Sales Horror or Sales Hurrah?

Many friends and clients have requested we revisit this post from last year. We hope it resonates with you as it did with them!

Everyone in the hospitality industry works tirelessly throughout the holiday season: planning, cooking, trouble shooting, and managing hard-to-please clients. This is followed by a race to close the books before finally enjoying a well-deserved holiday break. Two scenarios are likely to follow:

Scenario 1: The Horror, the Horror!

• Many hard-earned kudos and pats on the back for a job well done.
• Down time from December 20th until a few days after New Year's.
• A January filled with a belated office party, extra time chillin' in the break room, cleaning the file drawers, and posting pics of your holiday successes.
• Snow day!  Stay home with hot chocolate and good movies.
• A last minute getaway over Valentine's Day weekend.
• Commerce hasn't stopped but you sure have....
• No revenue in the sales pipeline.

Do the math. In this scenario, your company may have missed out on 2-3 months (that’s 15-25%) of the sales calendar! You missed the chance to beat the previous year’s numbers. You handed your competitors a big head start.

Small businesses must sell hard all year long and there is a way to do it:

Scenario 2: A Sales Hurrah!

• Enjoy a much-needed rest and family festivities over the Christmas and New Year's weekends.  Even attach an extra day off on either end.
• Consider the week between Christmas and New Year's a prime selling time.
• Get on the phone and reach out to business owners (decision makers) directly. (Note: the executive staffs of many small businesses are in their offices during this week, working to get a jump start on the new year.  Therefore, they are accessible, have fewer pressing deadlines, and there are no gate keepers to hinder your sales efforts!)
• Create aggressive sales activity quotas to kick off your new year.  Start a contest to reward the salesperson with the best first quarter sales.
• Contact your holiday clients and inspire for referrals.  Offer them an incentive program.
• Anticipate the flood of bridal inquiries that arrive at the first of the year.
• Host intimate open houses for new brides, planners, and key clients - now that the holiday hubbub has died down, they'll be happy for a night on the town.
• Prepare your specialty menus and marketing plans for the Super Bowl, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Passover, etc.
• Offer to speak at local business and entrepreneurial groups.
• Fill your sales pipeline.

Everyone in our industry knows to anticipate a robust fourth quarter but that’s no reason to snooze through the first couple months of the year. The smart approach is to ramp up sales throughout the first quarter. This will set a pace for the entire year and, rather than the horrifying loss of 2-3 months of sales time, you can be well on your way to a meaningful increase over last year’s numbers.

That’s definitely a reason to cheer “Hurrah!”

 

The Morning After

For caterers, the frenzy of holiday planning is at its pinnacle. It’s all we can do to corral clients for last moment selections, secure rental and decor orders, fulfill staffing assignments, and ensure that, with a few deep breaths, a wipe of the brow, and many sleepless nights, parties go off without a hitch. But before popping the champagne in celebration of having survived the holidays, remember that the job continues until well after the last gingerbread man is served.

All too often, attentive customer service ends when the event ends. However, a proactive post-event strategy is as important as your pre-event sales process. It is a key to developing ongoing business and client trust. Here is a post event step-by-step strategy: 

• Call client the next day to say "thank you" and include  a short event debrief.  For more involved events, schedule a conference call or meeting.
• Call venue contact to review execution of the event.
• Hand write a Thank You to the client.
• Review event reports from Sales Executive, Chef and Supervisor.
• Generate a P&L.
• Create client/venue/vendor information files noting their preferences.
• Evaluate the client using a grading system based on criteria for your Best Fit Clients.  Grading should be based on event revenue, profitability, frequency of events, ease of function, and client's willingness to promote your company.
• Request a client testimonial.

Following these steps after each event will help nurture your relationships with clients and venue managers. You will quickly find that a proactive and comprehensive post-event program leaves the sweetest taste and wraps up each event with the prettiest bow.   

Swinging for the Fences - Part IV

In my series on the parallels between Major League Baseball and the catering game, I've examined the roles and responsibilities of the owners, the managers, and the players. With the playoffs underway and the World Series quickly approaching, it’s time to look at the fans, the paying customers, and see where they fit into this equation.

