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All hands on deck for the holidays. It’s time to start planning your club’s marketing strategy to maximize revenues in order to finish the year strong. Below is a list of income generating ideas including some for members, pro shop, merchandise, outings, along with a couple of must make New Year’s resolutions. Happy Holidays!
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| With the current economic situation, it seems like everyone is clawing and kicking for every nickel possible. The numbers of golfers / members is a finite one and we are all competing for the same ones. "He with the best value equation for the money usually wins!" So we have to be really clever and come up with some new, refreshing ideas to attract business.
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WANTED ALIVE!
Do you know this man? If you don’t, you should!
Interview With Dennis Shirley the Golf Guy!
If you want to be at the "happening spot" at any golf-related show, you’ll be hanging around with Dennis Shirley. I can go on record and safely say that Dennis knows more people in the golf industry than anyone else. He is known as THE GOLF GUY. Just check out his website www.thegolfguy.biz and you will understand why. If you are anybody in the world of golf, you can bet that you will be in his 30,000+ contact list. And to get a call from him means something is happening!
I am honored to have Dennis Shirley as our first interview. How appropriate that we would have someone who knows something about every aspect of the industry and just about everyone who does business within it. And we are talking about a really nice guy. If he isn’t talking to you directly, then he is attached to his phone talking to someone else. There is always a big smile and a friendly hello from a guy who truly cares. Whoever said "nice guys finish last" obviously didn’t know Dennis (and certainly didn’t make his rolodex either).
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Ask the National Golf Course Owners Association, ask any Golf magazine, or just ask any golf course – people aren’t playing as much or as often as they once were. Is it the money or the time that has people playing less? I suspect a combination of both with more demands on our discretionary time and income. The challenge then is to look for ways to grow the game of golf. Here are some different, out-of-the-box ideas to do just that.
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Basic economics to be successful – revenues must exceed expenses!
Sounds basic and it is. But how often do we ignore basics. I am referring to the outings and events that our clubs host. Do you have any idea what kind of margins you have on your events? It could well be eye opening. In fact, it might not even be worth doing some unless you know in advance that your event is a break even one and that the ’profit’ is in the goodwill of the event which can be very important at a private club.
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| With the economy crashing down around us, our initial instinct is to horde our money and not spend a dime. Actually, that is probably one of the worst things we can do. Money (spending) is actually the oil we need right now to get the economy going and hence the lowering of interest rates.
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Yes the title is extreme. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say
market or stagnate. But the truth is that if you don’t have a plan and
a system for generating more golfers, you’re at the mercy of the
economy, your competitors, and chance. Not the best plan!
It’s easy to drift in the same channels you’ve used for years. And
your experience actually can actually work against you! The greater
your "experience," the more likely you are to tend to stay in a rut,
whereas people just starting out have to try new things because they
don’t have old standbys. |
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| There are many sites (as well as individual blogs) where individuals
can talk about their experiences at restaurants, hotels, resorts, and,
yes, golf clubs. Many people search out these informal reviews to make
decisions about where to play. What are players saying about your club? |
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Listen to your employees...
Employees are on the front lines with customers. They’re the ones who
hear what your players love and what they hate. They know what systems
are efficient and which are inefficient. If you don’t have an employee
suggestion system to capture employee’s ideas, your club isn’t as good
as it can be. For instance, only about 5% of golfer complaints get
passed on to management.
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One of the fastest ways to generate more incremental income quickly is to upsell customers during a transaction, especially a face-to-face one. Upselling is something that is easy and natural to do and should be done by every employee who comes into contact with players or members either in person or over the phone. This includes the behind-the-scenes employees such as the golf course maintenance crew as they too interact with members, their guests, and other players on occasion. (For the sake of brevity, the word member will be used from here on out to include anyone who is using the club for their enjoyment.)
