Contacting Leads

Cold Calls:

• Cold calls can be a little intimidating until you know your “script”. Each restaurant will be a little different, but below is an example.
  • It’s important to speak slowly, be friendly and get as much information as possible.
• Cold call script example:
  • “Hello, my name is Kathryn and I’m calling from Lola’s Burrito Joint in Riverside. We have a new catering program and wanted to see if your business ever did group orders for lunch.”
  • If yes or sometimes: That’s great! Who usually does those orders? (try to get a name to reference for the follow up call).
    • From here, you can either ask to speak to that person or ask if there is a direct number or email you could send a menu to.
    • Also ask how many people their office has- this can help tailor what menu to send (box lunches for 6-8 vs large trays for 30-50).
    • See if there are any certain occasions coming up they know they’ll need food for- write this in your notes
    • If you’re able to speak directly to that person, ask the above, and if they do really large orders, might be a time to invite them into the restaurant to try a few dishes or bring by an example “demo” to show off your food (more on this later)
  • If no or not really: “Ok! That’s no problem. I’d still love to send over a menu if you ever need a takeout or delivery option for lunch. Could I get the best email to send that to?” (it’s important to still try to get a follow up email, so we can add them to our email database, and follow up closer to the holidays. A lot of people don’t remember they need food at other times of the year)
• The first call will generally never result in a catering order. It’s important to not get discouraged- it’s all about following up and being an option when they need an order.
  • Depending on how the call goes, you may want to highlight your leads as “cold” or “warm” to determine which need more follow up and sooner
  • Finding the right person who orders can be the biggest challenge, so really try to get a name or more specific contact information.
  • Any information you get will make the next call easier. For example:
    • (one week later): “Hi, this is Kathryn from Lola’s Burrito Joint. I called last week and spoke to Susan about catering needs for your office. She recommended I speak to Carol, is she available?” (this makes you sound knowledgable and no longer a cold sales call)
• Try to set a goal for yourself on a certain number of calls per week. This will help have a continuous stream of leads and potential sales.

Cold Emails:

• This will likely be one of the lesser effective methods, but could get a few leads and be a start if you don’t have much time.
• After going through websites and collecting email addresses (many might be generic like info@businessname.com), you can right an email script and attach your catering menu to the email to send out to groups.
  • Note, it may also be better to direct people to a website with your catering menu as a link so the attachment doesn’t get flagged as spam.
  • If you are able to write individual emails, it would be better, but you can also write a more generic one to send to 10-15 businesses at a time.
    • If doing this, BE SURE to BCC every email. We can also email through Zenreach.
  • Here’s an example email:

• “Hello! My name is Kathryn Broderick and I’m the Catering Manager for Lola’s Burrito Joint. Our restaurant is located in Riverside and we serve some of the best tacos, burritos and burgers in Jacksonville.

We newly launched a catering program and can now bring our awesome food to your office at Baptist Medical! If you have corporate meetings, trainings, or pharm reps buying you lunch, we’d love to be an option. We can accommodate almost all dietary needs.

You can take a look at our menu here. We offer delivery, full set-up and if you reply to this email, we’ll add in a dessert tray for free on your first order.

I’d love to help with any events or group ordering needs coming up. Please feel free to reply back or call my cell at 773-750-2887.

Thank you and looking forward to hearing from you!

-Kathryn Broderick

• As with phone, don’t get discouraged if you don’t hear back. Send a follow up email a week or so later asking if there’s any occasions coming up or if they had any questions on the menu.
  • A follow up email like this can work well after a phone call that didn’t get very far either. It’s all about repetition!

Visiting a Business:

• Sometimes dropping into a business or organization unannounced can yield some great results. This gives you an instant, face-to-face connection where it’s harder to ignore someone and can lead to longer and more positive conversations.
  • It’s best to bring some supplies with when going to nearby businesses. These can include:
    • Menus
    • Catering Menus
    • Your Business Card
    • Magnets/pens/swag
    • Food
      • Food should be something that is easy to transport and really shows off something unique about your business. Ie. Slice of Joe’s cake
  • Putting all these items in a catering folder or pre-made bag before visiting will look more professional.
• It’s best to plan where you’re visiting in advance and keep track of when you visited along with any notes about the conversation, just as you would with a phone call.
  • Visiting 10 businesses a week can be a great goal
• It’s important to wear your uniform or branded shirt from the business, speak slowly and clearly and SMILE. This can be intimidating, so if sending a team member, be sure they have practice with the manager before heading out. It’s too easy to rush through your “speech” and leave.

Example visit to a doctor’s office:

“Hello! My name is Kathryn and I’m from Joe’s Italian down the street by the golf course in Alabaster. I wanted to introduce myself and bring by some menus and some of our famous cake for your team. Have you been to Joe’s before?”

 (If no, explain a little about our business. What kind of food, where it is, lunch and dinner, catering, etc)

(If yes): That’s fantastic! Please ask for me next time you’re in. I’m not sure if you know, but we do offer catered meals for the group if you have any meetings or parties coming up. Or if you have any pharm reps who buy you lunch, I’d love a list of them so we can send some menus their way. Do you or someone else in your office generally order group meals?

(if them, ask for their card, if someone else, ask if they are available to speak further)

(Be sure to hand over folder/bag/food and explain what you’re giving them)

I brought by a few different slices of our famous cake, I hope you can bring it to the breakroom with these menus and give everyone a taste. If you need catering, we deliver, fully set up for you and bring all plates, utensils, etc. It’s so much tastier than cold sandwiches! Do you have any events coming up?

            (If yes, note when and when may be a good time to follow up. If no, be sure to take their card and give them yours)

Thank you so much for your time! I hope you all enjoy that strawberry cake. I’ll look forward to hearing from you soon!”

• Visit times may vary, but generally you should only be in there for a few minutes. If they want to sit and chat that’s great, but this should be fairly quick and more of a “surprise and delight” situation.
  • Some people may not be happy to see you. Don’t worry! If they do not seem interested at all or refuse what you’re bringing, kindly thank them and leave.
  • Getting information is key! Get their name so you can call back later and ask how the cake was and if you can help them with any upcoming needs.

• Other helpful tips:
  • Ignore the “no soliciting” sign. If you’re bringing by food or coupons, 95% of people will be glad to see you.
  • Look confident in your approach. If there’s a security desk with an elevator bank next to it, no need to ask for permission. Simply pick a floor (starting at the top and working your way down works best) and go.
    • If security does get angry, don’t stay. Simply apologize with a smile and leave.
  • Have a few key points to make sure to say every time. These can include:
    • “We deliver!”
    • We bring sternos, chafing dishes and everything you need to keep food warm.
    • We can customize to most dietary needs
    • We can cater for small or large groups.
  • If they say they don’t get catering, ask how many are in the office. Sometimes saying “group orders” instead of catering can mean something different to them.
  • As mentioned above, TALK SLOWLY. Especially when saying the name of the restaurant- most people will ask again where you’re from. Telling them a reference of where it is (by the Walmart, across from Menards, etc) can help too.
  • Stay organized and take notes after each visit. It’s easy for them all to start running together and makes it harder to follow up by phone or email later