Simply put, the fan is king!

The only obligation the fan has is to enjoy the game on their own terms (providing they’re not celebrating by tipping cars and throwing bottles). And, as we see every year during the World Series, it is perfectly acceptable for fair weather fans to cheer right alongside the diehards. An organization would be foolish to discourage the enthusiasm of any fans.  I am always perplexed that along with the standard promotionals such as “Bobble Head Day” or “Ice Cream ‘Sunday,’” ballparks include the self satisfied announcement of “Fan Appreciation Day.” What, one whole day to appreciate the fans? Imagine how badly a hospitality company would fare if it only appreciated its guests on special days.  It would ruin us.  

Caterers must realize that, just as in baseball, clients may change allegiances at any time based on whim, whimsy, fickle, or folly. The client may determine that their caterer is not worthy because of a small PR mistake or because of repeated poor performance. Sometimes, the client is influenced by the preferences of others in the community. Or they lose faith, maybe rightly so, when their team trades all its core players as the Red Sox did this summer. Clients lose confidence when their caterer seems to have a revolving door of Chefs, account executives, and key staff. Really, anything can cause a client’s loyalty to waver.  That is their prerogative.  It is up to the caterer to find innovative ways to keep hitting home runs and keep fans engaged.

Baseball and Hospitality are both games of business. However, we – the owners, managers, coaches, players, and staff - must never forget that the game is, in the end, about ensuring entertainment and celebration for our fans and clients. Without that fun, the money never flows.

By the way, my favorite team was knocked out of playoff contention weeks ago but I’m one of those eternal hopefuls chanting the phrase “Wait ‘til next year.”  A similar determination drives me in catering.  Every new event, every new inquiry, every newly-met prospective client is a chance to be the hero who clinches the Series with a grand slam, thereby winning a fan for life.

Swinging For the Fences - Part III

In our series exploring the parallels between Major League Baseball and the catering game, we've covered the subject from the perspective of both the owners and the managers. The MLB season is now in the midst of what are commonly referred to as the “Dog Days of August” and it’s time to turn our attention to the people who really make it happen.   Assuming that the management has put all of the pieces of the team puzzle in place, at this stage, the game is strictly in the hands of those on the field: The Players. 

By mid August, the end of the regular season looms and the playoffs are in sight. This is when would-be contenders fade fast and the most resilient, talented, and disciplined teams surge ahead. Players are responsible for staying healthy, making smart behavioral choices, narrowing their focus, and playing harder than ever. Ball teams are made up of power hitters, speedsters, dependable fielders, and domineering pitchers; each player working to maximize his individual success and that of his team. The same can be said of catering companies. Here, salespeople, cooks and chefs, operations staff, and event servers must work in harmony for the benefit of the clients and the team.

Catering company employees are responsible for keeping their energy high, approaching each event enthusiastically, and staying alert to handle any curveballs.  In order to achieve success, the entire staff must be dependable and work together trustingly.  Chefs rely on smart work from the sales team.  Servers depend on good decisions by the operations team.  Sales people must trust their event staff to serve their clients well.  If the entire team can work together, the caterer will be hitting home runs.  If resentment and egos get in the way, there can be no hope of becoming the champions.

Success all boils down to player execution. Home run titles, strike out records, MVP and Cy Young awards are fantastic but it is a World Series trophy that sums up the success of the team.  Likewise, reaching personal sales goals, moving up to Sous Chef, or learning a new service style is valuable for personal growth but catering companies are judged based on whether or not they hit it out of the park on event day.

And who does the judging?  The Fans.  But that’s for next time….

In the Media: FoodserviceRadio.net

When if comes to catering sales, there's a short path from contact to contract.  In this interview with Bob Ryals of FoodserviceRadio.net, I reveal some secrets to new business development including how to identify Good Fit clients for your company.

Swinging For the Fences - Part II

At the start of the MLB season, we looked at the parallels between the roles and responsibilities of baseball team owners and those of catering company owners. We are a third of the way into the season and, for some teams, careful preparation has paved the way for exceeded expectations.  On the other hand, some of the teams who had high hopes during the preseason are struggling just to play .500 ball. Is it because of the chilly weather of April? Injuries? Poor recruitment decisions? Bad coaching? The classic case of unexplained slumps by otherwise dependable stars?  There could be any number of factors contributing to a team’s poor performance, but now is the time for managers and coaches to assess their team’s status and, if necessary, make significant changes.

