Converting Pro Shop Traffic to Increased Sales David Murch, Business Development Consultant – SW England and Wales, Foremost Golf offers advice on Converting Pro Shop Traffic to Increased Sales. Every time a golfer arrives at the golf club you have an opportunity to make a sale. This article will discuss an array of factors that are within your control that can have a positive impact on sales performance when implemented correctly. The Car Park to Pro Shop Journey Reviewing your customer’s journey from the car park to the pro shop is a good idea. Is your shop easy to find? If not, is there signage offering clear directions to its location? Whilst on this journey try to identify any potential places where you could add further signs to reinforce messages of your products, services, and value. Our recommendation to Foremost members is to complete a ‘shop walk’ from the car park at least once a month but ideally once a week. Foremost members utilising EMP Premium receive a free A-Frame with regular deliveries of A1 posters. This is a fantastic way of keeping the signage fresh and gives the impression that there is always something new in-store. Window vinyl stickers are another excellent way to make your shop look professional whilst enticing customers to come inside. Set up your store for success The first thing you’ll want to consider is how your store is set up. When a customer steps into your pro shop what is their impression of your business? Is it a positive one? If the shop looks cluttered, unclean and poorly organised, your potential new customer’s first impression will most certainly be ‘messy business’. This makes a huge difference in terms of trust, which is integral to them making that first purchase with you. EMP Hot Spot – Dedicated display working in conjunction with digital and instore marketing Exciting Instore Displays Firstly it’s important to understand where your high-traffic flow areas are in the store. Once you’ve identified these areas of the shop make sure they have your classic ‘pick me up’ impulse buys. Balls, tees and gloves should be within easy reach when walking to the counter. During busy times, a shop set up for self-service will lead to more sales. The majority of suppliers now provide excellent shop-in-shop displays which can really make products stand out and draw the customer in. By maintaining these displays in colour and size order, it creates an easy, logical way to shop, leading to a much higher chance of a customer making an impulsive buy. In 2022, Foremost introduced the ‘EMP Hot Spot’ display. The ‘Hot Spot’ display rotates not just dedicated campaigns but also key supplier launches so that every one of your stock categories gets its moment in the sun. Crucially your through traffic is also impacted throughout the year with the full range of products you have available from Re-gripping to the latest branded golf clubs. It’s simple but versatile design works very well with its in-built snap frame POS holders allowing the consumer offer to be clearly displayed. Make sure signage is updated on a regular basis to entice members into the store Effective Ticketing When done well, ticketing will ultimately drive sales. The combination of effective ticketing and well-displayed store will only positively impact sales. When done correctly, ticketing should act like another member of staff for you, allowing much easier self-service, especially during busy times. It’s also important to dismiss the assumption that Pro Shops are more expensive than the high street and online retailers. This can be counteracted through effective ticketing and also offering a ‘Price Match Promise’. This will only have a positive impact on sales and reduce the likelihood of someone going elsewhere for a purchase due their perception of price. Utilise vinyl stickers in your shop window to highlight your professional services Staff and Customer Interactions You and your staff should be seen as the experts. It’s important that you demonstrate this when communicating with your customers. With increased footfall of visitors to the pro shop there is an incredible amount of value in training your staff on buying signals and how they can prompt an impulse buy. Offering the golfer simple advice may trigger them to buy. “Would you like to make a saving on those golf balls sir/madam? (prompting the upsell opportunity to dozens or multi-dozen) Do your staff see opportunities for linked purchases to help increase that average basket spend? “Would you like a shoe bag with those new shoes?” If you the customer is struggling to decide between two shirts that they particularly like, have your staff got the authority to offer a discount, so they buy both? These prompts can be seen as simple but can go a long way in impacting customer spend. Capturing Customer Data In today’s age, it’s often said that your business is only as big as your database. So make sure you collect as much data as possible from each new member and visitor this year. There are many ways to do this but the most simple and effective is confidently asking them for an email address or for a social media follow in-store. Really simple, make it part of the routine! For more information on how Foremost can assist you and your business in 2023 simply email membership@foremostgolf.com or call 01753 218 890 May 23, 2023By David Muller General 0 Comment (0) Comments are closed.