Jane Carter looks at the growing trend to put PGA Professionals at the heart of what is often a golf club’s biggest challenge: growing the business.

Too often conversations with golf club committees start with the words, “We have stopped the PGA Professional’s retainer. We just didn’t think we were getting value for money.” When you quiz them further it’s clear that, in their eyes, value for money is all about driving more revenue. Quiz them again on how they are expected to do this and ‘marketing’ is the buzz word.

A quick scan of the Situations Vacant pages reveals much the same: ‘Be responsible for a marketing strategy which covers all areas of golf operations,’ ‘boost membership,’ ‘increase green fee income’ and ‘improve the visitor experience’ are just some of the things clubs now want their PGA Pros to be responsible for.

Like it or not, the trend of putting a PGA Professional at the heart of revenue generation is a growing one, and what a fantastic position for you to be in. As I have written in this column before no one should know the business better than you. Are the members happy (retention?). Is the golf course busy? (Visitor/society business) If not why not? Is there a steady pipeline of potential new members? All of it revolves around the PGA Professional.

Many Professionals worry they don’t have the right skills but I guarantee that if you understand your golf club business, selling it is not that tough. You are already doing more than you think. The trick is to leverage that even further – and make sure the business knows you are at the heart of it.

However, the biggest issue facing the Professional when asked to market a golf club is simply whether the club really means it: I have seen enthusiastic marketing committees, newly recruited marketing managers and PGA Professionals buzzing with ideas to drive more revenue, suddenly hit a brick wall when it starts to actually happen. What started out as a happy collaboration can quickly turn to recriminations.

So if a golf club is turning to you to take the lead in revenue generation, here is my top ten checklist of the steps that you need to have in place:

• Check that the golf club is really signed up to increasing the business. They may say they want more visitors but when they start appearing do the moans start coming? Setting revenue targets is the best way to test that commitment.
• Know the business. Understand the green fee yield; course utilisation; membership attrition (especially in the newer member category); membership recruitment and how successful it has been in the past. Deal in facts not fiction.
• Sit down with the golf club committee and set revenue targets around visitors and societies. Be realistic and careful to manage the expectations and fear of committees about too many visitors. Interestingly, they never feel they can have too many members!
• Write a marketing plan. Perform one activity every week in the summer and less frequently but still regularly in the winter. It sounds a lot but consistency and repetition are the key.
• Pricing is crucial. Sit down with your committee and agree a green fee pricing matrix for all times of the day, week and year. You would be surprised how innovative you can be. Discounting is part of any price matrix but also look for revenue generation through better green fee yield, upselling and repeat business.
• Collect data. It will be at the heart of everything you do. Remember the old adage that 80 per cent of business is driven by 20 per cent of customers. It’s vital that you know and communicate with that 20 per cent on a regular basis…and your golf club will love you for it!
• Surround yourself with the right tools: a marketing plan, a pricing matrix; a easy to manage and segmented customer database, an email campaign system, a mix of offers and promotions and a spreadsheet to monitor results.
• Get ahead. Successful marketing happens because of successful implementation. Write your green fee marketing schedule for 2017 now. You know what is happening next year and the key events you can target. Don’t wait until they are upon you and probably at a time when you are at your busiest.
• Agree a commission structure. If the business grows (and it will) you want to be rewarded for your efforts. Make it performance related and set realistic and achievable targets. If the green fee revenue is currently £30k and you believe you can grow it to £40k ask for a higher rate of commission on that £10K worth of ‘new’ business.
• Tell them what you are doing and show that it is working. This is even more crucial in a volunteer structure where members don’t really see the day to day operation of their golf club. Set up a simple report covering the key revenue streams and send it round every month. Ask for a regular slot at the main general committee to give your report.

Building their trust in you to do a good job will take time and it’s important not to drive things too quickly. Green fee business is the simplest way to start but ultimately membership recruitment and retention are all significant revenue generators and as the trust builds so can your input in those key areas.

This article appears courtesy of Golf Retailing. For more information and to subscribe to the Golf Retailing Newsletter visit www.golfretailing.com.

Jane Carter is the Director of Golf Unlimited offering marketing strategy and implementation advice to golf clubs. She regularly delivers ‘Visitor and society marketing’ and Membership retention and recruitment’ workshops on behalf of England Golf.

For a full list of workshops now and in 2017 go to www.golfeducation.co.uk or contact her directly at jane.carter@golfconsulting.co.uk.

Here are some top tips on what to think about before taking the plunge and then when you are on the ground…

1. Put Yourself Out There

If you are looking for a position then put yourself out there – many successful candidates for jobs in other countries have taken the plunge and gone out to the country first to either look for positions, connect and network with people, or perhaps even for a face-to-face interview rather than over Skype or the telephone.  Maybe even take an extended holiday and rent an apartment to get a taste of life there.

