This month’s Catermind Strategic Targeting Call was a masterclass in preparing for the biggest catering opportunities of Q3. Led by Byron Duncan and special guest Danielle Guzzetta of RevGen Marketing, the session focused on high-impact strategies that any catering operator—especially those flying solo—can execute to generate real results.
Whether you’re managing one location or 300, this session offered gold for catering pros who are looking to scale revenue outside the four walls of the restaurant.
🔑 Key Highlights
1. Back to School: The Second-Biggest Catering Season
Danielle opened the session with a deep dive into why Back to School is a can’t-miss revenue opportunity. From teacher trainings to PTA meetings and after-school programs, schools open the door to both high-volume B2B and B2C orders.
Actionable tips:
- Offer early-bird incentives (free cookie tray or 10% off).
- Segment schools by size and focus first on elementary schools.
- Prepare bundled menus that suit family pick-up or group staff events.
- Target school decision-makers now, not in August.
💡 A single-location operator can see $2,000–$5,000/month from school events—multiply that by 10+ units and the numbers grow fast.
2. Second-Party Catering: Your Customers as Sellers
Byron introduced the concept of second-party catering—a referral model where your existing customers help you sell by referring you to peers or colleagues.
Try this:
- Offer a $25 Amazon or restaurant gift card for every referral that results in a first-time catering order.
- Equip customers with simple email copy or a referral card they can share.
- Focus on industries where internal networks run deep (engineering, accounting, healthcare, etc.).
“If you’ve got 20 customers and each brings 3 referrals—that’s 60 warm leads with minimal effort.”
3. July Targeting Tips
July tends to be slow—but that just means it’s time to plan like crazy. Focus on:
- Intern Appreciation Day (July 25): A major hit with accounting and law firms.
- Back to Office: Target companies returning from summer break and holding planning meetings.
- Admin Appreciation Days: Great reason to call on IT departments or office managers.
- Retail & Uniform Suppliers: Think Office Depot, Target—any store that gears up for dorm season.
4. Using AI to Power Sales
Byron shared how to use tools like ChatGPT, Grok, and Gemini for:
- Use case discovery (i.e. why a waste management company might need catering).
- Call performance analysis (upload a call transcript and ask for feedback).
- Writing follow-up emails and prepping for your next pitch.
🎯 Free Slack accounts can transcribe calls—then you just paste into AI for analysis and insights.
🌟 Final Thought
This month’s session wasn’t just about strategy. It was a playbook—a roadmap for solo operators and sales teams to win big in Q3 with smarter targeting, better planning, and the help of modern tools like AI.
If you missed it or want to revisit the discussion, we’ve got you covered.
Let’s make this Back-to-School season your most successful one yet.