Ideas That Recruit New Players
- Thread starter 336Robin
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Nice Idea but...
Its a nice idea but I don't know of a single room that is doing it. In fact I don't think Ive heard of anyone asking for lessons not in my area.
Its a nice idea but I don't know of a single room that is doing it. In fact I don't think Ive heard of anyone asking for lessons not in my area.
Its tough
There are a few ways to try and get more people to play pool.
1. Offer lower rates at slow times of the day. Where I play at the rate is $3.90 per hour per person. If there are 2 players on the table it is $7.80 per hour.
Kind of expensive for the school age kids and low wage earners.
2. Offer a punch card like some of the coffee shops do and after 10 hours play you get a free soda and 1 hours free pool.
Don
There are a few ways to try and get more people to play pool.
1. Offer lower rates at slow times of the day. Where I play at the rate is $3.90 per hour per person. If there are 2 players on the table it is $7.80 per hour.
Kind of expensive for the school age kids and low wage earners.
2. Offer a punch card like some of the coffee shops do and after 10 hours play you get a free soda and 1 hours free pool.
Don
This was my first Post.
I not trying to be a smartass but......does anyone know of a Room Owner that is actually doing something to bring customers in.....and how is he doing it?
I not trying to be a smartass but......does anyone know of a Room Owner that is actually doing something to bring customers in.....and how is he doing it?
Offer and encourage newbies to get started. I don't think people will ask for lessons. I don't think they realize they are available. If they enjoy the session they're hooked.
If you are looking for new(beginners) spread the word. If the other rooms are not offering lessons take advantage and be the only one. I'm only suggesting to try it. If a local room was offering 1p lessons for free I'd jump on it. If I like the experience I'm going back for more.... And gladly paying if the rates are inbounds.
Take a look at whos business do the best and model your room after that. Drug dealers seem to be a great role model in this situation, they never seen to have a shortage of people wanting their goods and can withstand a depression if they have to. Pool for many people can be like a drug, one hit and your hooked! Get flyers out in the neiborhoods close to you offering the first hour of play for free. Lowering rates for kids is also a great way to get the younger group playing as well. Having a table making 8 bucks an hour is better than a table just sitting empty.
You have to go back to the basics. No need to reinvent the wheel. I will start by telling you a personal story I have told on here before.
I lost my beverage license once for 5 months. I didn't really do anything wrong but it happened that is all I will say. While I was without my beverage license I could still sell table time but I took a real bath without being able to sell beer. There were other places to go to play and even my regulars drifted away and were gone.
Now the day comes and I have my license back but I have hardly any business. My wife and i went on a campaign to get customers back in the place. I started by getting a sign made. I had signs on the building but people drive by and for the most part don't see them. I got an idea from a local barbecue place. They were back in a shopping center and had a big mobile sign at the road. I was already on a main road I just needed to get people attention and it also had to be legal.
At the time I had some classic cars and one of the vehicles I had was a 1949 ford puck up truck. I had signs made that I put on a stake body mounted on the bed. It was like 4' x 6' and was painted so it also had an arrows pointing at the place. From the moment I parked it in front of the place people began coming in every day looking around.
I forgot to add this. I also got magnetic signs made for my cars. I drove a bright green and gold Firebird Formula 400 all jacked up and you could her coming from a block away. The car itself was an attention getter and I would be asked about the pool room all the time. They got me a number of customers as well.
I learned something I did know. I just assumed people knew I was there, I was wrong. After the sigh on the fancy antique truck that attracted attention itself, people would come in and ask, "When did this place open, I drive by here every day and never new you were here". The sign may have been the biggest immediate help.
We then began doing it like a political campaign. I really didn't know how many people worked within a square mile of my place probably a few thousand. I got thousands of business cards and flyers printed. In my area were auto repair shops, painting shops, all kinds of stores and on foot we went on a hand shacking and introduction campaign just like if we were trying to get elected to something.
