique and business mentality applies to your catering business. Or if you want to fill your restaurant on off days with private functions. Doesn’t that sound nice?
Your database for catering clients will more then likely be a lot smaller then what you would have for a restaurant database. You don’t need to have 3,000-5,000 catering clients to have a successful business.
You probably couldn’t or even want to handle that many clients. If you have 50-100 in your catering database that you have done functions for, you will have a very profitable database of clients. But if you don’t communicate with them in multiple ways, you are losing out in future catering dollars.
People like to do business with people that they know like and trust. And one of the best ways to get new catering clients is through referrals.
 But you have to stay top of mind with your catering clients. Catering is booked on an “as need” basis. Not every client is going to need catering every month. So you want to make sure they’re getting something from you at least every month to remind them that you are their caterer of choice, and when they need your services you’re there to help. And also ask for referrals. Just like reviews if you don’t ask you wont get any.
How I communicated with each of my clients when I had my catering business would vary. I would have different levels of clients and that would determine how often and how frequently I would communicate with them. I also place a value on each client which is determined by how much they spend and frequency with me every year. That would dictate how many marketing dollars I would spend on them.
Not all catering clients are created equal. But you never know where that next ten-thousand-dollar function will come from. That’s why its important to stay in front of your list.
Remember, catering is a RELATIONSHIP-BASED BUSINESS!
The style of marketing that we use is called Relationship Based Marketing. You want to build a steady long lasting relationship with your clients. Especially the ones that spend BIG BUCKS with you each month.
How much marketing would you do to a client that spends over $100,000.00 a year with you in catering? At a 45.8% profit margin.
How many of these clients would you like?
Don’t make the mistake of doing one function for your client, and then they will never hear from you again. It’s like leaving a pile of cash on the poker table, getting up, and saying, “No,
that’s ok. I’ve made enough money now.” Don’t leave the money on the table by not communicating with your existing database of catering clients.
We call them “clients” because that word infers a lasting re-occurring relationship in which you provide a service over and over again in exchange for money.
These are the people that will create true wealth for you in your catering business. These are the renewable catering contracts that book every Christmas and every summer for the company BBQ. Or the ones that will refer you out to their friends and other companies.
Relationships are the key to your success in the catering business.
What’s your plan to stay in touch?
To procure new business?
To cultivate referrals from existing clients?
One client could be worth MILLIONS!
Michael
-If you’re looking to take your catering business to the next level, check out my Million Dollar Online Catering Masterclass.
Chock full of over 7 hours of online training, forms, copy and paste marketing, contract ex., the perfect catering brochure template, etc. This class will take you from building a business from scratch to bringing in your next $100,000 in catering sales.
SPECIAL BONUS: And if you invest in my class before the weekend is over, I will throw in an hour long one-on one FREE Consultation with me, The Million Dollar Caterer, (Value $500). That’s more than the investment for the class!
Michael Thibault
Known as “The Done For You Marketing Guy for Restaurants.” International Speaker on Restaurant Marketing. Published contributing author of 4 Marketing Books. Industry expert on Google Searches and Review Sites. Recovering Independent Restaurant Owner and Caterer of over 21 years. And, all-around good guy.