Department managers of catering companies are similar in many ways to baseball managers and coaches.  (Of course, sometimes the department manager is the owner.  Sometimes, as Mike Roman says, the catering owner/manager is also: dishwasher, driver, chef, furniture mover, plumber, psychiatrist, and more!)

Both baseball managers and catering company managers must:

• Evaluate and hire the best players.  The talent pool is wide and deep; it is up to managers to recruit those who will make the best team.
• Manage an eclectic group with varying competencies and experience.  A locker room, like a sales office, kitchen, or staffing office, holds a lot of different personalities and skill sets.  Good managers know how to set a tone that fosters teamwork and encourages big wins.
• Drill players continuously on the sport's fundamentals.  Just because we've reached the big leagues, it doesn't mean we can skip batting practice.  Catering managers must make sure salespeople are strengthening their negotiating techniques, cooks are fine-tuning their knife skills, and servers are refining their hospitality skills.
• Eliminate those who don't produce or who cannot blend with the program.  Sometimes, regardless of how well-liked or seemingly talented a player is, they just don't blend with the team.  It falls to manager and coaches to cut these people so they can take their talents somewhere they can be successful.
• Be ruthless when examining systems.  Be willing to throw out the old and bring in the new.  "That's the way we've always done it" is one of the worst things a manager or coach can say.  Instead, do what needs to be done to win, even if it's new or unfamiliar.

Two months into the baseball season, managers and coaches should re-evaluate what is working on their teams and what needs tweaking.  Thankfully for caterers, our season goes long past October and it’s never too late for our department managers to emulate the successful techniques of World Series-winning coaches.

Next at bat: The Players followed by The Fans.

How to Use Social Media Correctly

“Social media is essential when building brand awareness!”  This message has been emphasized endlessly by marketing experts, business leaders, celebrities, and even President Obama.  Although a relative latecomer to this phenomenon, I now have been convinced of its value. But only to a degree.  

In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, I helped launch several companies and then opened my own, Finesse Cuisine.  In those days, outreach and brand-building still happened primarily through old-fashioned, face-to-face networking, prospect meetings, and endless phone calls. When the power of social media became evident, I was concerned because my sales staff and many of my consulting clients came to rely on their laptops and smartphones as their sole means of communication. I instructed that live interaction between people should never be replaced by technology and I still believe this whole heartedly. A client or colleague never develops a trusting relationship only through tweets or status updates.  These connections are a good start, but they must be supported by the building of a real world bond.  Over time, I have learned to embrace social media with many fewer reservations but only when complemented by those tried-and-true methods of live and personal communication.

If you have thoughts on how we use social media to enhance sales relationships, please share in the Comments.  Or, even better, call us!

It's All About the Client

Salespeople, by nature, must be aggressively competitive.  Once we secure a client, we hate sharing them with anyone else.  Although it goes against our instincts, sometimes the right thing to do is to genuinely help the competition. Last season, I fielded a call from a long-time retail client who was having trouble communicating with caterers in markets outside of Chicago. She was frustrated they weren’t catering for her customers the way Finesse Cuisine does in Chicago.  She asked if I would help.

This can be very sensitive territory.  Creative people can be wildly defensive and no one likes to be told they aren’t satisfying their client.  But it’s important to me that my client is happy – even when she’s not entertaining in my market.  I agreed to help and she introduced me to the other caterers.  I found them all to be exceptional catering companies who graciously welcomed our suggestions. They showed great flexibility and willingness to make minor adjustments to their menus, and to review with us the quantities, sizes, and presentation. They were even willing to bring in key staff before the event to be coached on the client’s preferred style of service. Please note that I was working with excellent caterers who hardly needed my input. Their only weakness was the breakdown in communication with the client.  Once I translated from Client into Caterer, everything fell into place. 