I would introduce myself to everybody in the place and invite to come in. I give out business cards good for a half hour of pool or a free beer. Surprisingly no one throw me out, people like to meet an owner and know them on a first name basis. Remember, these people are within almost walking distance of my place and have a real potential of coming in.
I believe there is a limit to how far someone will travel, I was looking for new possible everyday customers that were close and I found them. They were always there I just didn't know it. I was content with my business as it was and thought I was doing good before the license disaster. Was I in for a surprise. Within a few months my business was double, thats right double, what it had in the past.
That is only half though, once you get them through the door you have to have something to offer. I added food that I never really had before and created a lunch crowd. A lot of my new people were not in the least pool players, they came in for a beer after work or lunch, but it was not long we began seeing them later that night playing pool.
Thats my story and maybe there some useful information I hope. The thing is, not everybody is really interested in pool. You have to use something else to get them in the door be it food or beer what ever. Once you get them through the door it is up to you to have them come back
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Please read my Post
....does anyone know of a room owner that is recruiting players successfully?
....does anyone know of a room owner that is recruiting players successfully?
Coles carom room.
Seems to draw lots of people. Beloit Wi.
Thankyou
Macguy,
I really appreciate you taking the time to write your reply. That's a great story. You have in part at least proven something that I have thought all along. You were up against the wall and you found a way to find customers and new business. I sometimes think that the alcohol and the small crowd that it naturally draws tends to numb peoples creativeness because the bills are getting paid but it doesn't seem to draw the numbers that the business needs.
I do think that there is a way to recruit new players and new business just like you told us that you did. I just don't see many people doing it. Im like you. If I needed the business I would go find it...somehow. I cant imagine having that much money in something and not be extremely proactive in finding New Customers and be engaged in this at all times.
That's an awesome example of what is possible. Thank you.
Macguy,
I really appreciate you taking the time to write your reply. That's a great story. You have in part at least proven something that I have thought all along. You were up against the wall and you found a way to find customers and new business. I sometimes think that the alcohol and the small crowd that it naturally draws tends to numb peoples creativeness because the bills are getting paid but it doesn't seem to draw the numbers that the business needs.
I do think that there is a way to recruit new players and new business just like you told us that you did. I just don't see many people doing it. Im like you. If I needed the business I would go find it...somehow. I cant imagine having that much money in something and not be extremely proactive in finding New Customers and be engaged in this at all times.
That's an awesome example of what is possible. Thank you.
I also think a great way of getting new people in is by taking care of the people that are your regulars. Offer them play at a discounted rate every time they bring in a new player. I would hunt somebody up to come with me everytime to put ten more bucks in my barrel.
Paying for Advertising
Yurdun,
I find that hard to argue with. It works for me in lawn care. If you send me a customer you get $5 bucks off of your job. I always arrange something with my customer for sending me someone. If it ends up being a good job I make sure they get rewarded extra special.
That's not a new idea but it sure works. It makes me wonder why more it isn't done.
I have always thought regular customers should be....Gold Card Members after a certain amount of time. Then the others hang in there until they are and they get a special rate. When they get a special rate they feel more like buying drinks and food too.
Yurdun,
I find that hard to argue with. It works for me in lawn care. If you send me a customer you get $5 bucks off of your job. I always arrange something with my customer for sending me someone. If it ends up being a good job I make sure they get rewarded extra special.
That's not a new idea but it sure works. It makes me wonder why more it isn't done.
I have always thought regular customers should be....Gold Card Members after a certain amount of time. Then the others hang in there until they are and they get a special rate. When they get a special rate they feel more like buying drinks and food too.
The two rooms I used to play at both offered monthly passes. For about $100 you could play on any open table until 7. For a little more, the time was extended to all open hours. If there was a waiting list, you had to go on time. Sadly they have both closed but one of them will be reopening nearby.
Another local room offers $1/hour table time on weekends. They have a full bar, so there is a chance to make some money even at that rate. They also run leagues and tournaments daily and encourage instructors to come in.
