BCA Insider - 2015 Holiday Edition

BCA Holiday Issue | December 15, 2015

TALKIN' ABOUT A

GENERATION (MILLENNIALS) PREPARING FOR THE HOLIDAYS THE SHUFFLEBOARD RESURGENCE

BCA Insider—A BCA Member Publication Dedicated to Businesses in the Billiard and Home Leisure Industry.

Joe Dyton

Talkin’ About a Generation

IN THIS ISSUE

6 Anthony Stoeckert

Preparing for the Holidays

20 Keith Loria

The Shuffleboard Resurgence

48 2 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2015

14 18 28 32 35 40 44 52

20 Common Marketing Mistakes Brian Offenberger

BCA Expo a Huge Hit Charles S. Donnavan Trick Shots Anthony Stoeckert President’s Award Keith Loria Showrooming Kathryn M. Van Druff Free and Cheap Merry Wise BCA Hall of Fame Keith Loria Retailers Speak

EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Keith Loria billiardskeith@gmail.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Charles S. Donnavan Joe Dyton Brian Offenberger Anthony Stoeckert Kathryn M. Van Druff Merry Wise

ADVERTISING MEMBERSHIP MANAGER Shane Tyree shane@bca-pool.com (303) 243-5070 x23

DESIGN/LAYOUT ART DIRECTOR Julie Snee julie.snee@gmail.com

BCA BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIRMAN Mike Serra, Championship Cloth

VICE-CHAIRMAN Chance Pack, Champion Shuffleboard

SECRETARY Jonathan Goudeau, Indoor Recreation

OPENING LETTER

The holidays are without question a very busy and stressful time of year for everyone in our industry. It’s also a time of year for the billiard and home leisure industry to realize the fruits of our labor as we are all dependent on a strong holiday season. As such, we are dedicating a good portion of this issue of BCA Insider to helping you achieve a successful holiday season. In the following pages, you will find articles about how to prepare your store for the holidays, managing customer “showrooming” situations, Millennials and how to sell to this new generation of buyers, and common marketing gaffes to avoid. As we look toward 2016, please know the Billiard Congress of America continues to be dedicated to identifying new ways to support the industry and our members. Please contact me anytime with ideas on how we can support you and the industry. I’d also love to hear your ideas for a feature story in future issues of BCA Insider. Along with the holidays also comes that time of year when it’s time to renew your annual membership in the Billiard Congress of America. Please go online (bcapool.com) to renew your membership before December 1 and use the promo code BCAINSIDER to receive an early bird discount on your membership. Happy New Year!

TREASURER Tony Stick, The Billiard Factory

BOARD MEMBERS Dave Barry, Legacy Billiards Royce Bunnell, OB Cues Carl Galante, Classic Cue Ivan Lee, Iwan Simonis Brain Rosselli, Olhausen Mfg

SHANE TYREE,

MEMBERSHIP MANAGER BCA Insider is published by Billiard Congress of America © 2015 bcainsider.com

4 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2015

TALKIN’ ABOUT A GENERATION By Joe Dyton

MILLENNIALS HAVE MORE BUYING POWER THAN EVER BEFORE. WE TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THEIR THOUGHT PROCESS IS AND HOW BILLIARDS RETAILERS MIGHT WANT TO MARKET TO THEM 6 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2015

When you’re in retail, regardless of your products or services, sales and marketing are the heartbeat of your business’ success. People have to know who you are, and more importantly, what value your service or products bring to them. Letting them know what value you bring is a surefire way to get customers to buy.

their hand. They have immediate access to their Facebook and Twitter accounts, and can let their friends and followers know how they feel about you, your store and your products with the click of a button. A stamp of approval may come in the form of a “like” or retweet. Millennials are not blind to the fact that they have a voice that can resonate with a lot of people, With that thinking in mind, how you get that message out and they’re more than happy to utilize it. is paramount. It would be great if marketing was a one-sizefits-all process, but truly effective marketing targets different demographics in unique ways—including Millennials.

WHO ARE MILLENNIALS? Millennials, also known as Generation Y or the Millennial Generation, are the demographic that generally comprises people born between the early 1980s to 2000s. As a billiards retailer, you might look at that generation, and think it doesn’t have the buying power necessary to make big purchases like pool tables or higher-end gear, but that could be a counterproductive stand to take. According to Millennial Marketing, Millennials make up more than 21 percent of consumer discretionary purchases, which adds up to an estimated trillion dollars in direct buying power and a huge influence on older generations. They also represent more than $200 billion in buying power annually. The estimated $1.3 trillion estimated current consumer spending is expected to only go up, as they will take over the retiring Baby Boomer’s spending.

