The
holiday season starts next week with the Thanksgiving holiday; actually it starts the Wednesday night before thanksgiving – the biggest drinking night of
the year.
I hope
you have a super special cosmic edition going on Wednesday night. The college kids
will be back home, the high school kids will be out in full force and the one
thing they have in common is: they are looking for something to do.
Your
bowling center is a perfect fit…if you tell them what you have to offer. I hope
you have planned this weekend out.
Beyond
the holiday weekend, the Christmas break will be upon you with opportunities to
market your center and bring new people in and invite old customers back.
Whether
you open Christmas Day at 4pm, or not at all, is your choice. But many centers report
excellent traffic after 4pm or 5pm. I won’t push you one way or the other. It
is a religious holiday and you must do what your conscience tells you.
However,
with the “traffic season” upon you, now is the time to make sure that your January
short season [programs are up and ready to be sold in house to open play
bowlers as well as league bowlers.
From
have a ball programs to 8 for 8 or 10 for 10 leagues to couples, company and premium
leagues, your offerings should and MUST be available by this coming Friday morning.
So
without naming what leagues/short season programs to run – here’s a 12 POINT CHECKLIST of questions that
you should review to see if they pass the criteria to unveil them
1.
Who are you trying to target?
2. Is this what your target wants and have you found this out
by speaking to existing customers, new customers, a survey on line or do YOU
just think it’s a good idea? You may be king of the jungle at your center, but
if the target market has never given you any indication of the likelihood of
buying “your idea,” you’re a dead duck. Even AFLAC can’t help you!!
3.
What are the goals?
4.
What do you want them to do and when?
5.
How will you measure its success?
6.
How long before you will throw your hands in the air and
say it’s not working and move to something else?
7.
How will you promote it? C’mon in center selling is Ok, but
there’s at least 6 other ways that you can make it happen. Emailing campaign, incentives to
employees, outside selling, traditional media, Facebook campaign, You Tube
videos, etc. What do you think would
happen if you did it all?
8.
How much time and money are you prepared to spend on it?
(Oh, you hadn't planned to spend ANY money? Well, you might as well get a magic
lamp and start rubbing!)
9.
Who gets the final say on what you will roll out? Hint:
let the people who are closest to the customer decide and that includes snack
bar people, bar tenders, desk people, mechanics and maintenance people. YES, them!!
10.
Who will champion EACH cause? Establish
teams and team leaders even if you only have three employees.
11.
Who believes in it enough to make it happen and work on it
as “their project?”
12.
If this program, does take off, what is your next step for
this short season program?
But
if you do it the same old way, “put a flyer on the settee or control desk”, you’ll
get the same old results and then you will call me to say the industry is going
to hell in a hand basket and I will, of course, respectfully disagree.
Do
Your Homework First Before You Roll It Out.
It’s Cheaper To Spend Some Time On This Process Than Just Roll It Out.
Here’s
another 7 POINT CHECKLIST for
your fliers:
1. Always
put the benefit in the headline and no the headline is not “happy lanes new
mixed league” “Here’s How To Get Out Of The House, Break Away From Boredom
And Do Something Fun And Different With Friends.” Now that’s a benefit!!
2. Benefits
in the copy; heres what you’ll get (emotions, emotions)
3. Photos
of people bowling
4. Testimonials
of people who had a good time at your center
5. Guarantees
(“after the 1st week, if you have no fun, we will give you your
money back 100% guaranteed.)” Just set up
your 10 week league as an 11 week league or state that the first week is FREE.
6. Action;
what do you want me to do? Should I call? Should I email should I text? What do
you want me to do and by when?
7. Your
name on the bottom with a logo and map, preferably in the lower left corner
If
you follow this tried and true guideline, you may be surprised at the results.
Very
happily surprised. :)
