Marketing Takeaways from Booking Golf Lessons Online
Recently, my seven-year old daughter asked if she could start taking golf lessons (evidently I wasn’t cutting it). While familiar with a number of instructors, there was a course nearby that I’d heard good things about, so I thought I’d check out.
First, I went online to find some basic information.
The where (location)
The what (about the facility/instructors)
The who (is it designed to offer lessons for kids?)
The when (what times/availability?)
The why (what sets this facility apart from the others?)
The how (…much does it cost?)
ARGH! How much is it?
I found answers to all of these questions, except for one—there was no information on cost.
Normally, I too would move on to next available option, but this location was close, so I completed the contact us form to ask for further information. The form was simple, it asked for my first name and included a box for me to type in my question.
It was a Sunday, so I didn’t expect an immediate response.
Hi, it’s John
I received an email response the next morning from what appeared to be an actual person named John. This was not a canned response--he thanked me, then directly answered my question about cost, (yes, incredibly expensive).
Now you tell me!
In addition to answering my question, John followed up with an incredibly articulate overview of the value I was getting for the cost—the long length of the session (55 min/week), certified, PGA Pro instructors with many decades of experience under their belts, the most cutting-edge equipment provided during the lessons, and the quality of the facility (driving range, beautiful course, putting greens).
Are you worth it?
Not only did I receive the information I needed to make a solid decision, he provided me with an opportunity to experience the “product” firsthand by offering up a free lesson. They must really trust their product to deliver results. So, I’m in. Now, he’s got me in the door, we get to participate in the experience, and John can have one-on-one time and complete the conversion process.
Your employees are your brand ambassadors (yes, even that cart barn guy)
Every individual your customers come into contact with during the experience (both online and offline) are your brand ambassadors. It’s important to provide a consistent voice, messaging, and expectations across all channels. Upon visiting the facility, we took a tour and met with staff at all levels. Throughout the tour, we were introduced by our names and designation as, “Someone who is interested in joining the facility”. From this identification as a “prospective customer”, the individuals we met tailored their messages accordingly.
I love how throughout this whole process, the messages focused on how we weren’t just getting a trainer, we were getting the whole package (the facility, the people, the experience).
Now what?
Later in the evening, I received a follow up email thanking me for visiting along with a listing of available lesson times and a push to complete the registration online. It was timely—the facility was still top of mind. It was relevant—it provided the specific information I needed to complete the next step, and a link to do it. Done.
It doesn’t end there
After completing this process, I received another email thanking us for signing up, and provided a list of additional services (club fitting, clothing, specials on balls) that the company felt might be of interest to me.
So, my daughter starts her lessons next week, and I feel confident that we will have an incredible experience. Now, if only they could guarantee that she’ll become the next Lydia Ko…
