Fast facts
Catering food is very different from selling a product. Products can be sold for their benefits, but good food and good service is less about the benefits than about the experience.
Providing a great dining experience is the best way to ensure repeat customers, especially in the corporate arena. That great experience starts with trust. You and your service must be trusted.
How should I market my catering business to corporate clients?
The key is to gain their trust and provide a great dining experience every time.
Q: I read an article in the Inquirer by someone from UP ISSI entitled "Steps to take when launching a product." I am in the food catering service. I am still small; I cater only to a few clients for about less than 50 heads. Now, I am thinking of expanding to corporate businesses. Could you please give me some pointers on how I should market my catering business to corporate clients?
— KAREN, Manila
It's wonderful to hear that you want to gain more ground in your business.
You are in for exciting and challenging times. The market that you want to enter is a highly competitive field. However, there is no need to worry because it seems that you are ready to take the challenge.
You are in the service business. So, you must make sure that your service is the best. To prepare for war, so to speak, you must assess your capabilities. So take a look at your business? strengths and weaknesses. Then, ask yourself: are you ready for the corporate customer?
Since you already have corporate businesses as a target marker, the next thing to do is to break that market into smaller groups.
The grouping can be based on geography (what businesses are nearer to you?), or type of business (IT, Engineering, or Medical Services, etc). Which group do you want to cater to? Now list the member of each group by company name. Then, get all the information you need about the company, especially the name of the persons who order food, or create company policies about bringing in food.
Catering food is very different from selling a product. Products can be sold for their benefits, but good food and good service is less about the benefits than about the experience. Providing a great dining experience is the best way to ensure repeat customers, especially in the corporate arena.
Great experience starts with trust. You and your service must be trusted. But the face of that service whom people need to trust is you. The most potent marketing tool in the food catering business is you.
So, once you get to know who decides on the food in a target company, personally drop by his or her office and offer what you have. You may also want to bring samples; Filipinos love free food. Treat them to a food tasting. If they don?t want it for free, that?s the time to charge them.
The next best service-marketing tool is a referral. Use the power of your connections. Ask your kamag-anak, your friends, your church mates, your present clients to refer you to new target companies.
Then, make sure to visit them, make follow-ups, send a copy of your menu. In short, do everything to make sure you build that sense of trust in the minds of your target corporate clients.
Good luck!
Source: Philstar.com
Catering food is very different from selling a product. Products can be sold for their benefits, but good food and good service is less about the benefits than about the experience.
Providing a great dining experience is the best way to ensure repeat customers, especially in the corporate arena. That great experience starts with trust. You and your service must be trusted.
How should I market my catering business to corporate clients?
The key is to gain their trust and provide a great dining experience every time.
Q: I read an article in the Inquirer by someone from UP ISSI entitled "Steps to take when launching a product." I am in the food catering service. I am still small; I cater only to a few clients for about less than 50 heads. Now, I am thinking of expanding to corporate businesses. Could you please give me some pointers on how I should market my catering business to corporate clients?
— KAREN, Manila
It's wonderful to hear that you want to gain more ground in your business.
You are in for exciting and challenging times. The market that you want to enter is a highly competitive field. However, there is no need to worry because it seems that you are ready to take the challenge.
You are in the service business. So, you must make sure that your service is the best. To prepare for war, so to speak, you must assess your capabilities. So take a look at your business? strengths and weaknesses. Then, ask yourself: are you ready for the corporate customer?
Since you already have corporate businesses as a target marker, the next thing to do is to break that market into smaller groups.
The grouping can be based on geography (what businesses are nearer to you?), or type of business (IT, Engineering, or Medical Services, etc). Which group do you want to cater to? Now list the member of each group by company name. Then, get all the information you need about the company, especially the name of the persons who order food, or create company policies about bringing in food.
Catering food is very different from selling a product. Products can be sold for their benefits, but good food and good service is less about the benefits than about the experience. Providing a great dining experience is the best way to ensure repeat customers, especially in the corporate arena.
Great experience starts with trust. You and your service must be trusted. But the face of that service whom people need to trust is you. The most potent marketing tool in the food catering business is you.
So, once you get to know who decides on the food in a target company, personally drop by his or her office and offer what you have. You may also want to bring samples; Filipinos love free food. Treat them to a food tasting. If they don?t want it for free, that?s the time to charge them.
The next best service-marketing tool is a referral. Use the power of your connections. Ask your kamag-anak, your friends, your church mates, your present clients to refer you to new target companies.
Then, make sure to visit them, make follow-ups, send a copy of your menu. In short, do everything to make sure you build that sense of trust in the minds of your target corporate clients.
Good luck!
Source: Philstar.com
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