
ENJOY RETAIL SUCCESS WITH MASTERFUL MARKETING
A shortage of skill, time and resources are often cited as reasons for putting marketing to one side. However, in today’s perpetually crowded marketplace, deprioritising the one thing that puts your business in front of customers is a treacherous move.
As a busy golf professional, you could have a million excuses for inconsistent, or even, non-existent, marketing. Despite a lack of time or resource, the worst thing you can do is nothing because everybody else is doing something.
Essential Interactions
A touchpoint is a marketing term that refers to an interaction with a customer, or potential customer. Touchpoints can be digital, such as engagements via email, the website or social media, as well as the all-important face to face.
Whichever way you interact with people, it takes 6-8 touchpoints to make a sale, on average. That’s 6-8 times you need to remind golfers about those clubs you sell; or about the new clothing range in stock; or to ask them to come in and spend their account balance.
Customers are your lifeline and staying front of mind should be an absolute priority.
Roadmap to Success
Drifting is not an option and setting out a marketing plan will actually make things easier. It breaks tasks down into manageable chunks and will enable you to delegate. What’s more, a plan gives you a sense of purpose.
- First decide your objective. Do you need to promote a new range? Do you want to give footfall a boost, get more members to sign up to your XPOS Caddie app or is it time to raise awareness of your regripping service?
- Setting your objective helps you decide which channels to use. An integrated campaign often works best and a combination of social media, website, newsletter, push notifications and emails can all work well together.
- Delegate. Use your weekly meetings to discuss upcoming objectives and brainstorm ideas for campaigns. Empower your staff, especially if they’re quite creative or techie. They may welcome some extra responsibility for marketing.
Tools of the Trade
- Hootsuite (hootsuite.com) offers a free option to help plan, schedule and analyse social media campaigns.
- XMAIL is an easy add-on to your XPOS system that stays in touch with customers, with automated personalised thank you’s and reminders from the pro shop. Vital for busy golf retailers and proven to boost footfall and sales.
- SMS messages (texts to your phone) are proven to have a far higher engagement rate than other methods. Use the push notifications feature in the XPOS Caddie app to make sure your golfers know what you have in stock.
“It’s amazing who’s on social media”
Jason Avery, Head Professional Taunton & Pickering Golf Club
"It’s important to be proactive and engaged on social media, and it works best when I post a variety of different content on a regular basis. Publishing generic posts, or overselling, just turns people off. They need to see that you’re engaged in your content".
"I use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay in touch with existing members and also reach new customers. I want to be seen to be coaching and demonstrating my own clubs and social media helps me do that. Because I’m visible, I often receive messages from people from other clubs, sometimes just asking for product advice".
"It’s amazing who is on social media – even people you just wouldn’t expect. An elderly member, who always likes my Instagram posts, recently bought a putter from us.
When it comes to new product launches, I’ll have a plan which includes newsletters, POS in the shop and Club, social media and staff training. From then on, word of mouth is a powerful tool".
“Members want a dynamic PGA Professional”
Martyn Hamer, Davyhulme Golf Club
"With my marketing plan I often start by looking at tournaments or world-wide events coming up over the next few months, for example, the Ryder Cup or Christmas. There’s always an event you can piggy-back to run promotions or create some energy in the shop. I sit down on a Monday and for an hour and use Hootsuite to schedule posts. Then, whatever else happens, you know you’ve got that covered".
"A plan also helps to keep stock turning over. XPOS can help you look into the future and predict which products are moving too slowly. When we think we’re going to have a problem with a particular item, we’ll plan a promotion.
Informing suppliers that you have a marketing plan is also good. I’ve had great success when I’ve asked suppliers to help me run a campaign. I do a Masters promotion every year where I choose a player who has maybe 100-1 odds of winning. So, if a customer buys a £800 set of clubs, I’ll put £8 on that player on behalf of the member. If the player wins, the member essentially gets their money refunded and this has happened twice in 5 years. Being stale does nothing for business. Members want an enthusiastic and dynamic Professional team".
"I think push notifications through my XPOS Caddie app are the future and, if I can get all of my members using the app, I know I’ve got a sure-fire way of reaching them quickly".
FACTS N STATS
47% larger purchases made by customers after receiving XMAIL emails
6-8 touchpoints needed, on average, before making sale
54% higher engagement rate with push notifications (SMS) than email
15% increase in footfall with XMAIL
To sign up to XMAIL and benefit from our summer season offer please email sales@crossovertec.co.uk