Demo Day Dividends – Establishing new goals

Today’s PGAmagazine.com Blog moderator is PGA Professional Brian A. Crowell. Brian is the PGA Head Professional at GlenArbor Golf Club in Bedford, N.Y., secretary of the Metropolitan PGA Section, and won the 2003 Metropolitan PGA Horton Smith Award. Brian is also an analyst/announcer for NBC Sports, hosts his own radio show “The Clubhouse,” and is the author of “Teach Yourself Visually, Golf.” He is also the web host and an advisory board member of SportsMD.

As PGA Professionals who strive to improve and add value to our facilities, we need to remember that goal-setting is one sure way to secure our jobs for the future. Although no two positions are exactly alike, golf professionals in every Section of The PGA of America likely share the following four general goals:

1. FIND creative ways to keep your members, customers and guests interested and anxious to visit your facility.
2. EXPAND your audience and attract new customers.
3. BUILD a better relationship with your vendors and sales representatives.
4. GENERATE additional sales and increase your revenue.

Luckily, each of the above objectives can be achieved with a single concept … a demo day. But NOT the typical demo day that features one manufacturer, and is scheduled on only one day during the busiest time of the season. By thinking bigger, you can create a very different and exciting event at your club. Here are some valuable tips for producing a successful demo day experience:

• Not everyone will be able to attend on a single day. Dedicate an entire weekend to your event.
• Try conducting your demo days early in the season, when golfers are anxious to break out their clubs for the first time. Some facilities have even had great success scheduling a demo day before their course opens for the season. When not competing with the golf course, demo day can be the “main event” … a great reason for customers to visit the club and “kick-start” the season.
• Invite as many different major manufacturers as your space will allow. Be sure they know how inclusive your event will be, and secure an early commitment from them.
• Advertise your demo days aggressively and “pull out all the stops” to spread the word through all appropriate channels. In addition to your normal list, be sure to invite dignitaries from local associations, local school golf teams and coaches, local media, etc.
• If possible, offer a fitness/stretching/nutrition/wellness component.
• If you don’t own a launch monitor, and no vendors are bringing one, consider renting one for the event.
• Run clinics and contests to spice up the event.
• Offer discounts on purchases made during the demo days.
• Spend equal time with all vendors. Although many PGA Professionals are “on-staff” with a particular company, go out of your way to spend time with each sales rep/technician, try their products, and openly encourage customers to try everything.
• Afraid to take the plunge? Combine forces with other local PGA Professionals and invite their customers to join in! Rotate hosting duties annually from one club to the next.
• Consider options such as a tented area or rain dates in the case of bad weather.

These are just a few of many suggestions that can help you turn a good idea into a great one. It takes a little risk and a lot of commitment, but the rewards of setting higher goals and providing a serious demo day experience can be well worth the investment.