Breaking Down
The
Bowls
Barriers
This unit was originally prepared as a series of notes for a
discussion with a local club. It is intended as a guideline for
assisting bowls clubs in their quest for acquiring and
retaining new members. You will find simple tips related not
only to membership but to fundraising as well.
While “Breaking Down the Bowls Barriers” is intended as a
starting point for discussion only, we are confident that if
you were to implement even a few of the suggestions found
within this document your club would be well on your way to
to experiencing positive growth in your club.
Clubs are invited to share their success stories in our forum,
all the while helping other clubs and the sport of Lawn Bowls
“Break Down the Bowls Barrier!”
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Exposure: - they will not come to you!
It is imperative that you devise a strategy for getting non-bowlers in your door. You all know
that this is a great game… lots of fun and lots of fellowship. You need to give them a reason to
come to your club. So how are they going to find out about you?
Pamphlets/Flyers - Show them who you are, where you are, when you play, why its a great
game for them (who is the target audience!), how easily they can sign up and what they will
need to get started. Pamphlets and Flyers are the easiest way of having this information
readily available. You can distribute them in any or all of the following locations
! • grocery/convenience stores, advertising/tournament partners (ie. We-Fix-U), schools,
seniors centres, other sports or community organizations, Home Shows, Mall Displays,
Scouting groups, member workplaces
! • door-to-door… yes, door-to-door… there is nothing quite like a personal invitation to get
people to join you!
Media:
! • Radio
! ! • interviews, special events
! • Television
! ! • Regional Stations - special interest days - charity bowls
! ! • Local Cable TV - special events, district playdowns, tournaments (game 3)
! • Newspapers
! ! • special events announcements and follow-up, weekly results (give it a special,
identifiable name… like the one they used here for years - Hitting the Kitty), charity events
! ! • press releases - be prepared to write these yourself… and be amazed to read your
press release word for word in the newspaper later that week!
Non-Bowlers Events:
! • Charities
! ! • you provide the supplies and guidance for these groups of new bowlers
! ! • Donate your clubʼs greens for a day - partner with a local charity or organization just as
a local golf course would with one of their “scrambles.” You will receive the following
benefits: media exposure, community good will, exposure to your game for people who
would never have otherwise tried the game. It is a guarantee that many of your charity
event bowlers will have more success on your bowls greens that they do on the golf
course at one of their scrambles… leading to possible new members!
! • Business/Community Groups
! ! • Scouts/Guides, Rotary, Kiwanis, Teachers (leading to school groups... oh my, now
thereʼs a thought!)
Rentals: Think of it this way… for every rental you book you have just made equivalent to a
memberʼs fee. Determine how many bowls days you have in your calendar and ensure
that you are setting aside whatever number you require for reaching your rental budget.
! ! • If you donʼt have a rental policy make one now… and make it public! Companies are
dying to come up with new, inexpensive ideas that they can use with their employees.
Golf has become too expensive… and cliché!
! ! • If you donʼt have a full-service kitchen where you can serve these groups then consider
partnering with a few local caterers. They will be happy to become a business partner
with you, supplying their own food, utensils and often service. In return you can receive
15% return... and more if your club provides the volunteer servers and clean-up crew!
Breaking Down the Bowls Barriers
Website: what do you mean you arenʼt online?
! • If you donʼt have a website to keep both members and visitors informed then maybe its
time you started to think about one. Keeping members up to date on what it going on
around your club is both essential and easy to do. Start simple and gradually add to it as
you go. A solution like the online Lawn Bowling Manager program can make your life both
easier and profitable. Online ads from corporate and tournament sponsors will garner you
valuable club funds and pay for the Bowling Manager program!
! • a website will also be a great way to keep your club members informed of club events
throughout the off-season
Advertising: If you donʼt have any then youʼre missing the boat!
! • While it is true that the present economy has decreased the number of advertising dollars
available to companies it does not mean you shouldnʼt be sharing in these funds. Our Age
Demographic makes us the perfect candidate for partnering with many companies. As
with your rentals, you should have a set advertising strategy and policy in place when
approaching potential partners.