Upselling is nothing more than suggestive selling. The employee will do nothing more than suggest something that is offered by the club. Quite often, upselling will be viewed as a help to the member as it creates awareness of what the club has available and what events are coming up in the future.
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| One of the least talked about parts of membership marketing is member
retention. Members get old, members get sick, members move jobs, get
divorced and suffer financial setbacks these are all facts of life over
which you have no control. But there is plenty you DO have control
over--little things that when added together can have a significant
impact on member retention. After all, it took time and effort (and
money) to get them in the door. Little things can keep them from going
out the back door. Put a lock on the back door by getting members
involved -- and keeping them involved -- and using the club. |
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| Each spring, plan your Mother’s and Father’s Day promotions. Don’t neglect online sales. They can add to your bottom line with relatively little effort. |
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Can a 501(c)(7) tax-exempt Club advertise that they are looking for prospective new members? I believe the tax answer is yes, but;...........should Clubs advertise due to consequences other than tax? Can a Club advertise for new members?" is one of the more often asked tax questions by 501(c)(7) tax-exempt Clubs. The answer to this tax question is one of the more misunderstood within the Club industry...
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If you do NOT have a short waiting list, or at least a strong list of 50 plus people that are currently interested in membership, then you already have a problem with declining membership, whether anyone wants to admit it or not! Membership sales take time to cultivate and close. Yet, every year, you know a few more people are going to drop off your roster. (Most clubs close between 1 in 15 and 1 in 20 inquires.)
Private clubs are facing three huge challenges:
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What Should You Do When Your Club Is Doing Poorly?
Sometimes doing exactly the opposite of what you have been doing up until now can turn out to be the perfect solution. The natural tendency for a person, when they find themselves in a hole, is to dig deeper. In many cases, the solution is to go and dig somewhere else. Remember, the first law of holes is, "When you find yourself in one, stop digging."
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Two things I learned about word of mouth advertising, you can put to immediate use at your club.
1. Have Something to Shout About
When first-time visitors to Disneyland and Disney World are surveyed and asked what sticks most in their minds about their visit, the overwhelming Number One answer is the cleanliness of the parks. |
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| You’re spending a lot of money on your web site. Avoid these 7 deadly mistakes of web design to make your web site more effective. |
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Attract more tourist and business play to your course.
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Use this list as a starting point to develop an event check list ("punch list") - not all items will pertain to each event. Create a separate check list for each type of event you run (for example, wedding, retirement dinner, charity golf event, corporate golf tournament) to make sure your events run smoothly each and every time.
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In order to effectively market to your existing customers and prospects, you need to undcerstand who they are. Demographics are external qualities like age, income, where they live, and how much money they make. Psychographics are internal qualities. Use the checklist below to stimulate your thinking about what the psychographics of your prime target market are.
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| If you are using your autoresponder to sell a product or service, you
must be very careful as to how you approach your potential customer.
Few people like a hard sale, and marketers have known for years that in
most cases, a prospect must hear your message an average of seven times
before they will make a purchase. Use autoresponders to do this. |
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With Internet technology, businesses can use email to grow referral business by stimulating and tracking word of mouth. The right tools and incentives make all the difference in turning customers into referral advocates through compelling messages that can be easily forwarded on to others.
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| Often we come across new ways of thinking, some exceptionally brilliant
and others fairly pedestrian by comparison. However, it is always worth
looking at new ideas but one thing stands out with most golf courses
and that is how you tend to feel a little closer to nature when you are
playing a few rounds. With the help of a professional biologist, the golf course manager can
identify strategies that will lead to creating a more naturalistic
landscape. |
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A common dream for golfers is to be able to manage their own golf
course. Imagine having the freedom of being surrounded by your favorite
sport 365 days a year and also being in complete charge of an entire
golf course. .
Having knowledge about golf course management is a must. Owning a golf course isn’t something that you should jump into without
first considering all of the possible angles and difficulties that you
may face along the way.
