Apple I Pad and Bowling

Apple sold 300,000 I Pads over the past weekend. This neat little device lets you read books, play games, read newspapers, do computer work, surf the web, email, look up maps, store a calendar, take notes, place a you tube video, and watch movies. I am sure I left a few features out, but you get the idea. All this in a book size tablet that's about nine inches by 5 inches.

With this new high tech device, many people will be clamoring for it. In fact, your bowling center could give one away and reap the benefits of an increased data base, more lineage and hopefully more profit...especially as we push into the warmer months.

Set up an email campaign that offers an I Pad as 1st place prize to anybody who comes into the center and bowls during your cosmic bowling or weekday night bowling event. Entries must be completely filled out including email; employees and family members re not eligible and only 1 I Pad will be given out after 30 days. You can include other prizes as well like I Tunes gift cards for $25, $10 and $5.

Point is use your existing data base. If you can segment it against an under 35 audience all the better. Maybe even place a facebook ad (go back and re read my blog on how to set it up) You can do this for as little as $50 a day for a couple of days a week for 4 weeks. (use keywords like electronics, apple computers, I Pads, web, etc.

Yes the I Pad is $499, but that's a small price to pay to be the coolest bowling center in town. Just ask my daughter and her boyfriend. They're "20 somethings" and it was their brainstorm.

12 Skills A New Hire Must Have

If I was Mr. BPAA, I would make sure every proprietor, every manager, every assistant, every cook, every chef and bottle washer, every mechanic, every porter, every bartender and waitress knew enough about the Internet to be able to offer you suggestions and ideas on how to build your business or retain existing customers. I don't care what position they have. In this economic environment, it is every employee's responsibility to help build new business and help to retain exisitng customers. Every employee would be certified by the BPAA and would have to know how to:

1.Download music
2.Put up a video
3.Post a blog
4.Set up and use his facebook page
5.Edit a web page
6.Be fluent in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Power Point
7.Use Twitter to promote the owner’s business
8.Create a Facebook ad
9.Send text messages
10.Know how to use photo shop to edit pictures
11.Write a grammatically correct sentence
12. Give great customer service consistently

Imagine if you found someone like this, do you think teaching her bowling would be difficult. Heck No.

This "Millennium Generation" was born and built for microchips. Their need for connectivity and for getting answers when they want it is paramount. Being connected is not an option for them. It is a way of life. (“Thank You Google”). Anyone this age who does not have these skills must immediately take classes to get up to speed.

Just don’t hire them until they have completed and passed their course work!

So if you feel like you're barely hanging on to the caboose of the technology train, go back and take some classes. Just because your son or daughter knows this stuff cold doesn’t mean that you can sit on the sidelines and “let them do it.”

Its a brave new technological world out there.
Go get into the game.

What Got You Here

A friend of mine, in the car business, sent me this quote and I wanted to share it with you because it got me thinking. (You think you have had a tough year? How would you like to be in a business where sales volume from one year to the next falls from 16 million units to 10 million units? Ouch!)

In any case, “What Got You Here Won’t Get You to There”” said my friend. (I think it’s a book title, which I have not yet read, but I won’t tell him).

You know it. I know it.

Merging and emerging technologies have changed the way marketers research customers, develop products, and discover new ways to communicate these products. Many proprietors are keeping up with these technological changes.

Others are not.

What stops us? Maybe it is to avoid failure. After all, if we do something not worth criticizing, then we can be in our safety zone. Right?

But if you continue to do the status quo, you may never have a shot at the real feeling, and rewards, of success.

So go take some chances. Market a new product. Create a new open play program. Target a different market. Retrain your staff on “exceeding expectations.” Work a cosmic bowling shift and ask customers what would make it better. Experiment with some different food choices. Make a speech at the local Rotary Club.

Do you really think that if you failed at any of these things, you would be destitute?

Do you really think that one failure will be the end of you?

Do it because you know you should.

My 3 Secrets to Getting New Customers at Zero to Low Cost

Apple and AT&T have been joined at the hip since the iPhone’s introduction in 2007. U.S. customers who wanted the device had one choice of carrier. Apple needed to drop its exclusive with AT&T for a number of reasons:

• Verizon is AT&T’s serious competition in the U.S.
• Verizon was heavily courting companies like Motorola that were building phones using Google’s Android as the operating system.
• AT&T has developed a reputation — rightly or wrongly — for bad or limited connectivity for the i Phone.
• Apple can sell only so many i Phones in the US solely through AT&T. Eventually it reaches a market saturation point with the carrier.

