10 Holiday Marketing Tips to Get You Focused NOW

It was 4:12 this morning, when I pulled into my local gas station for a quick cup of coffee and a two pack of Entenmanns chocolate donuts.

My friend “Focus” was there. “Focus” is a Jamaican man in his mid 30’s who pulls the 12am to 8am shift six days a week.  We talk about his “happy island,” my travel, the Giant’s game and then I am gone, off to catch another plane to another great client.

Somehow I can’t stop thinking about “Focus” and what he said as I was leaving.  “Yoh mon,” he said, “I got my name because my mother and father wanted a baby boy very much and my father used to say to my Mother, Now, Nan, you focus on what you want and you want dat baby boy, you focus on getting him.  So after all the months, my father was saying to my mother, ‘Focus’ she was pregnant, she decided to call me “Focus.” “And that’s a true story", he said through a broad smile and a quick laugh.

I thought that was pretty cool, but the message about focusing on what you want stuck with me.

In the darkness of the highway, I started to formulate all the things I needed to get my clients to focus on…at least through the end of the year.

So while I don’t compute and drive any more, I can voice record., I created a checklist of marketing and service items, upon which, you might need some additional focus.

1.    Send one more email blast to your company data base, targeting smaller companies with 15 to 50/75 employees within 3 miles of your center, offering them a lane package of $99 to $149 per lane depending on your market. Package is valid for up to 5 people and would include a buffet of appetizers like pizza bites (cut your pizza into squares), chicken wings, mozzarella sticks, jalapeno poppers and some veggies and dips.

2.     Follow up with phone calls to those who hit your website and invite them in to see the center.

3.    Be sure you have two or three league concepts- to start in January - on your site, on fliers and prepared for emailing and face booking.

4.    Retrain the staff, before thanksgiving, about the importance of customer service.  If you want a power point presentation on it, drop me an email to fredkaplowitz@gmail.com and I’ll send it off to you.

5.    Examine your pricing. The weekend before Thanksgiving (like this coming weekend) is the perfect time to raise your prices. Kids back from colleges and families who haven’t been to see you since last year have no idea what the price is and given that the average league bowler bowls about 2.3 times annually, in your center, price increases of fifty cents to $1 should not get much pushback. Please remember FREDQUARTERS MARKETING RULE #121 on Pricing:  If 15% of the people aren’t complaining about your price…it’s too low!

6.    By this time your thanksgiving programs, emails and blog efforts as well as robo calls should be set up to communicate your Wednesday night (TG EVE) special edition cosmic night along with  any programs you have, if you are open on Thanksgiving.

7.    Get names, get names and get names during this holiday weekend. Make a PA announcement that you are giving away a $50 of open play bowling and that you or one of your team members will be coming down to get your entry. Do this every 90 minutes all day and all night. Be sure this sign up card has age and gender questions as well as questions about:
               a. Are you interested in receiving information about  (check all that apply)

                                          i.    Short season bowling? _______

                                        ii.    Company parties?  _________

                                       iii.    Fundraising _____________

                                       iv.    Birthday parties _______

8.    Focus on planning for new years eve NOW and get that communication plan together so you can at least speak to some of the families or seniors who will be coming in over the TG holiday weekend

a.    Family parties.  (When, What, Price, Promotion, ROI, new concept to delight and surprise.)

b.    Adult parties or NOT (When, What, Price, Promotion, ROI, new concept to delight and surprise.)

9.    Become a more visible part of the community.  Become a drop off point for Toys for Tots or collecting food for the homeless people or clothes for the poor.  Not only are these great causes, but you will get some notoriety about your community efforts.  It’s good for the community and good for you.

10.  Be not afraid of doing something different; creating change and pushing the outer limits of the envelope.  (I.e.) Get a live band for the Wednesdys before TG; have a petting zoo in your parking lot for the kids; get a magician for your Saturday night Cosmic.  Get the idea? :)

After all, the holiday season is upon us.