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Here Are Some Key Benchmarks You Should Monitor to Judge Your Club’s Online Success:
Sure you have a website that looks good but how effective is it at communicating with your members and attracting new business for your club? What’s more just how do you define if you really have a site that is keeping you ahead of the technologhy curve? This nine point benchmark will help you answer that question!
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| Smart operators know that the winter months are an excellent time to
build their databases for spring. They also know that both internet use
and direct mail response increases dramatically in the winter! Winter is the time to STRIKE with contests,
free downloads, fantasy golf games, surveys, tips, in fact anything you
can do to continue a dialog with your customers and potential customers. |
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| Advertising is like an investment that you hope to get a great return on. However, most people treat it like they’re playing Roulette in Vegas and bet all their money "on black." The basics of good copy is to think in terms of words that sell. Following are some basics in advertising that should help you make your advertising more effective.
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The difference between a great sales letter and an average one can be the difference between success and failure. Here are some tried-and-true tips for writing killer sales letters.
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| Using video marketing to drive traffic to your web site is an online
marketing strategy many small business owners and internet marketers
are beginning to embrace, with much success. Having a traditional
website only allows you to reach those people who first find your
website. However, combining video, social networking and some simple
video marketing techniques can drive hordes of qualified visitors to
your website. |
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Most clubs sabotage their efforts to sell
memberships. Avoid these 10 common mistakes and see your membership sales rise.
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| You may already know enough to get started with your marketing. For
instance, you probably know how your product or service is generally
purchased. [Most people don’t market well. You’re the exception because
you’re going to a session on how to market!]
WARNING. Before you start marketing, do the basics. You’ll only have
one shot at parts of it. It’s less expensive in the long run to do it
right in the short run. |
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Your niche is the culmination of your research, strategy, and decisions
terms. In particular, you use your research and develop your strategy
to create a niche for yourself. When done right, research and strategy result in you having a protected niche where you will flourish. |
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| Here are 12 tips for building strong relationships with customers and contacts. |
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| Use these ideas to make your customers’ birthdays a branding, loyalty and
revenue-generating event. |
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If you’re not email marketing to students, perhaps you should be.
Today’s high school and college students are digital experts.
Additionally, most are parent-supported, with plenty of discretionary
income, which makes this group very attractive for email marketing. |
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Here are 6 great ideas that you can implement this season to increase your food and beverage sales and league play. |
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Why should I do business with you instead of your competitor? That’s
the toughest question in business and one that businesses are
constantly working to answer concisely and with unwavering clarity. It’s vital that we all differentiate our businesses based on
our services and not just our products. Don’t get me wrong, we all have
to have products that people want - golf courses that people want to
play - but that’s like "jacks or better to open" in poker, not a
winning hand.
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Every product
and every business (in fact everything
that’s for sale) must have a Unique Selling Proposition (USP). It’s more
than your brand. It’s the reason people should write you a check or hand over a credit card.
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| Perhaps you have a Dennis Smith at your club. He’s been a member for years. He runs a successful company. He’s quietly one of the wealthiest people around. You would never know. Wedding receptions are the closest thing to free money in the golf business. Make sure your members think of your club for weddings. |
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Many clubs are benefiting from their wedding business. Good news. However, even clubs with a full book of business can find new revenue. And clubs that have a decent amount of wedding business should find ways to get the revenue up from receptions, rehearsal dinners, bridesmaids lunches, etc. Here are ten sure-fire ways to boost wedding revenue. |
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So your area is saturated with decent, daily fee courses, or for that matter private clubs, all-fighting for survival. You all have 18 holes, a clubhouse and a bar. You all cut the greens everyday and you all at least claim, to have good service (I mean have you ever been to a club where someone tells you service is bad?) So why should I pick YOUR Club?
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The answer is simple, provided that you have followed a logical path of targeted direct marketing to people within 30 miles of your club, who are at least by golf interest and income qualified for your offer!
Do nothing, nothing that is, except change the price!
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