Easy Tips
for Your Pro Shop
1. Hire Female
Salespersons
If you don’t think this is important, just try it. Try it on “ladies day” and
see if you don’t increase your sales. If your funds are limited (and
they usually are), consider hiring a woman at an hourly rate for
just those days and times when you know there are more women
playing. Hire a
salesperson with a fashion sense that is comfortable helping women
make selections. (There are many
fashion-oriented at-home moms or former salespersons that would
like to work limited-hours especially when they are offered
employee discounts on golf items.) When a woman tries on a shirt and
wants to know whether it’s too tight (or too big or the wrong color
or neckline), she needs to be comfortable asking the salesperson
for her opinion, and, that’s usually going to be a woman. Just listen to your women
customers shopping together and hear how often they ask each other
“How does this look?” That’s a clue why women
salespersons are so important.
2. Know Your
Customers
Every female that walks into your pro shop is potentially a
good customer. (80% of
purchases are made or influenced by women.) Your staff should know your most
frequent women golfers. They should be among your best
customers. Track the
frequency of play at your facility using your handicap software or
just brainstorm the names of best customers at a staff
meeting. Do you know
what sizes your most avid golfers wear? Does your sales staff recognize
them by name? It means
a great deal to a woman shopper to have a personal and friendly
greeting when she walks into the shop. Focus on knowing your best
customers and delivering the best in customer service.
3. Save Her Time – Make It Easy
– Offer One-Stop-Shopping.
Should your customer have to hunt through a dozen garments
for her size? Should
she have to put on her glasses to read the price? Absolutely: Not! I recommend: all hangers have a size tag on
it, color-coded size tags, sizes in big print, and/or merchandise
should be sorted by size – and an easy to read price tag. If you are not doing that,
shopping will take her too much time. Most importantly, she will not
shop at your shop. Keep in mind: One-Stop-Shopping. If she needs gift for a friend,
spouse or partner, why not find it at your shop? My advice: Always keep a few small gift
items in a special section: picture frames, popular golf
books, trendy accessories – all $25 and under. One-Stop-Shopping saves time and
women like that!
4. Offer Women’s Demo
Days
It used to be that demo days were just for men. But, it’s no longer true that
only men buy new clubs. Demo days for women (or “co-ed”
demo days) have been very successful. Put a photo or drawing of a
woman on the promotional materials for demo days; so women will
know they are included. Schedule demo days for women at
“women’s” times, such as on a women’s tournament day or in
connection with women’s clinics or leagues. Make sure your reps or your
instructors take women customers seriously. Women may not be into all the
technical “stuff”, but they know what “feels” good in a demo. If I
were scheduling a women’s demo day, I would be sure to bring in a
guest female instructor or a special sales rep familiar with
women’s golf, and include that in the demo-day promotion.
5. Make the Sales
Representatives Do Their Job.
I think that most pro shops do not demand enough service
from their sales reps in connection with serving the women’s golf
segment. It’s just not
good enough for a rep to take an order – anyone can do that. A good sales rep should
supply photos of their female golfer endorsers. (Any customer of Callaway should
get a framed copy of Anika to put somewhere in their shop.) Sales reps should do a
better job of helping golf professionals set up their women’s golf
displays. Really good
pro shops know how to “feature” a new product and put something in
the newsletter about what’s coming. Sales reps should supply that
“what’s new” and “what’s coming” text. Be a demanding customer of sales
reps that provide products for women golfers. The field is getting bigger, and
retailers have choices.
6. Think PROMOTION!! Here Are Some
Suggestions
Change displays often. Successful shops rotate
merchandise every two weeks.
Use a mannequin or a bust-form to display merchandise, and
at least five items must be worn or featured on the mannequin: shirt, skirt, sweater, hat,
pocketbook, belt, shoes, socks, clubs. Women like to see “outfits” even
if they buy in pieces. (A good sales rep should
supply you with a bust-form for display.)
If there is a regular ladies day, consider a different
promotion each event.
Perhaps one time it’s “buy two socks and get one free,” or specials
on a new line such as “10% off on Astra today”. Maybe it’s specials on Father’s
Day. The primary goal
is to get women in your shop.
Offer promotions to all women in your new golfer
clinics. The teachers
teach them how to hit the ball, but the pro shop has to help them
buy merchandise.
Welcome new golfers to your pro shop as soon as possible by
“new-golfer” promotions.
Use digital photography to promote your new lines. Take a picture of a display
and put it your facility website or in a e-mail campaign. Go Digital!
7. Say “THANK
YOU”
Saying “thank you” goes a long way. I suggest that every shop have an
easy-to-send “thank you” note that goes out to all first purchasers
and to frequent purchasers thereafter. Insert a “come-back-coupon” with
your thank you, such as a discount on special items.
8. Remember the Dressing
Room
Unlike men, who usually simply buy the size and color,
women shoppers are much more demanding in style and fit. That means that items must
be tried on. So, your
dressing room must have: full length mirror, at least two
hooks (one for the clothes they take off and another for what they
are putting on), a shelf (or available chair) for keys, glasses and
pocketbook. I’m not
joking about the shelf! For a bonus, hang a
photo that has women golfers in it. (I guarantee you that most people
using your dressing rooms will be women!)
9. Check "What's
New" and "New
Products" on this website for
ideas.
10. Use
the FREE HELP LINE for questions about
good ideas for tournament gifts and
favors.