HOW TO REACH THEM Millennials do have money to spend, but it’s also important to remember they like to share feedback, both good and bad. So, it’s not only key to make sure to attract Millennials to your store, but also to make sure they have a good experience that they’ll share with their friends. Remember, Millennials tend to share opinions and information with one another more than any other generation. Technological advances have made this sharing easier than ever; smartphones give them a platform right in the palm of

“

REMEMBER, JUST BECAUSE THEY LIKE YOU ON FACEBOOK, DOESN’T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THEY LIKE YOU.”

—JOAN JUHL, WHY MILLENNIALS MATTER FOUNDER

Sharing information through devices isn’t just about Millennials making themselves heard for the sake of being heard. It also makes them feel like they are contributing to society and helping others make good decisions. They also have plenty of time to share their opinions because of the numerous devices they can do it from: tablets, smartphones or their computer. No matter where they are or what they’re doing, Millennials are in a position to let people know if your store is worth visiting. AlbertTrujillo, manager of operations, for FortWorth Billiards in Fort Worth,Texas, has been in the industry for 35 years, and recognized the need to shake up how he promotes his store — especially to the younger generation. Fort Worth Billiards has an active presence online, does face-to-face networking at events and even gives away T-shirts to pool league players to help with advertising. “Marketing has changed through my 35-year career,” Trujillo says. “Like most companies today, we focus on exposing our store online and through social media. Keeping it consistent with exposure is the key if we want to capture the Millennials.”

Fort Worth Billiards’ strategy of staying fresh in its customers’ mind is a strong one. To build upon it, especially in the Millennial demographic, advertising is most effective when it’s engaging.Young consumers like to interact with the content they’re presented with; on average, Millennials have a higher engagement with online content than TV than any other generation. “Millennials are highly engaged with the content they choose to view online, especially if it affords an insider’s view of a product or experience,” Why Millennials Matter founder Joan Kuhl says. “This amplifies the effectiveness of ads for Millennials. They are visual buyers—they ignore advertising text.”

ONCE YOU REACH THEM, HOW TO SELL THEM Getting the attention of Millennials is just the beginning.You still need to get them to buy your products. One of the keys to that is similar to getting them to absorb your content; convincing them that there’s value in the table, cue, balls or chalk that you want them to buy. While Millennials do have buying power, they’re most likely careful with their funds. So if they’re going to spend money on pool gear, they are going to want to feel like the purchase was worth it. It’ll be up to you to express the quality of your products and what makes them relevant in the billiard industry. A successful sale to a Millennial can go a long way toward future sales, not just to him or her, but to their friends as well. As previously discussed, Millennials like to share their experiences online with their friends. If they like what you sold them, there’s a good chance they’re going to push their pool-playing friends and family members to your establishment. When it comes to shopping, people have so many choices and are looking for them to be narrowed down. You can assist with that by creating one or two satisfied Millennials. When dealing with a Millennial, be prepared to explain what makes what you’re selling the best choice. Millennials, like any other consumer, are inundated with advertisements, marketing efforts and promotions. It can be easy to become numb to it all. There’s a good chance they’ll be numb to your sales pitch too if you can’t differentiate yourself from all of the research he or she might have done before they came to see you. They are going to be ready to challenge you and your pitch. 8 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2015

To overcome any potential hurdles a Millennial may put up, it’s imperative that you’re genuine in your sales efforts. Don’t just give him or her the party line; remember, they’ve most likely heard or read it somewhere else already. As long as they don’t feel like you are insulting their intelligence, you will have a good chance of completing the sale.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK; MILLENNIALS ARE DOING THEIRS Whatever marketing or advertising information you put out there about your store, make sure it is thorough. Chances are, Millennial customers are going to research what they want to buy before they walk into your establishment. If your website, emails or print campaigns don’t have what they’re looking for during the research phase, the chances of them coming to your store are greatly diminished. “The Millennial generation, and our overarching society in general, has become increasingly more capable and confident with written communication, whether that be email, text, web comments, or web form submissions,” Ciarra McIntire, Universal Billiards Operations Coordinator, says. “Many of our clients, especially Millennials, prefer to begin the buying process via written communication versus former trends of phone calls and store visits. This also means that by the time a Millennial enters the store, chances are he or she already knows about your brand(s), products, and competitor pricing.” “Gen Y’ers seem to come in with a greater idea of what they want, and have done more research before they ever get to the store,” The Billiard Factory’s Tony Stick says.

