For the last four months I have been working with a business coach. The thought of spending more a month on my coach than my mortgage was crazy, but I knew this was just the guy to help me.
Every great athlete has a coach or multiple coaches. Some people hire coaches to help them with strategy and many, like me, hire them to sharpen their mental game.
As the big 5-0 was approaching, my coach and I discussed training for the Music City Half Marathon. At first the training went well, then plantar fasciitis set in. Try running on arches that feel like someone is raking a razor over them…not fun.
So about a month ago I made an appointment to see a podiatrist. The x-rays came back fine, so my doctor had out me on a steroid regime to shrink the inflammation. My gut tells me I’ll need insoles. I’ve been told that is the best solution.
While at my last follow up appointment, a gentleman in khakis and a golf shirt walks in and introduces himself to the receptionist. Turns out he’s the new property manager for their medical office building.
I can’t help but overhear him talk about the tenant luncheon they’re sponsoring the following week. He makes sure to encourage her and the rest of the staff to show up, if even to grab lunch to go and head back to work.
Before this guy can step out of the lobby, I introduce myself to him and ask to pick his brain.
When I owned Corky’s, we were hired by commercial property managers to feed the tenants at their buildings. Every new type of catered event should bring out your inner Sherlock.
It turns out that many commercial property management firms will cater in tenant lunches. Why? About once a year the tenants and their employees are surveyed about the building amenities, maintenance and cleanliness. These surveys help lease out unfilled space and are helpful in negotiating lease renewals.
Talking with my new friend, I am told that once a year around February the Kinsley Survey is given to all medical offices to complete about their office space. These survey results are used by doctors to evaluate a building before committing to a lease.
Everyone’s familiar with the law of reciprocation. If I do you a favor, you are inclined to reciprocate and do me an equal or greater favor.
So buttering up office workers before survey time makes good business sense. After all, think about what a typical office pays in yearly rent. Catering in a meal is a drop in the bucket.
So the prudent caterer will learn from my bad feet and personal experience at Corky’s.
Get yourself a list of all of the commercial property management firms in your city and send them a letter. What? You don’t have a sales letter ready to go?
Well good thing our members-only website: RestaurantProfitPoint.com has a template you can use. It is in Word format.
Just click the link below and scroll down the page until you find the letter entitled:
Property Management Catering Letter
http://www.restaurantprofitpoint.com/members/109.cfm
This will save you a lot of time targeting this niche. Make sure and follow up with a phone call after the letter. And of course keep these contacts in your crm (like the one included in Restaurant Catering Software).
One more thing. Apartments do resident appreciation events all the time. You may want to target this niche as well.
NOTE: Last year I put on a full day catering seminar in Baltimore with one of my most successful clients and longtime member, Frank D’Antona with Cantina Mamma Lucia in Baltimore, Maryland. We had to turn people away last year.
One attendee, Vince with Trinacria credits us with his best catering Christmas season. He did over a hundred thousand dollars in catering for December 2014 versus $12,000 in 2013.
Saval Foodservice is sponsoring the event this year. It will be held Monday, May 18, 2015 near the Baltimore airport.
So if you have any interest, please go to www.CateringSeminars.com/baltimore for complete details. Hope you can join us.
SECOND NOTE: The latest episode of my podcast is available in the iTunes store at no charge or on my site: www.RestaurantCateringSmarts.com
I interview Ed Brandt about how he gets a ton of catering leads and jobs from referral services. He spends next to nothing, and he’s built a great catering business just off these leads. Make sure and listen to it soon!
Well, that’s all for this issue.
To Your Restaurant's Marketing & Catering Success,
Michael Attias
Restaurant Catering Software
P.S. – If you need help growing catering sales, then please go to www.RestaurantCateringSoftware.com and download my free eBook: Cater or Die!
P.P.S. – I make a limited number of time slots available each week for a free Catering Strategy Session with me. (You also get a catering menu critique and free analysis of your website for “Catering Effectiveness”). For complete details and to grab one of the limited spots, please go to:
http://www.restaurantcateringsoftware.com/catering-planning-strategy-session
P.P.P.S. – Please check out my podcast at www.RestaurantCateringSmarts.com
P.P.P.P.S. - Anyone wishing to reprint my articles may do so. Please email me for the bi-line to use for proper author’s credits.