My involvement gave my client peace of mind and the successful events made her a hero in her boss’s eyes. Best of all, she made each of those caterers her official vendor in their market and she now relies on them with confidence.  Helping the competition felt counter-intuitive to my sales instincts but it was a reminder about the true nature of our business: Ultimately, catering is not about serving delicious food and drinks with grace and charm.  It’s about tending to our client’s needs.

The Jeopardy! Conquest



Answer: For $800 – This young caterer served up something pretty incredible on television’s most successful game show of all time.

Question: Who is Melanie Spratford on Jeopardy!?



Melanie Spratford and co-star, Alex Trebek

Last week, my friend and colleague, Melanie Spratford, won on Jeopardy! She exchanged quips with legendary host, Alex Trebek, and rattled off correct responses in categories such as: Bestsellers, Historical Facts and Figures, and Musical Terms. As her winnings increased, Melanie’s strategy became evident. She later explained it is important to be very well prepared, to understand the show’s format and rhythm, and to learn the basics about the subjects the producers consider most important. While it isn’t necessary to know the capital of the Solomon Islands*, it is important to know all of the US state capitals.

I get dizzy merely recalling the subjects she says are most important, let alone their related facts and figures. However, as Jeopardy! progressed, I began to correlate Melanie’s strategy as a contestant to that of an effective catering salesperson. If, as catering sales experts, we follow Melanie’s cue, we’ll always be prepared when opportunity presents, be well versed in all major areas of our industry, and be able to guide clients through a series of subjects with pointed questions and answers. This approach, coupled with a bit of humor and high energy, will position us to become stars in our own right. While we don’t need to use phrases such as “chèvre fermier de vosges,” we should be ready to talk about goat cheese and even recommend a suitable wine pairing. The key is to apply our event expertise toward anticipating our clients’ main concerns which will help us win their confidence and business.

*The Solomon Islands are in the Pacific and their capital is Honiara.  Of course, Melanie knew that all the way.  If we follow her lead, stay prepared, and anticipate client's questions, we too can be returning champions!

The Catering Way

As a member of The Catersource Consulting Unit, I was part of a team that offered free half-hour client consultations during last month’s 2012 Conference and Trade Show. A dozen owners or managers of both large and small companies sat before me and, one after another, asked my advice about a run of familiar subjects: kitchen management, operations, and sales people shying away from selling.  One concern in particular seemed consistent among nearly all of these companies.  As one caterer explained, their employees had commandeered the ship and were steering off course.  I was reminded of the great line from the Herman Wouk classic, The Caine Mutiny Court Martial:

"...There are four ways of doing things on board my ship: The right way, the wrong way, the Navy way, and my way.  Do it my way and we'll all get along..."  -Captain Phillip Francis Queeg

Queeg has the right idea and years of hard fought experience to back him up. Trouble begins, though, when he compromises the safety of his own ship and loses the respect of his men. (Note that the first sign of Queeg’s demise comes when learning of a quart of missing strawberries.  At least he's on top of his food inventory!).  Eventually, those under Queeg's command wrestle away crontol of the ship and subsequently stand trial for insubordination.

Switch this scenario to hospitality and substitute the word ‘Catering’ for ‘Navy’ and we suddenly empathize with Queeg, even if, as caterers, we are immune to any such neurosis or dysfunction. What advice then, did I give to those sitting before me in the Catersource consulting rooms?

Of course, we’ve all experienced discord at some point and largely because of the highly passionate, creative and often competitive personalities that our industry attracts. Our staff may be well meaning, and some may be selfish but most simply have different measures or methods for success.

My advice: first, the business owner must reevaluate and restate the company mission and its pillars of success.  He or she may consider involving key personnel in this process to promote unity and a shared vernacular. Next, adapt the approach celebrated by Michael Gerber’s The E-Myth; create clear job descriptions with measurable goals. Also design replicable systems that may be served by the individual rather than systems that serve the individual. Finally, host bi-weekly or monthly manager meetings to evaluate ways that systems, performance, and creativity are serving the mission and pillars.  With leader at the helm and crew onboard to help steer, the ship should find its course.  Or, as the great motivational coach, Napoleon Hill, once said:  

"It is the set of sails, not the direction of the winds that determines which way we will go...."