STAY SOCIAL Although it probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise, a strong social media presence is key if you want to reach the Millennial

generation. However, it’s not just about getting people to “like” your Facebook page. Chances are Millennials will like your page just to see if they can get a good deal or coupon. That’s all right though; why they came to your Facebook page or Twitter feed isn’t as important as finding a way to keep them engaged. You can do this by becoming part of their social media routine; keep providing them with product information, special offers or deals and any updates about your store. The important thing is that your social media outlets draw positive attention and interest in your store so Millennials are talking about it. Use social media to inform Millennials what you have going on at your store rather than simply “sell” them. The content you put out there should let customers know what value you will bring them—not just asking them to buy. Posting engaging content is a great way to drum up interest. So rather than posting a new cue your store got and just listing the price on your various social media outlets, write a short blog post about what sets this cue apart from others, Milliennials love any details on products or service differentiation. Or maybe post something as simple as five tips to improving one’s pool game. By providing content that can help a Millennial (or anyone, really) you’ve quickly become someone he or she sees as someone who can help them. Remember, it comes down to the value you can provide. After a helpful post, all of a sudden the reader might think, “They know their stuff, I should stop in and see what else they have to offer me.” You just gained a prospect without asking them to buy. You have to make your audience understand why you are relevant and why they should buy from you. Once you can convince him or her, they can take to their social media outlets and share your reasons with their friends and followers. Another way to draw Millennials in is to provide a straight-up giveaway, like Stick and his Billiards Factory team did, along with posting unusual and entertaining content across social media platforms.

“

WHEN WE FIRST STARTED OUR FACEBOOK PAGE, WE GAVE AWAY A FOOSBALL TABLE TO ONE OF OUR FOLLOWERS TO TRY AND GET THE NUMBERS UP. WE ALSO POST INTERESTING AND FUNNY POSTS ACROSS ALL OF THE MAJOR SITES.” —TONY STICK, THE BILLIARD FACTORY

“There are many ways to connect with Millennials,” Trujillo says. “Keep your business name and service exposed; they may not need your product at that time, but they will remember you or refer your business. Also, advertise specials or introduce new items on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram, whose usage has almost doubled in the past three years.”

MYTHS ARE JUST THAT—MYTHS There is a lot of information out there about advertising, especially when it comes to marketing to Millennials. For example, there is a misconception that Millennials don’t have the money to spend on things, which is no longer true. Believing falsehoods like that one could lead to big missteps in your marketing strategy. Since Millennials tend be techsavvy, it would be safe to assume that most of their shopping is done online and that they have no interest in going to a store. While Millennials do like online shopping, brick-andmortar stores are in no way obsolete to them. In fact, there are a number of Generation Y members who like visiting stores instead; they like to be able to touch the items they think they want to buy.

LEFT—Ciarra McIntire, Universal Billiards; RIGHT—Tony Stick, The Billiard Factory 10 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2015

This doesn’t mean Millennials don’t want to shop online, they do of course; it just means it’s not their sole method for buying. According to Accenture, for 68 percent of Millennials

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how and where they buy things isn’t the issue; they just want the process to be seamless so he or she can transition effortlessly between their phone, computer or the actual store when they’re buying something.

from any other generation. Millennials want to feel like a company wants their business, they like the idea of a product being customized to them and Millennials are aware of corporate responsibility.

Another fear amongst retailers is that Millennials aren’t loyal. This has also proven to be false. Millennials can be incredibly loyal—the price for that loyalty is good customer service. They want to feel welcome when they walk into a store, and to be treated like a valued customer. Loyalty programs and coupons sent (through email or regular mail) can also play a big part in making sure a customer sticks around.

One thing retailers should be wary of is that while Millennials are changing up how you may be used to your customers shopping, their parents just might be doing the same. They are taking a look at how their children are shopping and getting more comfortable with technology. For retailers, the challenge will be keeping up with customer demands for that seamless shopping experience between online, mobile and instore shopping.

“They are just starting families and hopefully, will buy homes,” Stick says. “Once they own homes, we will have items they While meeting this challenge could be a big undertaking, either need or want.” retailers understand it’s a must because Millennials already make up a decent-sized portion of the shopping public and will only continue to grow.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

“I believe it’s vital and essential to keep our industry in front There’s a lot of strategy involved when it comes to of this generation to sustain interest for the sport of billiards,” marketing to Millennials for sure. However, in some ways Trujillo says. it’s not too different from trying to acquire customers

Go crazy selling. We’re stocked up for you!

851 Progress Road Collierville, TN www.legacybilliards.com 12 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2015

1.866.953.4272

20 TIME AND TIME AGAIN I SEE SMALL-BUSINESS OWNERS MAKE SIMPLE MARKETING MISTAKES, MISTAKES THAT COST THEM LOTS OF MONEY. A FEW WEEKS AGO I WAS ASKED BY A BILLIARD STORE RETAILER ABOUT THE MISTAKES HE THOUGHT HE WAS MAKING WITH HIS MARKETING. THAT GOT ME TO THINKING. WITH THAT IN MIND, I OFFER MY LIST OF 20 COMMON SENSE THINGS NOT TO DO WHEN MARKETING.