2. Research, Research, Research

Research the country, its history, culture and traditions.  You might be going somewhere quite similar to where you currently live but it is almost a certainty that they will do things differently and you should do your best to learn about these and adapt yourself to their country.

@pgasofeurope I took a risk, went to a country I hardly knew. Began to learn another language. It was the best decision I’ve ever made.

— Danny Heard (@danthegolfer79) February 25, 2016

3. Understand the Golf Market

Just like everyday culture, the golf market has its intricacies and nuances in every country. We can see this at the Confederation of Professional Golf quite easily on a day-to-day basis as each and every one of our 37 Member PGAs operates in their own unique way.

Locate some local golfing ‘experts’, journalists, PGAs, their PGA Professionals and the amateur Federation and simply send them an email or ask to meet to discuss how golf works in that country.

@pgasofeurope join the local PGA and slowly gain the respect of the pro community. Better in the long run.

— David Poulton (@doglegpar3) February 25, 2016

4. Get your documents In Order

Speak to your country’s foreign/international office and your national embassy in the destination country to make sure you are doing all the right things.  It’s great if your new employer is going to help sort a lot of it out but you need to ensure you understand everything you should yourself.

Make sure you understand the country’s employment regulations for international workers, what visa requirements there might be, travel documentation require, insurance, and of course any associated costs.

5. Find a Mentor

PGA of Germany Professional, Craig West, moved from South Africa to Germany and suggests having someone with you, at least at first, who can help you translate if required and understands what you need to do to get off on the right foot.  Plus they can be the link between you and other local people, fellow staff members and in the local golfing industry.

@pgasofeurope learn the language as well & as quickly as possible.That opens door to understanding the new culture & gains respect of locals

— Ian Peek (@IanPeekGolf) February 25, 2016

6. Learn the Language

The local language is one of the most important tools you can have when working in a different country.  It makes every day-to-day task easier and can allow you to understand and operate more effectively.  It also means locals will not have to adjust themselves to you as much which is great for building relationships with all walks of life.  Even a few words here and there to begin with can be very beneficial!

(And if they speak your native language there already then learn a new language anyway – it will always come in useful!)

@pgasofeurope most important is 2 learn the language,adapt to the different culture of the people, this way u earn earn the respect.

— neil sweeney (@sweenpga) February 25, 2016

7. Don’t expect it to be easy!

Working in a different country can potentially be the most difficult thing you ever do in your career – not only do you have to do the job effectively, but you also have to adapt yourself into a different environment at the same time. But with well thought-out preparation and commitment then you will be able to do your best in your new position.

@pgasofeurope Great Climate, Lifestyle, Earnings. Didn’t speak German. Stayed 7 years. Had 2 children. Best years of my life. Recommended!

— christian vine (@christianvine1) February 26, 2016

8. Go With It!

Lastly, go with the flow and enjoy it!  Your day-to-day working experience and the enjoyment and benefits you get from working abroad is directly related to how you approach it, so do your best to be outgoing, meet new people, try new foods and experience new cultural aspects to ingratiate yourself into the local life.

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Post your job vacancy for FREE and get expert careers advice at the Confederation of Professional Golf JobZone – visit cpg.golf/careers-and-jobs to find out more.

Long gone are the days when retailers used to just offer discounts and sales during prime shopping points in the calendar; it is now almost a perpetual world of discounting in order to attract customers. There is little question that the subject of discounting is one of the biggest aspects of modern retailing and customers have adjusted their psyche and their expectations accordingly.

There is often a fine line when it comes to discounting. Get your strategy and pricing levels just right, and you will be able to achieve good cashflow and a healthy inventory turnover. Get it wrong, and you end up feeling like you are almost only in business to pay the staff and overheads, with little reward for your efforts. The question that almost every retailer, regardless of what market they are operating in, needs to ask is whether the subject of discounting should be viewed as a hindrance that is stifling your business or an opportunity that needs to be grasped with both hands?

A change of shopping habits

You could construct a reasonable argument to pinpoint a number of specific moments in retailing history where customer’s attitudes and expectations changed. Black Friday is definitely one of those pivotal moments, which came about as a way of launching that all-important Christmas shopping period, but has subsequently ended up fueling a mindset of expectation, where customer’s go searching for deep discounts and are prepared to shop around to find the lowest price available, rather than just accept what is in front of them in the store.

These high-profile shopping events are further fueled by the media attention that they manage to garner, with stories of heavily discounted TV’s and half-price furniture, making headlines and seemingly having the effect of changing consumer shopping habits for good.

