The staff at the Whispering Pines Golf Club in Trinity, Texas, located less than 100 miles north of Houston, has successfully implemented a free sample approach to private lessons that has helped the instructor’s date book go from empty to full in just a few months.
When golf professional Chris Rowe arrived at Whispering Pines, he was accustomed to giving more than 600 lessons a year when he worked at historic Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. After learning he wouldn’t be as busy at his new job, Rowe began to consider new ways to get customers on the range. His idea was to offer a free lesson.
Rowe began by conducting an email campaign to the members that offered a free, no-obligation lesson. The approach caught the attention of the membership and enticed many men and women to give it a try. Suddenly, Rowe found himself to be quite busy, as nearly half the members took him up on the offer (and most have continued to book lessons). “In doing so,” says Rowe, “much like a free food sample at the local grocery store, members began to love the product and come back for more.”
The free lesson plan has enabled Rowe to enhance his brand among the members at Whispering Pines. Meanwhile, members are spending as much as $1,000 more per year on lessons and around the club. “It showed that my value as an instructor will lead to continued business, even at a new club,” he notes.
A similar approach can be tried at any private or public facility that has a golf professional. If a club is afraid of being overbooked with lessons, it may opt to limit the number of free lessons to a first-come, first-served basis.
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