14 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2015

COMMON MARKETING MISTAKES AND HOW TO AVOID THEM By Brian Offenberger CeM, CSMA

1

LOOK LIKE THE OTHER GUY

Too many of us talk about the same things our competitors do.

BEST PRACTICE—Give customers unique reasons to spend their hard-earned money with you.

4

BEING BORING

Let them love you or let them hate you but don’t ever let them be bored by you.



2 

SAY THE SAME OLD THINGS

Most advertising is filled with words that have been promised so many times by so many businesses that they no longer have any impact…words like “best prices,” “friendly service,” and “top quality.”

BEST PRACTICE—Tell

are different.

3

prospects how you

FAIL TO GIVE CLEAR REASONS TO SPEND MONEY WITH YOU OVER THE OTHER GUY

Your prospect has lots of other places to be spending money rather than with you.

BEST PRACTICE—Show prospects clear, unique reasons to take your desired business action NOW.

 BEST PRACTICE—Advertising and market-

ing shouldn’t be so professional and so uninteresting that no one pays attention to it. It’s not supposed to be boring. For it to work, it must grab people’s attention and gain their interest.

5

USING OUTDATED ADVERTISING CHANNELS

The Internet is the number-one place people turn to for shopping, news and entertainment.

BEST PRACTICE—Allocate the lion’s share of your marketing budget to online, social media and mobile marketing.



6

FAIL TO OPTIMIZE CONTENT

You can be the prettiest girl at the party but you are still going home alone if no one knows you are there.



BEST PRACTICE—Make sure marketing content is optimized so it can be found, indexed and highly ranked by search engines…make sure content can be read on mobile devices. 

7

TALK TOO MUCH ABOUT YOUR COMPANY AND PRODUCTS

People don’t care about your company or products until they know you care about them and can help them.

about solving client needs, problems and desires. 

BEST PRACTICE—Talk

8

FAIL TO CAPTURE PEOPLE’S ATTENTION

The attention span of a customer is worse than an 8-year-old boy hopped up on Halloween candy. You need to grab people’s attention right away.

BEST PRACTICE—Be exciting. Be entertaining. Be different.

9

TALKING LIKE A CORPORATE GEEK

Leave the corporate speak and technical talk for the classroom. Customers want to understand things in plain English.

at an elementary school level so everyone will understand. 

BEST PRACTICE—Communicate

10

NO USE OF HEADLINES

Headlines grab the attention of customers.They also help them understand the marketing materials.Without a great headline on your webpage, flyer or email copy, customers will ignore you.

11

TALK RATHER THAN LISTEN AND INTERACT

Stop talking and listen to your customers. You’ll gain the intelligence needed to close more sales.

BEST PRACTICE—When talking, ask questions that will give you insight into your customers such as “What brings you into the store today?” 

12

FAIL TO GIVE PEOPLE REASONS TO ACT NOW

If you allow customers to procrastinate, they’ll never take you up on any offer. Create time limits on any promotions.



the headlines interesting and big enough.



BEST PRACTICE—Make

BEST PRACTICE—Use strong calls to action such as “Offer Expires Friday!” or “Coupon Good Thru Oct. 31 Only!”



BCAINSIDER.COM | 15

13

FORGET TO MEASURE RESULTS

How will you know if you’re succeeding if you don’t measure results? You need to keep track of your data in order to reach your business goals.

BEST PRACTICE—Schedule times to regularly calculate your marketing numbers.

17

IGNORE EXISTING CUSTOMERS

Don’t ignore the people keeping your store in business for the new customers. If you pay more attention to existing customers, you’ll see sales increase!



14 BRIAN OFFENBERGER,

CEM, CSMA

Brian Offenberger is the founder of Right On No Bull Marketing, a small business marketing agency headquartered in Phoenix and serving customers throughout the United States. Visit his website at: RightOn-NoBull.com

NOT HAVING A PLAN IN PLACE FOR CONSISTENT MARKETING

The best football teams always have a great game plan for Sunday. If you want to be good at marketing you need a plan in place.

18

a marketing plan. Implement your plan. Give your plan time to work.



15

19



BEST PRACTICE—Create

BEST PRACTICE—Interact regularly with existing customers.



NO MOBILE COMPATIBLE WEBSITE

The majority of your customers access the Internet via a tablet or smartphone. Most industry websites today don’t display or operate properly on mobile devices.

