A December to Remember

Just spent three days in San Antonio TX at the BPAA Bowling Summit.  It was probably one of the best ones I have gone to in many a year, mainly because lots of proprietors seemed happy. Many of them said they had great December business and almost all of them attributed it to cold weather and maybe even lower gas prices.

I know that weather is one of our best marketing tools, but unless we are Native Americans and perhaps mastered the centuries' old rain dance, we are out of luck.

So the question is how can we make very month a good month

Here are 7 "to dos" to help make your business grow in the other months!

1. Start a new league  8 to 12 weeks every month; concentrate on adult child program, learn to bowl/have a ball programs as well as new company leagues that could be every other week as well (remember when we used to do that?

2. OK, so you had  a bunch of holiday parties; why not continue the run and promote holiday parties every month with different themes like "cabin fever" parties, "spring fling" parties, "indoor summer picnics" and "fall back parties?"

3. Nice time of the year to do fund raisers on Sunday afternoons, Sunday nights and even mid week 2nd shift parties.  Fund raising doesn't stop; it goes on and on and what better venue than your bowling center.  Getting involved in the BVL fund and Wounded Warrior projects will make your center a hero in the community and people will stand up and thank you for helping America's heroes.

4. Reevaluate your second shift open play programs. You don't need five different promotions; who the hell remembers them anyway? certainly not your customers.  Become the home of the ONE or TWO specials that are really special!!

5. Put the pedal to the metal and accelerate your drive to get emails every day and especially on weekends.  Make sure to get age and gender data (so you can target your emails) as well as what they might be interested in such as: short season leagues, birthday parties, company parties. fund raisers, learn to bowl better programs or have a ball programs.

6. Structure your social media strategy so you have at least three emails and continuing Facebook posts about your center, its relationship to the community AND THEN talk about your offer and coupon

7. Offer an incentive to your cosmic bowlers by sending an email out to them and a Facebook post inviting them to come in THIS SATURDAY night only with 4 or more people and if they do they will get a FREE pizza. Stop complaining "about giving it away. If you charge $12.95 per person and you get 4 people for two hours, that's a bout $52 bucks and your cost at a real high end is $5, so you just got a 90% margin. don't do this every week, but do it as a surprise or offer other incentives for other cosmic nights. Remember the offer is only good for THAT Friday or Saturday night; its a one time deal.

I got a bunch more, but for now....enjoy :-)