Last night I received an email from a new client asking me about what the delivery charge should be for his catering service.

Yesterday I had a consult call with a pizzeria franchisor interested in helping her franchisees increase catering sales.

She asked me the silver bullet question: “Where can I get a list of all of the catering buyers in our markets?”

As a lefty, I have always done things backward. As a kid, I read magazines from the back cover to the front, reading the ads and skipping the articles.

Birthdays and milestone events like class reunions and weddings bring out a desire in many people to spruce themselves up with plastic surgery and other aesthetic services.

In all of the catering consultations I do for prospective clients, I get one question asked more than any other, “How do I get a list of everyone in my city that orders catering?” 

Lately I’ve been on a documentary kick. Usually I spend my time watching shows about chefs or the best food to eat in different cities.

But a few weeks ago I watched Madman: The Steve Madden Story. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know who he is. He is the shoe designer and founder of a chain of shoe stores with sales over a billion dollars a year.

Weddings represent a source of untapped income for the restaurateur. Besides the potential of catering the actual wedding ceremony, opportunities exist with bridal showers and rehearsal dinners.

If I had to just pick one strategy to sell more catering, it would be sampling.

Whether it is a full blown mini-buffet for a committee working on a company picnic for two thousand, or a small tasting for four admins who order lunch for a law office, nothing beats sampling.

Food is the original sales secret weapon. Think back to Eve tempting Adam with a bite of that sweet, delicious apple.