BEST PRACTICE—Get a responsive design website that displays and operates properly on all devices. 

16

FAIL TO BE RELEVANT

Are you addressing the wants and needs of your customers? If you’re not, your customers are going to shop somewhere else.

 BEST PRACTICE—Don’t try to be relevant

to everyone. It’s impossible. Focus in on your target market.

USE OPINIONS INSTEAD OF DATA TO MAKE DECISIONS

You’re gambling with your business if you’re making opinion-based decisions. Use data to make the right call with your marketing.

BEST PRACTICE—Try free online tools, such as Google Analytics to make databased marketing decisions.

FLY BY THE SEAT OF YOUR PANTS

The gunslinger mentality has to go. If you want to succeed, you need to follow your marketing plan.

BEST PRACTICE—Slow down. Don’t always be in a rush to get things done. Think before you act. Have a plan and work it. 

20

SAY TOO MUCH

Your marketing materials shouldn’t look like the side of a NASCAR with tons of sponsor logos on it. Give your customers clear, straightforward messages.

BEST PRACTICE—Don’t clutter every square inch of your website with tons of messaging. Keep things simple. 

If you avoid these 20 pitfalls, you’ll be on your way to marketing success!

16 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2015

LAST FIVE BCA EXPOS

2015 LAS VEGAS, NV Exhibitors: 87 Booths: 292.5 Buyers: 904

2014 2013 LOUISVILLE, KY CHICAGO, IL Exhibitors: 79 Booths: 260 Buyers: 740

Exhibitors: 84 Booths: 301 Buyers: 749

2012 CHICAGO, IL

2011 LAS VEGAS, NV

Exhibitors: 98 Booths: 293 Buyers: 965

Exhibitors: 100 Booths: 388 Buyers: 708

BCA EXPO A HUGE HIT By Charles S. Donnavan

“Energy” is a great word to describe the feeling on the floor at this year’s Billiard & Leisure Home Expo, which was held at South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev., Aug. 5-7, as everywhere you looked, attendees were talking shop, making connections and doing business. Not to mention the interest in the 27th Annual BEF Junior National 9-Ball Championships, which featured the junior tournament right on the floor. “The feedback on the exhibit floor, in subsequent calls and our post-event exhibitor survey has been very positive,” says Rob Johnson, Billiard Congress of America CEO. “Buyers were buying and the location was given high praise. This same positive tone holds true for our attendees—they liked being back in Las Vegas, the new location and the quality of exhibitors on the floor.” With 87 exhibitors, (including 34 new or returning exhibitors!), 292.5 booths and 904 buyers in attendance, the 2015 show was one of the best in recent memory. The show saw some great presentations by Lynn Switanowski, Tiffany Tosh, Brian Offenberger, and Mary Wise, plus an informative pool room roundtable discussion moderated by Carl Galante. Exhibitor Chad Scharlow, vice president of Diamond Billiard Products, Inc., Jeffersonville, Ind., liked the fact that the show was better attended than the last few years. “I thought the venue was perfectly matched to the Expo, and the costs associated with the venue were very

18 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2015

reasonable,” he says. “I also thought the Juniors being on the floor added a large amount of good will to the Expo, as well as the industry.” Kurt Schmidt, owner of A.E. Schmidt, St. Louis, Mo., notes his booth was busy from opening bell to the closing minutes, and he was very pleased with the show. “The buyers were there and they were placing orders,” he says. “We brought out nine new concepts for tables and all were received well.” Although Schmidt enjoyed the BCA party, he didn’t like the fact that this year guests were seated, where in the past you were in a tighter area standing, which led to more interaction. He’d like to see it go back to being a little more informal. Scott Douglas, national sales director of J.Pechauer Custom Cues, Green Bay, Wis., enjoyed having the show back in Vegas and saw a number of customers return to the Expo after being away the last few years. “We’re hoping the positive result will attract more exhibitors for future shows,” he says. Next year’s Expo will take place July 13-15, 2016 at the Renaissance Chicago/Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center. “All-in-all, we are very pleased with the 2015 BCA Expo and look forward to 2016 in the Chicagoland area, where we will, again, overlap with the Casual Furniture Association Preview Show,” Johnson says.

Next Stop: The Windy City!

