FIELDREPORT - TGI GOLF Eddie Reid, TGI managing director “There is no matrix for proving the
relationship between social media and profit, but there is a clear relationship between our guys who are strong in social media and their following within the golf club. Even yesterday, some of our partners were tweeting that the golf course was frost-covered, with an inspection at 10am. That sort of thing is a real benefit to the club and its members – and it allows you to build loyalty with your golf club member and consumer, rather than bombarding them with deals and sales pitches.” “If you are not
communicating with your customers then you are already behind your competitors – as you can guarantee they’ll be speaking to them, whether it’s via email, text or post,” adds TGI Golf’s senior retail consultant Ian Martin.
“The first thing people do when looking for new products is search online. Even if you don’t sell online, you should still have an online presence. Ensure you have a section on your club’s website and your own website. You can use these pages to highlight your skills and the key differentials
between you as a PGA Professional and the internet/high street retailers. Highlight the customer care you offer. With face-to-face custom-fitting there’s no guesswork involved in making that purchase, and no postage and packaging fees. There’s also the first-class aſter- sales service- if the product doesn’t feel right the customer can bring it back for you to adjust – something they simply can’t do if purchasing from the internet.”
Reid is more aware than most how precious time is to the on-course retailer, but believes using social media need not be time-consuming. “There are free social media apps that do a lot of the work for you,” he advises. “For example there are apps out there that let you line up all your
An example of the regular blog entries from TGI
“The program currently covers shop, turnover, expenditure, planning and selling,” Reid expands. “But from now on, creating a social media strategy will be a discussion point with every TGI Partner during visits.” Reid has a further suggestion for any technophobes out there. “Most retailers have young assistants who have grown up in the digital age of technology. You don’t have to delegate the whole thing to them, but getting the assistant involved can be a great option. These are all areas our retail consultants can advise on.” Meanwhile, in 2014 TGI Golf can celebrate its 30th anniversary with some steady growth. The
tweets for the next week. There’s technology that allows you to put a blog on your website without having to write new stories all the time.” The belief in the power of better communication has encouraged TGI to work with social media expert Dr Jim Hamill, a guest speaker at their recent 2014 Business Conference. The partnership is also weaving the subject into its existing STEPS to success program – a free service for TGI partners in which the group’s retail consultants visit each partner’s shop to appraise their retail activity.
“Most retailers have young assistants who have grown up in the digital age of technology. You don’t have to delegate the whole thing to them, but getting the assistant involved can be a great option.”
recent merger with Eurpro has seen the partnership’s numbers swell to around 460. This has bought in 30 new Ireland-based partners, in addition to the 70 already there. Consequently, TGI has created a dedicated retail consultant for Ireland- Peter Smyth.
Joining TGI means a one-off joining fee of £500 and the purchase of 200 shares in the company. Each partner receives an annual dividend or cash distribution. The group’s business model – of stakeholder owners, all enjoying equal ownership of the company – may seem a little quaint by modern standards. But it’s an ethos in which Reid fervently believes.
“It’s a structure loosely based on the John Lewis Partnership,” he asserts. “Through recession, the most successful businesses tend to be stakeholder businesses, people who are contributing but getting something back, rather than toiling away for a corporate animal. “It’s a model that has given us a strong, engaged group of guys who understand our philosophy, and who can see the transparency in our services, support and cash dividends. “As a company we have one clear goal, to make
TGI partners more profitable. For the last seven years it’s been a record payback every year – so we can enter our 30th year confident that our structure, though it could seem a little old- fashioned, is equipped to prosper in the modern marketplace.”
www.tgigolf.com SGBGOLF 13
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