Does "no" mean "no"? Not in selling catering.

Time doesn’t stand still and neither do selling opportunities. Many a dollar are being flushed down your drain by squandering qualified leads.

You spend to get the prospect looking to feed five hundred guests to call you. That chunk of change would pay for a nice upgraded summer vacation. But you lose the deal. Now what?

Isn’t it funny that most people use their phones for everything and anything except talking?

I have never been one of the "first one in, last one out" business owners who sees clocking the most hours as a badge of courage.

SPOILER ALERT: You’ll want to read this entire article to see the two new enhancements we have in our catering software to greatly reduce catering sales friction.

Over the years, I have written an untold number of blog articles and newsletters. Those who have followed me know I have shared the good and bad in my life and maintained a level of transparency.

Saturday morning, April 13th, I received the call. My mom, Gaby Obadia Attias, had passed. After she fell and broke her femur last year, she steadily declined.

Are you up for a little marketing experiment?

I want you to go to your bank and take out a large stack of fifty-dollar bills. Now go find a large ashtray or bowl and a lighter.

I am proud to admit I am a “peeping Tom” of business and of life. The quote by Sydney J. Harris below explains it:

“The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.” 

My entire life I have been fortunate to peep into the proverbial windows of others. As a lifelong learner, I have never been afraid to observe through other’s experiences.

Once a quarter, my team comes in from all over for a quarterly planning session. We have hired a consultant who follows and works with us on Traction. If you are unfamiliar, please check out the book entitled Traction by Gino Wickman.

In eighteen months, this process has taken our company to a whole new level; from sales to profits to team development to focus.

I wish I could take credit for that phrase, but “The fortune is in the follow-up” was first introduced to me by a prospect for our catering software.

That line has multiple applications, from closing a sale to customer service follow-up before and after the sale.

How many of your buying decisions have been made because of a friend’s referral? Electronics, cars, movies, restaurants, and vacation spots are just a small sample of purchases you may have made because of a friend or trusted colleague.

Personally, I bought every single one of the aforementioned because of a referral.