BCA Billiard & Home Leisure Expo

July 13-15, 2016 Renaissance Chicago/Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center

BCA

Billiard & Home Leisure Expo

bcaexpo.com

GETTING READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS By Anthony Stoeckert

It may be hard to believe, but the holiday season is upon us. And for most people, the run-up to the holidays starts after Thanksgiving, as they get busy with decorating, parties, food, shopping and watching specials on TV. But retailers in the billiard industry are already in full holiday mode.You’ve almost certainly been looking over merchandise and sales in order to determine what products you should spotlight in your store. It’s also time to start hiring additional staff, and to formulate a strategy for this busy time of year. Ideally, the holiday season is a time to attract new and returning customers to your business. Charles Ziegler, owner of ZieglerWorld, Hamilton, N.J., says there’s a difference in what new and returning customers are looking for, so having both makes for a well-rounded clientele. 20 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2015

“New players buy more products as they begin playing but experienced players are customers who purchase products from us on a continual basis,” Ziegler says. Katie Westfall, manager of Emerald Leisure Source in Grand Rapids, Mich., agrees it’s important to bring in both experienced and new players. “The experienced players tend to buy the higher-priced cues and accessories, but we love to see new players get excited about the sport, because many of them will stick with it and become experienced players,” she says. The holidays are a key time of the year for retailers, so it only makes sense that you’ll need to put some extra effort into every aspect of your business. Here are some suggestions as

to how to best prepare for the next few months, so that you can make your holiday sales something to celebrate.

MAINTAIN YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE STANDARDS Of course, the hope and expectation during the holiday season is that you’ll have more customers than you do at other times of the year. The increased sales are much welcome, even vital to your business, but don’t let your customer service standards fall during this period. Here are some tips on how to keep your customers happy. Make it easy for questions to be answered. You’ll likely be getting lots of questions from people, whether they are new to the sport, or are experienced and want information on the newest products. Be on top of emails and phone calls, and once you answer a question, write up your response and add it to a special holiday Q-and-A section on your website. Be available at the right time. Most stores are open for extra hours during the holiday rush, adding a few hours at opening and closing, and opening on days they’re normally closed. Consider your busiest times for customer inquiries and make sure that you and your most knowledgeable employees are available to answer questions. Being on top of these inquiries, and giving good information, will help you stand out at this busy time, and give potential customers confidence that you have what they’re looking for. Be flexible and honest with staff. This time of year means you’ll likely need to add extra staff for the holidays, and for your year-round staff to work extra hours. Make it clear to

employees what you expect from them, and reward them during especially busy times. Treating everyone to lunch or dinner now and then can go a long way in maintaining good relations. And make sure you and your staff take breaks, they’ll need them during this hectic time. Also, encourage your staff to wear comfortable clothes and shoes, and to let them know not to take things personally if a customer gets upset or even insulting with them.

PREPARING FOR THE RUSH The holiday season is going to be busy, but that doesn’t mean it has to be hectic. Sure, the stress levels will be up, but by being prepared and creating a pleasant festive atmosphere for customers, you can keep the season merry. Make your store fun and welcoming. Decorations aren’t just for fun, they make customers feel as if they’re in a place that is enthusiastic about the holiday season. You don’t have to go overboard, a tastefully decorated tree does wonders to set a mood – include some billiard-themed ornaments, including any you’re selling for the season. Some of your employees may have an artistic side, have them help create decorations and hang lights. Play holiday music, and mix it up so that everyone isn’t hearing the same hour of music over and over. Make your store friendly and welcoming. Consider having some cookies and cider as a snack for customers. This not only makes them feel welcome, but it might curb their appetite if they’re hungry, and anxious to have lunch or dinner, giving you more time to try to sell to them. Also think about the layout of your store, and consider changes that can make it easier to accommodate large crowds. You want your customers to be able to find what they want to buy, BCAINSIDER.COM | 21

Be smart with promotions. Shoppers are obviously looking for deals during the holiday season. Do your research and make smart decisions as to what products you want to promote and offer at great prices. And make sure you have a good supply of the products you’re promoting. If a customer comes in looking for a specific product, say a certain cue, and you’re out of stock, he or she is likely to leave to find it somewhere else, like online. But if you can get it in their hands, this gives you a chance to make suggestions of other products that will complement the main purchase. Or, after getting what they were looking for, the customer may stick around your store and buy something else. “I always like to make sure we have plenty of product in stock,” Westfall says. “If we don’t have all of the smaller items like cue sticks, tip tools, and cases in stock it makes it too easy for the customers to then just order on line. Our customers love that they can try a cue stick in the store before they buy it.” Online retailers have their own strategies during the holiday season. Ziegler says that mobile device uses are becoming more and more important to his business. “We are currently (yet again) revising our website to prepare for increased customers using mobile devices,” he says.

MARKETING TIPS With so much competition out there, it’s not enough to get your store ready, put some things on sale and wait for the customers to roll in. You need to promote your business and get the word out about the great deals you’re offering.

