Operation Pro Shop.... by Art Rothafel

Here’s a note I received three years ago from a Texas club owner, Eric Webster.  It's a demonstration of "leveraging" existing members... it's also quite motivating!

“…..it started with our pro shop.  For many years our pro shop was a waste of time and space.  In fact we almost got rid of it since it was only selling about $500 per month. 

 Then we initiated OPS (Operation Pro Shop).   We approached it as a marketing exercise.  We sat down and established a goal, a strategy and a set of tactics. 

Our goal was to increase average sales by 10X ($5,000) per month ($60,000 year).  We gave ourselves one year to achieve that goal. 

Our strategy was to increase awareness of our pro shop and drive traffic into it.

We implemented many tactics.  We challenged our staff to come up with creative merchandising displays.  We hung self-made posters around the club, on equipment and in the locker rooms about products in the pro shop. 

Staff who sold any of our own branded products (supplements, skin care, journals, reference manuals, cookbooks, apparel, coffee mugs, shaker bottles, etc.) received a commission for the sale.

At your suggestion we started “Saturday Taste Tests” offering free samples of Metabolic Optimizer, Whey Protein and our own homemade energy bars to draw members into our pro shop.  Members not only enjoyed the free samples but typically made several purchases while they were in the pro shop.

We also started a point system with a punch card just like a car wash.  For each purchase over $10 the member received a “punch” on their card.  At 15 punches, the member received a free 30-minute training session.  It continues to be a very successful incentive.

We set daily, weekly and monthly sales goals for the shop and tracked it on a huge graph which hung in my office.  We held weekly sales meetings and recognized those who earned the most commissions.  It became somewhat of an obsession!

There are so many other little daily details but the main point is that we had total “buy in” from the staff.  That’s what made it all work.

Well, take a look!!!!  For year ending 2005, our pro shop revenues were $160,369!"