© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Choosing Your Client

Chapter 4

© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Creating a Customer Base• Continuous building process for the caterer:

– Creating a solid customer base– Attracting new customers

• Caterers must understand their own capabilities. – The production capacity of the kitchen– The current skill level of the employees– The financial goals of the organization

• They must accommodate menu requirements.– Low-scale or upscale menu– Social or corporate events– On-premise or off-premise functions

© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Needs, Wants and Demands• Needs

– Human feeling of deprivation for something– Prestige, recognition and self-expression

• Wants– Always evolving– Defined by level of sophistication of the client

• Demands– Wants that are backed by financial resources and

buying power

© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Prospecting Strategies• Needs, Wants and

Demands• Customer Contact• Customer Solicitation• Reputation• Current Customers• Service Organizations

• Making New Customers

• Food-Tasting Events• Publicity• Advertising• Business Cards• Portfolio• Professional Sales Staff

© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Event Planners• Event planners act as creative visionaries for clients.

– Communicate client’s needs to caterer– Maintain order and organization– Negotiate prices, budget and timelines

• Role in catering– Central point of communication for the catering team– Acts as intermediary between caterer and client

• Trends and the future– Environmentally-friendly alternatives– Non-traditional family structures and roles– Integration of social media

© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Upgrading the Event• Professional suggestions enhance a client’s

perception of value.• Enhance food and service by tweaking the client’s

original plan.• Professionalize the event with specific shops,

photographers, etc.

© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

How the Caterer Provides Protection• Caterers have the option to decline work.

– Ask for references or do a background check.– Know income level of the client.

• Protect the profit margin.– Look for the next niche up.– Research the market.

© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Proposals• Communication tools used to inform and educate

prospective clients• State what the caterer can do for them during the

event to exceed their needs• A basic proposal:

– Spells out every detail to be done by the caterer– Fixed costs, food costs and labor costs

• Creativity and imagination will help deliver a competitive edge when presenting a proposal.