I just finished up the largest catering order that I have ever received and I would like to share with all TT members how I approached the whole order from the start.
The order was to feed 500 people over a three day period. Each person was to be served pizza, chips, desert, and a drink.
When a business approaches you or you try to market your catering service to them you should really stress the fact that you are going to take care of everything. Let them know that you are there to take any stress out of planning the event. At least as far as the food is concerned. I use the phrase “I am here to make this easy for you to enjoy…” and “I will take care of everything”. Take the burden off the company and put it on you.
Most companies that are fairly large have a Human Resources Director. This is the person you need to approach. Let them know about your service. How you can serve a large quantity of people a quality meal. Give them samples. Use the phrases above.
Once you get an order…
Plan the catering. Write down and think out every detail. How much product do I need to order? How many people to staff? Baking times. Holding times. Deliver times. Even the smallest things like: I should provide salt and pepper shakers. Where does the trash go after?
Presentation…
Make sure you take any marketing materials you have with you. Menus, magnets, calenders, and any other literature. Smile! Let the people know you want them to enjoy the food.
Follow up…
The next day call and check in with the company to see how things went. Offer your thanks and if they are pleased give them an idea for the future such as maybe employee bonus gift certificates from your pizza shop at a discounted price.
There is a gold mine out there for you to grow your business. Just think of it this way. The order i just did was almost a days worth of sales with half the work.
If you would like any details about specific things that I did to pull off an order of this size I would be happy to share them with you.