I have had some room owners as instructor candidates who wanted to be trained primarily so they could give their customers free lessons.
I left something out that turned out to be pretty important over time. I designed a logo that I never had before, the business had no identity. I had shirts made for myself and my wife. I also got tee shirts but for us ours were high quality collard golf type shirts. We got like a dozen each and from then on that was all we wore unless we were going out and it would not be appropriate.
In effect we were now a full time ambassadors for our business. They had the logo and name and info on the pool room but most important on the front over the pocket was our names and the word "owner".
It never failed I could be almost anywhere standing in line or buying something and someone would ask, "You own that place", next thing we are talking and I may get a customer and very often did because I am going to give them something free right off the bat. Places we went for years never even knew what we did.
An auto parts store I went I picked up customers from the employes who I had known for years and had no idea what I did for a living. I never knew any of this stuff till I was desperate and had to learn. Once I turned everything around it all seemed so obvious.
I think it depends on whether you're trying to recruit existing pool players to your room or whether you're trying to bring in new people to play.
The first one isn't too tough to figure out, you just have to make it a place where players like to play. Good prices, well kept tables, etc. I think membership cards, punch cards, etc. are all great ideas. I don't play as much as I would like in part because of cost. I wish the place I play had a membership option where, for a certain fee I could play all the pool I want during designated hours but then get a discounted rate during the really busy times likes on Friday/Saturday nights. This would let people play when the the place isn't super busy anyway (weekend days for example, I played for 5 hours yesterday and less than half the tables were occupied). Plus, if you're in an area with multiple rooms that will keep your clients loyal.
Attracting new players is a different story. In my experience most pool rooms are not the kind of places someone would go if they don't play pool. They just aren't that nice and don't really draw people in. The place I play is an exception to that, it's at least half focused on the bar/restaurateur side of the business (probably well more than half actually) and it gets people coming in for drinks, to watch games, families come for lunch, etc. It's a cool place, it's really nice inside, and they have quality food and drink. I think this helps bring in non pool players who then go play for fun after they eat sometimes.
In trendy cities there has definitely been a movement to activities similar to pool...I know of hip bowling allies in NYC that are always busy, places with lawn bowling on the roof, bocce ball, etc. They are frequented by trendy hipster type crowds of young people who dig things a little outside the main stream. I think this is a market that the right pool hall could definitely cater too, but you have to be in the right area and have the right kind of atmosphere. It may not make for the best players type of room, but it would definitely get new people in and playing I think.
The first one isn't too tough to figure out, you just have to make it a place where players like to play. Good prices, well kept tables, etc. I think membership cards, punch cards, etc. are all great ideas. I don't play as much as I would like in part because of cost. I wish the place I play had a membership option where, for a certain fee I could play all the pool I want during designated hours but then get a discounted rate during the really busy times likes on Friday/Saturday nights. This would let people play when the the place isn't super busy anyway (weekend days for example, I played for 5 hours yesterday and less than half the tables were occupied). Plus, if you're in an area with multiple rooms that will keep your clients loyal.
Attracting new players is a different story. In my experience most pool rooms are not the kind of places someone would go if they don't play pool. They just aren't that nice and don't really draw people in. The place I play is an exception to that, it's at least half focused on the bar/restaurateur side of the business (probably well more than half actually) and it gets people coming in for drinks, to watch games, families come for lunch, etc. It's a cool place, it's really nice inside, and they have quality food and drink. I think this helps bring in non pool players who then go play for fun after they eat sometimes.
In trendy cities there has definitely been a movement to activities similar to pool...I know of hip bowling allies in NYC that are always busy, places with lawn bowling on the roof, bocce ball, etc. They are frequented by trendy hipster type crowds of young people who dig things a little outside the main stream. I think this is a market that the right pool hall could definitely cater too, but you have to be in the right area and have the right kind of atmosphere. It may not make for the best players type of room, but it would definitely get new people in and playing I think.