Getting Your Clients Product Into Local Offices - Help

Here's something to test.....
Get a couple of trays of free mini samples into each of a few company offices in the same building.
Most companies have a lunch/coffee rooms.
Set it up ahead of time.

Get a list of the companies in the building from the building directory..
This isn't usually a problem with security as long as you're not going up into the building.
I go into many buildings all the time and security ranges from zero to Fort Knox.
If there are guards and it's a problem, most doors open at 7:00 AM electronically and that's when the guard starts.
Go at 6:45 and piggyback on a tenant when they use their keycard.

So now you have a list of tenants.....
Call up and offer free luncheon samplers.
I 'd guess many places will accept free food.
Find out how many employees there are and take that many menus.
Try to do one office a day and you may be able to allow the employee to hang around and hand out napkins, smile and answer questions.

Make it waaaay obvious that they deliver. Maybe add oversized table tents for the trays that state such.

There's some big bucks to be made from certain companies.
If the food is really good, there's a viral element within walls.
I'm guessing law firms are a good place to start.

Make each luncheon a mini event.

Good luck

P.S. don't forget coupons to hand out. A decent number of people in those buildings probably drive right by their physical location. Once they've had their food, they're way more likely to stop by.

I'm a foodie and a pretty good amateur chef...and I watch a lot of Restaurant:Impossible.

The idea of taking samples is a great one for getting instant customers.

I'm sure if you "encourage" the security guards with free food, they'll be much more likely to let you up. After all, they know that everyone needs to eat.

Also, the most successful restaurants I've seen--and I'm from an area rampant with restaurants all competing for that same dollar from the locals--advertise like crazy. Doesn't have to be anything original. There's a place called Andreas which is an institution there, owned by a Greek family...and for my entire life that same flyer, their full-color menu with the picture of the owners on the cover, has been arriving in the mail. The only thing that has changed over the years is the price level. I've lived on the other side of the continent for 2+ years now, and I can bet you that every week that flyer has continued to show up in the mail of the 3 municipalities of the north shore like clockwork.

Their prices have remained very reasonable. This advertising is simply built into their budget, and they don't drop it for nothing--no matter how bad they might think the economy is.

Guess what? Year in, year out...that place is packed.

Thanks guys, great answers though I couldn't see how I can thank you for your posts?

Regarding a list of companies within the buildings, not an issue. They have a building each (no sharing) and I have all their addresses in a spreadsheet.

If I was to call up and offer free samplers who would I need to talk to within the company? Whose the decision maker and the right person to research?

I can find them on LinkedIn once I know who I'm just struggling with the role of the person that I need to influence.

Encouraging security sounds like a good idea too, just hope I don't get escorted out of the building once I get there.

Say I can't get into the buildings, I suppose my only option would be food platters on the street. Maybe something small like spring rolls or small sample pots of Thai Green Curry. Hand out free samples + flyer with my code to track response.

In terms of mailings they deliver to local addresses as I found them through my post box.

I LOVE Thai food! Talk to whoever answers the phone at each place - tell them you are a new Thai rest in town and would love to come in and offer samples to their staff at lunch one day. Can't see them saying no to that! They should be able to get you through to the office manager that can OK it. They will get you past the guards - then put on a great show with nice samples and some coupons. Let them know you deliver.
If you can get to the correct person you may even be able to set up in the lobby and get them on the way out the door at lunch.
If you have trouble getting the correct person on the phone - try human resources if they have that dept. Don't give up though!