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The EIBA is pleased to acknowledge the following Official Partners & Suppliers
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MAKE YOUR OPEN DAY A SUCCESS WITH OUR COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE |
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EIBA Director of Development Mike Lambert has
created three recruitment campaign guidance documents which can
be found here These give a detailed approach regarding what to think about at the first open day meeting, how to make a plan two months prior to your event and how to drive momentum weeks prior to the big day. 1. KEEP IT SIMPLE Remember these three words at all stages, from planning to execution. When you start to discuss an open day, various committee members may come up with lots of ideas about how they think the day should be run. You do not have to include them all. Perhaps in the first year try to tackle three and the following year, keep what worked best and substitute one part for something else. Most importantly, appoint a team leader; someone who is a good organiser who will create a working party and keep to the desired timeline. On the day itself, you can assume that everyone walking through the door will have some basic knowledge of the game; afterall, they were compelled to take part. Now is not the time to bombard these people with loads of information or multiple rules and etiquette lessons- this should be about fun. You want to offer a taster of what the game is and how your club can benefit any prospective new members. Therefore, the important thing is to keep the atmosphere light-hearted. The trick is to get bowls into hands and get people involved so they will become hooked. You have a captive audience once they are through the door, so your job is to help people to see what a brilliant game bowls is and how great your club is. To that end, use volunteers on the day wisely- they are a walking, talking advert for the club and will both save and make you money- so make sure you select the best people for the job. 2. SPREAD THE WORD For clubs that are holding Open Days already but are experiencing lacklustre results, it's time to try something new. Look closely at your advertising strategy, but don't ignore the BIG FIVE: > Leaflets: for this work you need to think volume, which means printing more than 10,000. Use Google to find a local company to deliver, and remember that each new member has a value of at least £500 so the cost for this is a small outlay compared to the return. > Do not underestimate word of mouth and use the resources you already have at your disposal. Encourage club members to bring one person- neighbour, friend or family. If you provide an incentive of reduced subscription fees for your existing member if their new recruit joins, you can expect some effort to be made. > If your club is in a prominent position, a banner on the road is a good investment. Cheap, easy-to-obtain, weather-proof and doubling up as a welcome sign on the day, banners can also be used year after year. > Target nearby outdoor bowls clubs and ask them to recommend you to their existing and new members. Again, Mike suggests financial incentives to reward assistance. > Digital approach - there really is no excuse not to have a regularly updated website and social media page. A few weeks before the event, a few days before and then on the day, post into local groups and use a vibrant, colourful picture that will attract attention. Do not use the image that everyone would expect, try to think outside the box. Asking your club members to like and share your posts with their networks will help you to reach a wider audience. Try to prepare as much of your text BEFORE your posts so you know what you are saying and how you want to say it. Other options: > Radio stations and local newspapers will attract people from the right geographical area. Invite a reporter along to the event but do not be surprised when they do not show. Instead, ensure you have somebody to write a piece to be submitted to the paper complete with all the relevant details and a picture before the open day and then ensure you take decent, in-focus pictures on the day that can accompany an informative, well-written report. When approaching a newspaper, always call up and speak to someone and try to follow it up a couple of days later. Don't worry about being a pest! If you can give a news- angle too you are even more likely to get coverage. Examples are a club refurbishment being unveiled, county or international player helping with coaching, local celebrity invited to take part in a two-wood pairs, change in fortunes for club after almost closing, schoolchildren involvement- whatever your hook, make it attractive for the journalist tasked with writing the story and they are more likely to cover it. > If the budget permits, place a small advert in the local paper or in town/community free magazines. Instead of a headline such as BOWLS OPEN DAY why not invite people for a free bowls lesson? You can also put up posters in shops, post offices, church halls, council offices, libraries, health centres and other sports facilities. Could you invite a Brownie or Scout group on the day? 3. SHOWTIME Create an atmosphere by thinking about music, food and drink and attire. It might go against all of your beliefs as a club but it is a good idea to play music on the day to help create a relaxed feel to the occasion. Find a club member who has Spotify or similar so you can stream some music and use speakers- if you can convince people that yours is a social club with a great vibe, this is half of the battle. Stock up the bar and have food available, even if you charge a nominal amount for it. Put on food that's enticing- sandwiches and homemade cakes are good options and remember; you do not have to spend any more than £50 which will feed many people. This will be offset if you get just one new member. Play games. There are many different activities that can be played to mix things up, such as bowling targets, yardstick competitions or games using cones and skittles. Prizes are a good way of keeping people interested, especially children. Another thing to remember is not to pressurise people to signing up for membership on the day. The best that you can hope for is creating a desire for them to return at a later date. Baby steps and patience will go a long way, just ensure that you take details so that you can contact people after the event. AND FINALLY 1. Be welcoming as soon as people come through the door and have a relaxed dress code- no ties or blazers 2. Offering free refreshments allows you the time to talk to people and find out what they are looking for from your club 3. Let participants play as much bowls as possible and do not get caught up in rules and lots of coaching 4. Collect a contact telephone number and email for everyone so you can follow up afterwards 5. Have a plan for new members- coaching, buddy system, new player leagues, reduced membership  |
September 2023
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