Shake A Tail Feather: Book Holiday Business

An event company owner sent me the following question...

I am a catering , production and entertainment company. I need to know how to get more holiday parties for this season.. Help!!!!!! Corporate parties, invitations, entertainment, catering and more is our business help me get more business.

Sherry Schweitzer
Owner, A TOUCH OF CLASS,INC. CATERING AND EVENT PRODUCTIONS
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Sherry,

Assuming you already have an awesome website and collateral materials to sell your services, try the sales and marketing tactics the Tina Turner way and "Shake A Tail Feather" today.

1. Advertise in the local business journal newspaper starting in October. Offer an early booking special that includes added value such as invitation design, printing and mailing included for parties of a certain size (Bump up your prices a little this year to cover the added value). Or the first X number of people who contact you get a one-hour consultation for FREE.

2. Write short articles or tips. Distribute them to the local media and post them online.

3. Start a blog. Write about what you offer that makes your company different. Post your articles and party tips. Post photos of other events and parties.

4. Offer to speak for a few minutes on how to have an amazing holiday party or event at local women's clubs, civic clubs and business organizations. Sponsor a table or donate inexpensive center pieces of pine needles and magnolia with floating candles. Call them now to book for October.

5. Start sending weekly e-newsletters to your old clients and add potential new clients. (If you don't have a database, you can buy a list or create your own by researching businesses that you want as clients. Call them for the name of the contact who books their events and holiday parties. Ask them if it is ok to send them holiday event information.

6. Get booked on local TV or radio programs to talk about party and event planning. Ask them to put a link to your website on their website. You are an expert and the media wants to talk to you.

7. Send out news releases about your company, new clients, photos of creative invitations and events, unique entertainment you have available

8. Host a VIP after 5 what's coming this season open house with wine and cheese NOW! and invite area businesses. Display (video/photos) to showcase your company.

9. Get flyers or brocures made with colorful photos of your previous events, parties and invitations. Distribute them to area businesses including banks, doctor's offices, law offices, car dealerships, hair salons.

10. Pick up the phone and call people and ask for the business. Cold calling sucks, but it works! An old sales adage is that you should make 10 calls to get two appointments to make one sale. If it were only that easy today! I'm guessing that now it is more like 25 calls to get two appointments to get one sale. And ad that, you have to call them at least twice because it is hard to reach someone on the first call.

Why Tina Turner? Well this one is a look-a-like, a good one, and she made me think about using the name of one of Tina's songs to grab attention, or at least use as your motivation...



Good luck! And, if you need help with any of these, I'd love to help market your company!