From a strategy standpoint, Apple recognized that to grow it needed to expand its channel of distribution; how it gets its product to market and how it reaches new customers

For the proprietor, or any one who owns a business that is dependent upon customers visits as its business model, the need to expand its base is a never ending and expensive battle. So new ways to reach a new base must be reviewed.

Here are 3 Secrets to Getting New Customers at Zero to Low Cost

1. Be the builder of multiple relationships:
A "Facebook" strategy and a "Linkedin" strategy that targets your business friends, acquaintances and any other "business" friend you may have. Write to them under your company facebook page telling them what or how you are doing to market your business. Their feedback will broaden your market reach, give you information to make better decisions and get a level of involvement with your business that you never had. Benefits -95, Costs -$0. Thank them with "bowling offers."

2. Be the merchant of "freemiums":
Give information, ideas, and assistance to your business network(s) without asking for anything back. There will be time for asking when you build the level of trust that is needed. Here's an example. One of our clients wanted to expand the market for its fish n chips sandwich in a predominantly "burger and chicken" facility. What happened astonished them. They offered 20 free fish sandwiches and the next week they sold 30+ sandwiches. Not bad considering that they hadn't sold any for a month. Thank you Mr. Network.

3. Be the niche marketer:
Do you know how many ethnic newspapers, radio stations and web sites there are in your market and no one is marketing to these specific ethnic groups. In Texas, several of my clients had the opportunity to market on Hispanic stations (at extremely low rates). By creating a Hispanic facebook network, the proprietors became involved in the fabric of this community; building trust and establishing relationships. The result was more parties and special events.

Setting up your business "Facebook" page and "Linkedin" page is a snap. If you can't figure it out, ask your teenager or any teenager.

Just promise me one thing: Please don't use it as a billboard to constantly sell.

Pizza Pins N Pop

This open play family program has been around awhile. I first ran it in 1992 when I was the VP marketing at Bowling Corporation of America. Its two hours of bowling, shoe rental, a large pizza and a pitcher of pop (soda, soft drink, Coke, Pepsi or whatever beverage you are serving) for a set price; range is between $39.95 and $79.95.

Since then I have twisted it up and created a league program called party animal, pizza bowl, or even bowl n boogie (for all you Texans out there). We have even pitched it to corporate America and sent letters to the HR people or emails if we had them.

While we all want to send an email, remmber only about 20% to 25% of all emails get opened; less if you are sending to a corporate account. Snail mail still works. As do postcards. And they should be used in conjunction with your web site, facebook ads, and electronic press distribution.

We called the corporate program a two game "10 x 10 league." Summer is a good time to try this since you have more available inventory during first shift.

So here's the letter. Its simple, to the point and full of benefits about team building. Use it, modify it or create an email blast out of it. the only thing you will have to do is insert a good testimonial from a credible source!

Or put it in a box with a $10 gift certificate and then mail out 100 of them to HR people. Enclose a key chain or a refrigerator magnet. WHY? Well, "lumpy" mail gets opened three times more than plain old mail.

Know why? Because it appeals to "the cracker jacks" kid in all of us.

Your Letterhead

Building Teamwork Has Never Been Easier and More Fun

In today’s ever-changing business world, the one constant that drives top producing companies are people. Good people.

But sometimes good people get frustrated, discouraged and caught up in “putting out fires”

That’s when they need a morale boost and some team building fun.

And at (center name) we have developed just the thing to relive some stress and put the “Togetherness” back in the TEAM

It’s our newest “10 weeks for $10 bucks program”. It’s a chance for your people to get together for one night a week for 10 sessions and bowl, eat a pizza and enjoy some beverages. All for just $10 per person per week.

Bowling is a fun way to get your people together, to socialize and discuss some business issues in a “no stress” environment.” Best of all, almost any one can bowl. In fact last year more people Americans bowled (55 million) than played golf (25 million) and almost everyone can bowl.