22 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2015

Seasonal Specialty Stores, which has locations in Foxboro and Natic, Mass., is kicking off this holiday season with a Black Friday promotion called “Green Room Greenbacks.” “It has become huge for us in turning average sales into complete game room sales,” says Mike Small of Seasonal Specialty Store. “Customers earn ‘Game Room Greenbacks,’ based on a total amount they spend in the department. They then receive a predetermined amount of game room greenbacks that can be used today and today only toward additional game room furnishings.” The promotion helps upsell to additional items, he says, because the store’s standard table price includes the table and standard cloth, in order to keep prices low. That means equipment, delivery and stain-resistant cloth are optional and cost extra, and greenbacks can be used to purchase those. “And since we push our Brunswick Play Kits, which do not include a cover or cue rack, the customer has lots of options to spend their money,” Small says. Here are some other marketing suggestions to consider this year. Use mail, both standard and electronic. Send your promotions to your regular customers, informing them of deals and promotions you’re offering. Also, let them know about your extended holiday offers, and include coupons and offers for 10 percent off total purchases. Host a special event. Hold a demonstration of new products, or bring in a pool player, or another expert, to show how to best use and care for your product offerings. Perhaps there’s a

pool player or expert in your town who has written a book or hosts a podcast. Have them in to meet people and sign their books, and stock the book for sale. Offer gift cards or gift certificates. Have you ever had someone walk into your store, looking to buy something for a billiard enthusiast, but who doesn’t know about the game? Gift cards and gift certificates are great suggestions for someone who isn’t sure what to buy. Make the card or certificate festive-looking so that the customer feels good about giving it as a present. Also consider advertising. Pat Sullivan of Total Recreation in St. Cloud, Minn., says the store will do heavy advertising on the local cable television in northern Wisconsin, as well as targeted Internet advertising. “Cable TV has been by far, over any other media advertising we have tried over the years, provided the absolute most bang for the buck results,” Sullivan says. One of Sullivan’s goals is to bring new customers to the business. “New customers are absolutely important, mainly because a lot of our business comes from repeat,” he says. “Obviously the repeaters were all new at one time. We are fortunate in our business to really get the chance to be more personable with our customers, which enables us to build relationships not just customer counts.” Your social media presence is another important marketing tool. “We are in the middle of a full review of our social media strategy with Rider University’s consulting team,” Ziegler says.

“We are currently on nine different social media platforms and are working on tying them together before the holidays.”

AFTER THE HOLIDAYS The post-holiday return season is just as busy as the holiday season, but it’s not as much fun. It’s a hectic, and not always a pleasant time, but you can do a lot for yourself by making this process as smooth as possible. Make your return policy clear. Make sure your customers know what your return policy is – if they need a receipt, if the product can be taken out of its packaging before being returned, how many days they have to make a return, and other rules you have pertaining to returns and exchanges. Have extra staff on hand. It’s not just a matter of helping people who are making exchanges or returns, but making sure they are on the right path to making their exchange. Few things are more frustrating than waiting on a long line, then finding out the person at the end of the line can’t help you. Have staff on hand who can answer questions and make sure people are in the right line. Have product available for sale. Remember all those gift cards you sold?The people who received them are going to come into your store, anxious to buy something with them. Make sure your stock up on your most popular items because if someone comes with a gift card and there isn’t good merchandise to spend it on, you won’t be doing yourself a favor. Holiday season is a busy time, and that not only means increased sales for this time of year, but a chance to build solid relationships with customers that can pay off all year long.

BCAINSIDER.COM | 23 Photo courtesy of Ultra Modern Pool & Patio

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TRICK SHOTS: A BILLIARD HALL WITH A LOOK ALL ITS OWN By Anthony Stoeckert

When you walk into a Trick Shots pool room, you know it right away. From the layout and design of the rooms, to the tables, bar area, and even the atmosphere, Trick Shots billiards rooms are meant to be different from other pool rooms. And whatever Trick Shots is doing seems to be working. There are three Trick Shots locations in Florida that are popular not only with pool enthusiasts, but also with non-players who want to eat, drink, socialize, watch others play pool, or watch a game on TV. “They’re very upscale, they’re very clean,” owner Lance Smith says of Trick Shots. “They’ve got beautiful carpeting, when you walk in, it’s not like walking into a pool hall. You see a lot of pool tables, but the place is nice and colorful.” 28 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2015

More than just a pool hall, Smith says Trick Shots is an entertainment center. “Some people come to play pool, some people come to watch and be with people who are playing pool,” he says. “We have places to sit and watch and play pool, there are elevated areas above the pool room with a good, clean view. If you’re not interested in that, we have big-screen TVs to look at.”

GETTING STARTED – THE BREAK SHOT The genesis of Trick Shots dates back to the early ’90s, when roommates Steve Redrick (who worked for Clicks Billiards) and Jamie Daniels talked about what their dream pool room would consist of.