! • Determine who you would like to partner with, and outline why they would not only be a
good fit for you, but why you would be a great fit for them. Then knock on their door! And
if at first you donʼt succeed, knock again!
! • Show how your partnership with other similar companies could help them… and perhaps
how not getting on board with your club could in fact hinder their own business success.
! • You need to determine where you can promote your partners: online, club membership
calendars, scoreboards, tournament banners, scorecards, clubhouse signage… and then
set a value on each of these opportunities
Retention: - essential to keeping your club alive!
Once you get them in the door it is crucial that you make their brief visit enjoyable and
successful. There is nothing worse than seeing people try the game out for the first time,
be given improper instruction or worse still, “a talk.” This is a scenario destined for failure.
It is a well known educational fact that people learn by doing, and doing things right
breeds success. Nothing will boost your retention percentages like success!
Bowls - Try It Out!
! • Try It Out! Days - No Charge. Have enough equipment and lots of friendly personnel
available to help out, including trained coaches.
In Season Training Sessions
! • Regular sessions at start of season - advertise these wherever you can - have a strategy!
! • Refresher Sessions throughout season - based on bowlers needs!
Atmosphere
! • Nobody likes an old goat! Please try and make sure that your new bowlers are not paired
with the old goats in your club. You know the ones I mean… “youʼre too wide” - “youʼre too
short” - “youʼre too long.” Nothing will turn a prospective new member off more than an
evening with an old goat!
! • Do you have a welcoming strategy… whether it be a crew whose responsibility it is to
follow up regularly with the new members to see how theyʼre doing or if they need some
help or whether itʼs a mini-tourney for your new bowlers… little things like these will go a
long way to ensuring retention!
MVP Sports - June 2012 pg 3 of 4… v1.0
Breaking Down the Bowls Barriers
Membership Target Markets: - who do you really need to go after?
Many people think that your local demographics may dictate your target market and to some
degree this is true. Local demographics may suggest you should be targeting seniors, or
blue collar workers but ignoring other potential groups may lead to your demise. In an age
where so many clubs are suffering from declining membership you cannot afford to ignore
a group what may someday save your club!
Age
! • is not an issue! In fact it should be to your advantage to promote this as a sport for ages 6
through 96. This is the only sport where every generation in a family can enjoy playing the
game together no matter what their age.
Physicality
! • is also not an issue. While it may be true that a “natural” athlete may excel at bowls very
quickly, it is also true that bowls offers opportunities for every shape and size of person to
be as competitive as they wish. Bowls is a non-contact sport where oneʼs physical stature
does not represent a barrier to success. Use this to your advantage!
Skill Set
! • You do not need to be a skilled athlete to enjoy success in Bowls. Bowls requires the
ability to mix relaxation and concentration. It requires a dedication to improve through
purposeful practice. Some would argue that bowls is a sedentary sport. This is just not
true. While it is a non-contact sport it does require a great deal of stamina, especially as
one gets into more competitive play.
Fitness
! • By now you should have realized that you should be promoting Bowls as a means to both
improving and maintaining personal fitness. Why not combine your bowls sessions with
fitness sessions, including warm-ups and warm-downs lead by qualified Yoga or Tai-Chi
instructors. Be more than a simple Bowls Club!
Services: - what should you provide?
I am amazed at how many bowls clubs are locked into the idea that they are there to only
provide a bowls surface and nothing else! This is totally wrong. People want to socialize.
They need a welcoming place to congregate both before and after their games.
Bar
! • Often bowlers and guests appreciate having a cold beverage but in bowls we are
somehow hesitant to provide this service… meaning we are also unwilling to accept what
curling clubs have known for years… that bar receipts keep them alive and well!
Food
! • See rentals and catering options above… also a money maker for the club!
Other
! • Does your club have room for other non-bowling options… ie. Indoors: shuffleboard,
snooker, darts, cards etc or Outdoors: croquet, patio lounge?
It’s time to start thinking beyond the ditches!
It’s time to start breaking down the bowls barriers!
The time to start is now!
MVP Sports - June 2012 pg 4 of 4… v1.0