The modern consumer

What retailers have to contend with going forward, is the fact that customers are far more demanding and less tolerant than they were in the past. This means that in order to thrive as a retailer and appeal to the modern consumer, you will have to be able to get the balance just right, of delivering the right product at the right price, in order to get customers into your store and spending money.

It seems that it is no longer enough to advertise a sale and expect customers to come looking for a bargain. One of the strategies now regularly employed, is to advertise promotions and specific offers in order to attract the consumer in the first place.

Restructuring may be necessary

The continued rise of internet shopping and the noticeable growth of off-price retailing are major trends that are fundamentally reshaping the retail industry. If you are a retailer who wants to not just survive but prosper in this newly-shaped arena of consumerism, there will almost inevitably have to be an element of restructuring required, so that you can accommodate discount strategies which work and offer modern solutions such as a wider range of payment options.

Bricks and mortar retailers have to contend with the fact that internet sales are continuing to grow, which is often at the cost of direct store purchases and it seems that the younger demographic of shoppers. The important point to take on board for bricks and mortar retailers is to anticipate this change in buying attitudes and patterns and devise a strategy that allows your retail business to embrace these shifts and adjust the business model to address and compete with these issues.

Big Data

One way of addressing the discounting dilemma and making it work in the right way for your retailing business, is to make use of an ever-growing availability of personal consumer data, thanks to the growth in big data technology. Consumers have become less resistant, or at least more tolerant of the request for personal information and they give up their personal shopping habits and preferences far more easily than they used to.

Liking a product on Facebook or talking about it on social networking sites, registering for email offers and a whole host of different initiatives, will mean that you can collect very useful and dynamic data about a customer, which you can use for some targeted discounting and offers.

One of the key trends in retailing, is the fact that retailers have the ability to understand and interact with their customers in a much more personal way. Investing in understanding your customer is a key trend for 2016 that could also allow you to use discounting strategies in a much more targeted and efficient way. An offer to your customer is now a combination of different elements, such as a specific product, price or personalised discount.

There are some good indications that retailers who offer a well-structured and more highly targeted offer to their customers, can achieve a higher ROI and maintain better profit margins, than across the board discounting. A strategy that revolves around personalisation and price optimization will transcend into what you could call an offer optimization strategy and would be an excellent use of big data in your retail business.

More payment options

The continuing rise in the use of mobile payment solutions is prompting retailers to look at the payment options being offered to their customers at the checkout. Updating your payment terminal to a newer model will help in a number of ways. It will help improve compliance and security issues but another vital aspect of upgrading, is it will enable you to accept more payment options, which will improve customer perceptions of your business and encourage a more positive shopping experience.

While we may not yet be quite heading for a cashless society as quickly as envisaged, being able to offer your customers a wide range of contactless, mobile and other smart payment options, will definitely help to keep your customers happy. Offering various payment options may not be as strong a buying incentive to a customer as a discount offer, but it does all add to the package.

The rise of the omnichannel shopping experience 

Sometimes also referred to as Multichannel retailing, omnichannel retailing is all about using the various channels in a customer’s shopping experience and bringing them all together to provide an excellent pre-sale and after-sale shopping experience. This involves embracing social media, utilizing online and mobile store technology and also includes more traditional methods such as face-to-face and telephone communications with your customer.

Formulating a successful discounting strategy is just one of the challenges facing retailers in 2016 and in order to survive and thrive and drive your retail business forward, it will seemingly take a lot more than an attractive price tag to attract customers, but the rewards are there for all to see.

This article appears courtesy of Golf Retailing. For more information and to subscribe to the Golf Retailing Newsletter visit www.golfretailing.com.

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The UK Retail eBook: ‘How retailers make money discounting in 2016’ will help show you how the UK’s top independent retailers use smart promotion strategies to increase sales and compete with the big guys. It is available as a free download – for more information and to download it visit www.vendhq.com/uk-retail-ebook.

This article originally featured in International Golf Pro News. Visit the IGPN Page to find out more and subscribe for free.

Golf Retailing’s Miles Bossom met with PGA Pro and golf entrepreneur Adam Bishop to find out how he is thinking differently.

MB – Adam, tell us a bit about your business.

AB – I started in 2001 with one retail outlet but now have four, all within twenty minutes’ drive of each other. I run the retail outlets at Studley Wood, Chiltern Forest and Whiteleaf Golf Clubs and I also have a large store at our driving range just outside Thame in Oxfordshire [United Kingdom].

MB – How many PGA Pro’s do you employ?

AB – From two at the start I now employ eight.

MB – So, have you plans for further expansion?

AB – Running four venues is quite a commitment but if the right opportunity comes up I would never say no before investigating.

