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Back when I was getting my start
on Tour, in the days of Black Angles and Blue Hammers (oh, it all
seems so long ago now!), there was a phenomenon in the Pro Shop
business one might call "The Show Factor." What I mean by The Show
Factor is the spike that Pro Shops would see in ball sales following
either the appearance of a new bowling ball or a standout performance
during the PBA Tour telecasts on ABC-TV. Customers would often flood
into the Pro Shop on Saturday or Sunday (or during the week when
they came to bowl their leagues) and ask about the latest ball they
saw on "the Show" over the weekend.
Today, one of the biggest arguments top players hear in endorsement
negotiations with manufacturers is that, unlike the days of the
1980's and early 90's, "the PBA doesn't sell bowling balls." The
manufacturers argue that the balls of today are difficult to identify
on the show, that the PBA telecast doesn't offer enough vehicles
to help promote the equipment and that the players now demand the
flexibility of a variety of equipment choices (including the ability
to use older, slower-selling models) in order to give themselves
the best opportunity to win. These are all predominantly true statements.
The interesting thing about this however, is that, in reality, the
power has simply shifted from the hands of the consumer to the hands
of the Pro Shop operator. The reason is, in the old days, it was
less difficult for the consumer to understand the breadth of choices
available (because they were so much more sparing) and thereby easier
to make a relatively informed purchasing decision without total
reliance on the advice of the Pro Shop operator. Today, there are
almost no consumers left who understand the vast array of choices
available in a way that would not require some major advice from
the Pro Shop operator in making a purchasing decision. Because of
this, the Pro Shop operator is the person of the moment and possesses
nearly all of the power in moving equipment out the doors.
I do believe that the manufacturers understand this, as proven by
the shift in spending from media and product endorsements to grass-roots
marketing programs focusing on Pro Shop training, product demos
and technical seminars in the last decade. But Pro Shop owners can
be just as easily impressed by the Pros as consumers. Many of the
recommendations they are making to consumers are based upon what
they saw on the most recent PBA telecast. Given that, it is extremely
important for anyone with a vested interest in selling bowling equipment,
namely, the PBA (for sponsorship purposes), the manufacturers, and
the players, to give these Pro Shop owners every available resource
to help them do their job in the best way possible.
It is important not just for the survival of our sport's consumer
product market but also because Pro Shop operators are key warriors
in the fight to reverse the declining trends in competitive bowling.
If Pro Shop operators are confused and are not getting the right
information and begin to lose their passion for the sport, that
attitude will reflect negatively on the numbers of competitive bowlers
we see participating on an annual basis.
What can we do to improve this situation? Stay tuned and we'll discuss
some of the answers here in two weeks! |