“We had the best team building experience at (bowling center name). We have had
a tough year and over the course of the program I watched as our employees opened
up to each other and even talked some shop. Thanks, We will do this again”
Joe Employer. Any Company USA

To set up your own 10 x 10 bowling program, pleas e-mail me at ___________ and I will be happy to respond with some additional information and demonstrate how easy it is to set up.

Sincerely

Center name person
Email address

P.S. This program does not have to be paid for by the company either. Many of your employees would gladly get involved in it if you just communicated its availability.


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Anxiety Kills

Somebody sent me a quote I liked. It appealed to my sense of always trying to understand human nature and the "purchasing dynamics" of the human species.

Here is the quote:

"Anxiety is nothing but repeatedly re-experiencing failure in advance. What a waste."

I would imagine that is how many of us feel when we buy products or services from places we have actually had bad experiences. Or it is how we feel when we have heard about bad experiences that friends and family members have had at different stores or whole groups of stores. Imagine what anxiety you might feel about buying a car, or a used car, or home improvements or certain restaurants (that's why they are not there any more).

People will simply stop buying from a store, outlet, auto dealership or repair shop if it creates too much anxiety and causes them to think they will have that bad experience.

Once you lose that trust; once you fail to perform; once you cause the customer to experience failure, you have a slim chance of getting that customer back. Very slim.

To avoid customer anxiety at your bowling center, watch them as they come to the service desk, when they buy their "games" or "packages." Watch them as they begin looking for their bowling balls and then how they bowl. Watch their faces as they bite into your food or drink your beverages. Watch them as they go in or come out of the bathroom.

Pretty soon, you will be able to tell where the anxiety can bubble up. Your job is like Walt Disney once said about cleaning windows in his employee manual, "there will be no dirty windows."

Your job is to write an employee training guide that simply says, "there will be no anxiety amongst our customers."

To diminish if not eliminate the anxiety level in your center; here are eight tips to get you started on eliminating customer anxiety.

1. Welcome every customer,ask then if it is their first time and thank them for coming to your establishment. Then thank them again.

2. Make sure you tell them what your best bowling value is right then and there.

3. Direct them to the color codes of house balls.
Make up a small printed sheet with the colors of your house ball weights on them and give it to them so they can more easily select their bowling balls.

4. Ask if they have used the automatic scorers before.
If not, either give them instructions OR, if time permits, go down there (or send someone down there)to do it for them.

5. Tell them where the restrooms and food and beverage areas are located.
If you have the technology to do it; offer them a quickie menu about 6 to 8 items and ask them if they want to order right then and there; you'll shoot an electronic message to the kitchen and the waitress will bring it down in less than X# of minutes.

6. Sometime during the course of the evening,
you or someone else stop by the lanes, ask them how they are doing; if you can assist them with anything or get them anything. Again thank them for coming.

7. When they leave, and you thank them for coming,
ask them to fill out a customer data base card and you'll send them (via email) a $5 in bowling bucks which can be used next time at your center.

8. Do you and your customer a favor,
make sure everything is prepaid; hopefully to include bowling, shoe rental and a food item. There is nothing like the sheer terror of buying something and not knowing what the bill will be until AFTER YOU HAVE ALREADY CONSUMED IT!

What other ways can you eliminate customer anxiety?

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Facebook now gets 30 billion monthly page-views and has 400 million viewers. Facebook has more page views than Google. And Google is worried. That's because Facebook advertising is easier to use, more effective, costs less and is not subject to the "logarithmic changes " that Google makes every so often...just to shake up the search engines.

Imagine, Google afraid of Facebook?

That's like the movies being afraid when TV arrived. Then, television being afraid of the movies because the movies put air conditioning in the theaters. And then television being afraid of "home movies" and then movies being afraid of all the digital channels that television added. Then television being afraid of TIVO, which dials out the commercials. And movies being afraid of television because people can now sit home and watch today's TV without commercials.

Its called competition. And it makes us better.

Because if we didn't have competition, we would probably get complacent and our products and services would dumb down to the lowest common denominator... just ripe for a new competitor to swoop in and quickly take our market share.

Now, what would you do if Disney built a bowling center in your back yard?
What would you do to make them "afraid" of you?

Why wait until a new competitor arrives?
Why not make a perspective competitor VERY afraid right now?