Ideas for Your Business

Marketing and Promotion

You can have the best product or service in the world, but if you do not market and promote it effectively, no one will know it exists, and as a result no one will buy it. So you must create a package that markets your new putting services and drives customers your way.

Here are four easy ways to do this:

1. Communications

With the Internet and all the latest social networking tools available, it has never been easier (or less expensive) to market your products and services to your prospective students.

Consider a weekly e-mail newsletter or a monthly tip to help get yourself in front of your students and remind them that you are around. More importantly, use this communications opportunity to give them some information that they can use. In this way, you position yourself as the expert in putting. Remember, though, that this form of communication doesn’t always allow a back and forth with your student, so save your more complex thoughts for a more formal lesson setting.

If, however, you are comfortable with social networking tools, you could also set up a Facebook page that allows for questions and answers, so that not only is the person asking the question getting a response, but everyone who is your “friend” will be able to learn from those interactions as well. You are building your audience and your reputation as not just someone who has the answers but as someone who is responsive to your students.

Even if you are not comfortable with using the tools of the online world, you can easily post notices in the clubhouse or your pro shop to help communicate and let your members know what is available. This can also be done through announcements at clubs events or wherever you feel is appropriate.

At the end of the day, golfers have a choice as to whether they take lessons and if they take them from you. Make sure that through regular communication that builds trust they see you as the person they want to learn from.

2. Develop Posters and Brochures

Create your own marketing package. We have supplied a sample brochure for you to look at that describes our Frankly Frog Putting Studio putting services. You can see that it outlines the benefits of coming to the Studio, why the Studio was developed and what specifically we work on when you visit.

Location of the Studio and how to book an appointment/contact details are clearly outlined. But prices are not included and are available online. This approach serves two purposes – first, your marketing emphasizes the benefits of your services, not their price; second, a lack of prices allows you to use the brochure over a long period of time, so if you change some of your pricing it does not impact these materials.

The other thing you will notice about the brochure is that it only has 2 colors: black and green. This is important because it keeps the cost of production and reprinting down significantly, whereas a full-color brochure is much more expensive to produce.

It has been designed to fit on a regular paper size used in the United States, so the format is easy to print out. And even if you run short, the information can be photocopied easily and still look good.

You can also visit some sample posters we developed for various putting events we were running by clicking here. You can see that the same color themes run throughout the materials so that the student can connect both pieces as part of the same initiative.

Printing brochures and advertising material can be expensive, but if you do it with thought and suitable attention to detail, recognizing that this brochure can be used for a long period of time, then it is very much worth the expense to get what you do into the hands of potential customers.

3. Free Samples

Every consumer loves something that is free. But free doesn’t always sound like such a good idea to the business person in you. Don’t reject the notion, however, just because it doesn’t pay. Rather look at it as an investment and a way to engage prospective customers. If you do a good job, then they will come back for more, especially if they see value in what you do.

A free clinic or tip here and there will do wonders to help you establish putting as something you are an expert in. Set up an introductory clinic to get people along to start thinking about how important this part of the game is. Make it a social event with a putting contest at the end of the short session and a prize for the lowest score, most one putts or whatever you think will work best with your audience.

You need to engage your prospective students and position yourself as an expert … someone they can come to and lower their scores. If they believe this, then they will come to you and spend their money with you. And that little “free” taster will have proved to be the best thing that you could have done.

4. Customer Follow Up

You have probably given hundreds, if not thousands, of lessons during the time you have been a golf professional. However, how many of these have been full-swing lessons? And how many of these have you followed up with?

You need to follow up with your past students to find out how they are doing, if they have any questions after their lesson and what progress they are making. They will appreciate your interest in their game and will be more likely to book a follow-up lesson with you if they haven’t already.

This follow-up is a great opportunity for you to suggest a dedicated putting lesson to improve their scoring. Let them know of your new qualification and how your new knowledge will be able to help them take fewer putts per round.