MB – How are you adding value to your business?

AB – We have a full tour spec work shop and fitting centre so we can offer custom fit and a great repair service. We also run the Cleveland Centre of excellence at Studley Wood. Our latest venture is to do fitting days at clubs that don’t do any hardware sales.

MB – Tell me more?

AB – There are many golf clubs that don’t sell any hardware whatsoever so the customers at those clubs are starved of product.  With it being expensive to buy and with such tight margins it makes it unviable for some to hold a decent level of hardware.

At these places there are many customers who love to buy hardware and would prefer to buy from their own club because that is where they feel comfortable.  So what we do is we set up with a minimum of four but up to nine fitting carts and branded pagodas on the clubs range or practise facility or we can use a large inflatable net if the club has no practice ground and so on.  Members that haven’t seen this before feel that Christmas has come early!

MB – What does the club get from this?

AB – We pay the club a small commission on the goods that we sell but it isn’t so much about the club making money, it is more about providing a service to the members.  They feel that a few times a year their club holds a large demo day when they can try all of the latest equipment from a wide range of manufacturers and can buy then and there.

MB – How many club fittings would you expect to complete in a day?

AB – We would bring two fitters and the club prearrange as many appointments as possible.  I would expect them to be fully booked with between ten and twenty appointments and I would bring a third for the people who may just turn up on the day on the off chance.

MB – Typically how much revenue would you expect to generate on one of these days?

AB – It’s rare that we would do less than £3000 [approx. €4,190] in turnover but it is usual that we would do between £6000 and £8000 approx. €8,379 – €11,172].  Our best day was £12,000 [approx. €16,758]!  It depends on how starved the membership has been.

MB – Is there a particular demographic that is more interested in this service than others?

AB – Definitely left handed golfers and ladies.  Because we will not only have a left-handed driver in all of the major brands but we will also offer a multitude of different shaft options.  We can cater for everyone and give them a great fitting experience.

MB – What commission do you offer the club?

AB – It’s between 10 percent to 20 percent of the profit depending on the manufacturer. mThe club simply promotes the service and we do the rest.  It is not really about the commission, it is all about providing a service that the club doesn’t provide.

MB – At Studley Wood you have run a pre-Christmas sale.  When do you think is the right time to reduce the price of stock to ensure it doesn’t gather dust?

AB – It depends on a number of factors.  Firstly how good your purchasing was in the first place, secondly how good the season was and thirdly how well you have sold it.

With multi sites it’s easier because if I purchase forty pairs of shoes across the group and I sell the majority of those at full retail price I have covered the cost of the order and paid the supplier and I am already in profit. If there are a few pairs left I do not want them hanging around. They may have cost me £35 per pair but they don’t owe me that as I have already made a profit on the total order. I will price them aggressively to shift them quickly at maybe £29 per pair.

MB – So how has the sale here at Studley Wood worked for you?

AB – I have started running sales in November because it is a bit of a dead month. The clocks change so it is dark and dingy and many pro’s will be thinking that it was hardly worth opening.

It is a great time to sell because you are taking customer money when they are not expecting to spend – ahead of Christmas and out of season.  November is no longer a month where I am depressed.  I have cash coming in, good clean stock and I am ready to go for the new season.

MB – What advice would you offer other golf retailers?

AB – What we golf pros have to remember is that golfers love golf.  If you can’t sell equipment as a golf professional you are in a trouble.  The key is creating desire.  Golfers walk into our outlets and have the desire to take shots off their round.  They are prepared to buy equipment that will enable them to do this.

MB – How often do you sell an “off the shelf” set of irons?

AB – The last time I sold a set was about four months ago but that was only because the length of the club, the lie, the type of shaft and the grip were exactly what the guy needed. I pride myself on the fact that I don’t have rows and rows of clubs in my shop. You may think that is a negative but in fact it is a huge positive.

When you think about it the big stores have fifty or sixty sets of standard clubs on display it must be difficult for them to want to sell a custom set as they have invested a lot of money in stock sets so it must be temping to want to sell them instead. There will be a few customers that fit a standard set but they are few and far between. All of my customers get exactly the right set of clubs for them built in the manufacturer’s factory.

MB – Do you feel threatened by the internet?

AB – No. The only reason people buy on line is price. The consumer always thinks it is cheaper but that is not always the case. There is no service with the internet. I actually use it very effectively to sell surplus stock at the end of the season. If the retailer does his job properly there is no reason for a golfer to buy hardware on line.

The more technical golf equipment becomes the better, as it helps us professionals, as I believe to be a great fitter you must also be a great coach and vice versa. At the end of the day we must create a desire by showing the customer how much they can improve by having their clubs fitted correctly.