I signed up for respond.com and have gotten some general leads. I would like a standard letter to respond back to the bride. Does anyone have a copy that they will let me copy(reword)?

OR can I get some ideas? cause I'm no good at that kinda thing
Thanks

What information does respond.com give you? If it's just "you have a lead, here's the email address," you could email a general invitation to look at your website with a link to it. If it's something more specific you might want to include information on how to contact you for a tasting appointment or further informaiton about your services.

it gives you general details about budget, # of guests....

it has a link to my site so i was hoping to put something sentimental(like congrats) and offer some type of advice(don't know what) and then my info. I'm just lost on how to say things.

I took the letter that Earlene has on her site, and re-worded it, and added a few things of my own. I include this with my information packet for prospective brides. PM me your email address and I can send it to you.

I use respond and I love it. It really does give you good info to enable you to decide if you want to pursue the lead or not. This info also enables me to put a projected value on the event. (101-200 people with a $15-$24 budget ... I will figure 150 x $15 = potential value of $2250)

I have a pre-printed email that I send out on all inquiries, along with about 12 attachments. Here's the email (apologize in advance .... it's pretty long, but it does the trick!). Understand that I'm also selling catering, and I WANT the bride to have lots of info before she even calls me. I hear constantly how much they like my emails and website because of all of the info they can get in one shot.

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Thanks so much for your inquiry with Cater It Simple through Respond.com. Please be sure to browse our website at http://www.cateritsimple.com/ for add'l info and helpful hints as you plan your big event, and see our supplemental website at http://www.flickr.com/photos/55969028@N00/ for additional photos of our cakes, buffets and some photos of area reception sites.

If you are still searching for venue to hold your reception, be sure to visit our âReception Sitesâ page on our website. http://cateritsimple.com/_wsn/page6.html. There are photos of add'l reception sites on our Flickr Photo Site (link above).

At Cater It Simple, we know you don't have to spend a fortune to have a wonderful and memorable wedding reception. Our buffet package pricing can easily fit into most budgets and usually with money left over! We also offer Appetizer Tables, Dessert Tables, and Chocolate Fountains. Our package pricing includes free delivery, set up, staffing and serving of your buffet and wedding cake, tear down and clean up of the food tables.

Our Wedding Cake Package even includes Cater It Simple cutting and serving your wedding cake with no extra "cake cutting" fee! As a matter of fact, my personal goal is to see that you get more than you expected and still have money left over! That's also why we work so hard with our couples to help them get control over their headcount ..... the key to staying inside a budget is to NOT pay for the people who are not going to be there. (We saved one bride over $800 by showing her our method for determining headcount!).

See what many of our clients say about us at http://cateritsimple.com/_wsn/page16.html

Most importantly, we do NOT charge a mandatory 15-20% gratuity fee like many caterers. We believe a gratuity is at the discretion of the client and it should not be mandated by the vendor and charged up front. On a $2000 reception, this can add up to $400 to your total cost. Be sure to ask about this fee as you do your price comparisons.

I am attaching our Bridal Information packet with our pricing, some of our menu options and some extra tips to help as you plan your event. You may want to also consider our âGrand Receptionâ package â¦. everything you need for a âgrandâ reception in one complete package at one low price. You may find that you can get your entire reception at the same or lower cost with this option than some places charge just for the dinner!

PLEASE NOTE: Due to constantly rising prices, we have a pricing increase scheduled for 6-1-08. Any event booked prior to this date will lock in current pricing. The increase is expected to be about 20%. Please the Home Page of our website for additional information.

There is also our new "Budget Wizard" to help you see how your headcount affects your budget. Let us know how this tool helps (and how much fun it is to play with!). This is attached AND you can also download it from our website, on our "Save Money THIS Way" page. See how our package pricing saves you money ⦠plug in your headcount on the items in our packages and the Budget Wizard will calculate the price savings for you.

Donât be intimidated by the number of attachments! These are designed so you can print them out and keep them in your 3-ring notebook (you DO have a 3-ring notebook, right?), keeping everything handy as you gather information for your big event. I believe in Information-Overload..... you are about to spend a lot of money on this one event. It is important that you understand not only 'what' you are paying for, but 'why' you are paying it.

By choice, we are not liquor licensed, so we cannot help with your bartending needs. I can, however, recommend an independent bartender, (insert bartender name). She has 17 years bartending experience and comes highly recommended to me. She can be reached at (phone number) or by email at (email address).

For rental of tables, chairs, linens, tents, etc., we recommend (insert rental company name and website). Another choice is (insert rental company name and website).

Reduce the cost of your wedding even further with our Referral Program. Refer a friend who is also getting married to Cater It Simple and earn a 5% credit of what she spends to apply to your own wedding! (One client referred 3 friends and earned her wedding cake package absolutely free!)

As you begin your comparison shopping, please contact us to set up your free, no-obligation appointment for a sampling of our buffet items and our wedding cake. You are welcome to bring your groom, your mom, your sister, or whoever else may be assisting your with your plans, up to a total of four. Weâve heard one caterer in town charges $300 for a sampling, so be sure to ask about this fee as you make your appointments. Our sampling appt calendar starts to fill up pretty quick at the first of the year (most engagement rings are given out at Christmas and Valentineâs Day), so as soon as you are ready to comparison shop, give us a call to secure a time that we can get together and discuss your wedding plans.

We understand that you have a million and one decisions to make and we try to keep it simple for you by offering a no-pressure sampling. At the sampling, my assumption is that you are information gathering, so I do not expect a decision, a committment or a check on that day. I DO expect you to walk away with some good information that helps you make an informed decision as you compare Cater It Simple with other caterers in the area. You should plan about an hour for this appointment. We do them during the day and early evening .... we understand folks have jobs and school and not everything works into a 9-5 schedule!

We are located on the (north)east side of Indianapolis, near the Ft. Benjamin Harrison area. 11705 Pendleton Pike, Oaklandon IN 46236 (next to Lord Ashleyâs).

Thanks again for checking with Cater It Simple. Please feel free to email me with any questions you may have. Having been in the business for 20 years, I just LUV talking weddings!

Whatever you do, remember to say that they're getting the email because they asked for the information through respond.com and that's how you got their email. That way nobody can accuse you of spamming them!

Thanks Debi! You give a lot of good info in your letter. Thanks to you both Kim and Debi!

Wow, Debi, you sure know your stuff, thanks!