Right now lots of manufacturers are running advertising campaigns to get golfers into your stores, to try their product. In the States, golfers only have to register with TaylorMade to be sent a free 6-iron. The company hopes golfers will like it and buy the rest of the set. But does it mean TaylorMade doubts pros’ ability to get potential improvement into golfers’ hands?
Improvement is the greatest inspiration
The greatest inspiration for golfers is the potential to improve their game, and as a professional, you are in a position to identify the golfers who could be improved, and you can identify equipment in your shop that could improve their game, particularly those who have not changed equipment in the last five years.
Take the Wilson Di11 irons: these clubs are so easy to hit when compared with any five-year-old clubs played by a mid-handicapper. If you have the Di11 in-store, you and your staff need to identify the target golfers and get these clubs into their hands.
Incentive and inspiration
The best campaign I have ever seen was by an Adams distributor. He incentivised pros to get the irons into golfers’ hands, added further incentives for sales gained in the first month, and then futher incentives for every customer testimony in the pro’s newsletter. Potential customers were inspired through the improvements of those that had already bought the product.
