Checklist for Champions
It's almost ironic that although there is so much emphasis on growing tennis, many of us in the tennis industry fail to see the value of keeping the players we already have. The saying among sales gurus is: "Don't think about the first sale, think about the fifth." Translation: payoffs come from long term customer relationships, not from hit-and-runs.
Successful businesses in the tennis industry are based on providing consistently outstanding services. Think of tennis greats like Chris Evert or Bjorn Borg. Their trademark styles were based on relentless consistency. How exciting was it to watch Chris Evert or Bjorn Borg hit 27 crosscourt forehands in a row? Not exciting at all. What made their styles interesting is the fact that their consistency paid off - big time! They beat big hitters all the time, very much like a successful retailer succeeding steadily but surely over time.
The trademarks of these successful retailers are much the same as the signature shots of Evert and Borg: consistency, professionalism, dependability, fair yet tenacious play, and having a supportive team upon which to depend. Their qualities on and off the court read like a manual for success, a checklist for champions. Here is a brief 5-point checklist to help you also become a champion in the tennis industry. At the very least, you can use this list as a barometer by which to measure your own retail business.
1. The Big Picture. Each and every customer has a lifetime value. Their own purchases, their extended family, and their referrals will add up big time over the years. Don't minimize anyone who loves tennis and is a regular at your shop or facility. Service them with a lifetime view of their relationship with you.
2. Communications. Newsletters, bulletin boards, thank you notes, group emails, informative handouts, and prompt and courteous face-to-face service. The more you communicate, the more you succeed. And these days, with the advent of the Internet, getting information to use is just a click away. Cut and paste from the World Wide Web, put it on your letterhead, and you can quickly become viewed as an expert among experts. There is nothing more appreciated than consistently sharing knowledge. Think broad: Fitness and health tips, tennis tips, product reviews, tournament updates, and local success stories all combine to create a winning communications strategy.
3. Value-added Services. Examples of adding value to your customers' experience with your business need to be innovative but also very useful. How about offering to customize all racquets purchased for left-handers? (This is accomplished by rewrapping the grip in the opposite direction from how it is wrapped in the factory.) Or, how about having the newest tennis videos playing in a public area of your facility or shop? Or, how about sending out a monthly email newsletter with tips, feature stories (again taken from the Internet), and a special of the month? Or, how about calling or sending a post card to customers a few months after they have their racquets restrung to advise them that to avoid injury, it is time for their racquet to be strung again.
4. Network with a Charity. In every community dozens of charities are looking for events and activities to promote their cause. Businesses, from their side, can benefit greatly from these partnerships as well. At least one event per quarter can make all the difference in the world. Take, for example, a weekend blood pressure and health screening sponsored by a local hospital and the American Heart Association. Promote a local social tournament and offer the health screenings at the same time. New players will be introduced to the facility, free exposure in the local media will be easy to receive, and the costs and effort are minimal. In fact, it can quickly become a moneymaker when you factor in pro shop sales (be sure to have a big sale for the event and get in specially reduced merchandise), and food and beverage income. If you don't have tennis courts attached to your shop, how about setting up a free tennis clinic in the parking lot to draw in the kids and the crowds. Just arrange for Coke or Pepsi to give away drinks and promotional gifts, and you'll get more activity than a month of Saturdays.
5. Front Line Soldiers. Remember that your business is only as good as the people you have representing you to your customers. Scenario #1: A customer walks into your shop. The front desk staffer is talking to a boyfriend or girlfriend on the phone. The member or customer is ignored for a brief yet critical six or seven seconds. The customer gets frustrated. It happens all the time. Scenario #2: You hire and lose three to six employees who deal with your customers in a single year. Why? School schedules, lack of commitment, bad performance, the list goes on. We have to face facts. Staff turnovers cost a lot of money. Devise a plan to get your employees to stay on board. Pay them more. Offer them more benefits. Take them out to dinner. Do whatever you can to keep them longer. Customer relationships are what keeps your customers coming back for more. They want to see a familiar face. When they don't, there is no difference between your business and the one down the street (where they don't know anyone either).
This checklist could easily have another five or ten significant areas to help anyone succeed in the tennis industry. These five are not rocket science, rather they are simple precursors to success. Give them a try and, above all, be consistent. You may quickly find yourself hitting the same boring winners that Chris Evert and Bjorn Borg became famous for. And, while you're at it, enjoy yourself. In fact, when you become a master of consistently excellent service, you'll have so much fun, you'll be able to laugh all the way to the bank.