For the last 35 years, league bowling has been eroding.
Probably at a 3% to 5%rate annually. From 10 million sanctioned league bowlers
to about 2 million today. From a 5% penetration rate (against adults 18+) to
less than 1% today
In other words, less than
1 in 100 adults in this country bowl in a league.
This downward cycle has been met with various industry
initiatives; none of which reversed the cycle.
It was hoped that the quick fix magic pill of “promotion” would make our
cash registers ring like it once did a long, long time ago
But quick fixes or neither quick nor do they ultimately fix
the problem.
Instead, individually and collectively we need to create a better
plan. A plan that:
:
1.
Truly recognizes this long cycle.
2.
Strongly considers “what will it cost me to
replace it with a different one?"
3.
Asks “Is there anyone who can help me? Is there
any organization that can help?”
4.
Probes, “What do I need to learn to get to an “up
cycle?”
5.
And finally hits a hard question, “How do I change my habits and
instincts?” (which clearly haven't been doing so well in confronting this problem.)
One of the first things
you can do is to get out of the center and go speak to some people.
Younger people. People 15 to 25 years old. People 26 to 35
years old. Married people. Single people.
Find out what’s important to them and you’ll find out what they want and
expect from your bowling center.
What you think you
know about why people bowl may be diametrically opposed to the reality you find
or it might align quite nicely.
Ask them about bowling; how often they go bowling? Why they go
bowling and why they don’t go bowling? Find
out if they ever bowled in a league and would they do it again if it was a
shorter season, less expensive, 2 games instead of 3, etc?
Listen to what Winnie the
Pooh has to say about your business: "You cannot stay in your corner of
the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them
sometimes." -
Makes sense to me.