“They would sit there and talk late at night, and talk about, ‘wouldn’t it be nice to have our own pool rooms and design them the way we want to?’” Smith says. “Steve’s the one who was the inspiration for the look and the feel of what we’ve got. It was his idea. He knew the billiards industry very well from having worked for Clicks; he was a manager for them.” Daniels talked with Scott Smith about investing, and Scott Smith brought in Lance Smith, who is an accountant by trade. Since its inception, there have been five locations, with three currently open, all in the Orlando area. The first Trick Shots opened in Altamonte Springs in 1995, and was set up in a pre-existing billiard room the team had bought, changing the name and look as much as they could. The second Trick Shots

opened a year later in Rosemont, again in an existing pool hall. “We made some changes again to try to get them to look like we wanted it to,” Lance Smith says. “But again, there were constraints. We couldn’t rearrange the rooms much, we took the pool tables out of there and brought in professional pool tables.” The first location had seven-foot tables and a big snooker table. Those were all removed and replaced with eight-foot tables. “We wanted to be more straight billiards,” Smith says. The second hall had coin-operated tables, which were replaced with the eight-foot models.

FULFILLING A VISION Despite those changes, Redrick’s vision still wasn’t completely achieved. “We had a look we were trying to get to, a feel of the room we were trying to get to,” Smith says. “But we just couldn’t do it in those places, they were too much like what they were when the people who first owned them ran them.” That changed when the third location was built from scratch in Winter Park in 1998. The space had held a large arts and crafts store, similar to a Michael’s, and it was the kind of location they could work with. Not only that, but after opening two locations already, the team had a more complete understanding of what it wanted to achieve. “When that was finished, it turned out to be exactly what we wanted,” Smith says. “We had a great builder; he knew exactly how we wanted this to feel, and

he did it for us… It was a huge square room. We stripped that thing out, we didn’t have much to take out, but we stripped out everything that was in the room and started from scratch and built what we wanted it to be.”

Then as they were discussing the third spot, they asked Redrick what he would do if he could open a Trick Shots from scratch. He brought that vision to the three locations that are currently open.

TRICK SHOTS TODAY

“We had a lot of faith in Steve-O by this time, so we did the third room, from scratch, and we were just wowed by the way the thing turned out,” Smith says. “It was an immediate hit with people.”

Trick Shots’ fourth location in Orlando, opened in 2002 and then a fifth location opened in a freestanding building in Waterford Lakes in 2003. The first two Tricks Shots have closed because, Smith says, their neighborhoods got “crummy.” Smith says when you walk into any of the three current locations you know you are in a Trick Shots pool room, just as when you’re in a McDonald’s compared to a Wendy’s.

“

ALL THREE OF THESE ROOMS HAVE THE LOOK AND FEEL THAT WE WANT, THAT WE DEVELOPED.” —LANCE SMITH

PLAY TIME Trick Shots charges $9 per hour per person for playing time during the evenings, beginning at 4 p.m. There is no charge to walk in, so people are welcome to go hang at the bar, have drinks and food, watch the pool being played or watch TV. During the day, Trick Shots charges $2 per hour per person. But if a group spends $5 per person on food and drink, playing time during the day is free. “Order something to eat, something to drink, and after you spend $5, pool is free,” says Clint Hammond, director of operations for Trick Shots. That bargain is available Mondays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

He adds that Trick Shots is the vision of Redrick, who died in an auto accident in 2005. But Redrick is remembered as he is featured in a video promoting Trick Shots as a franchise idea, available on the Trick Shots website, www. trickshotsbilliards.com. Smith fondly refers to Redrick as Steve-O.

Trick Shots also hosts leagues, in APA and BCA. Leagues are available for 8-ball and 9-ball, with players of all levels participating. There also are “Power League Nights” featuring top shooters. People who aren’t playing can watch the action while enjoying food and drink.

“I was the financial watch dog of these things when we started out. Steve-O, he knew what he wanted, but we didn’t know much about Steve-O, so we didn’t just turn him loose with a whole lot of money,” he says with a laugh. But Redrick did a good job with the first location, so they bought a second one, “to see how far this guy could spread,” Smith says jokingly.

“With our tri-level concepts, the way the clubs are laid out, you can sit and have an overview of the pool room, so you can be a spectator and sit and enjoy the matches,” Hammond says. “There’s no charge for that, you can just come and grab a seat and sit and enjoy it.” As if playing time, leagues, food, drinks, and sports on large-screen TVs BCAINSIDER.COM | 29

weren’t enough, Trick Shots also has shops that sell cues, pool supplies and darts supplies. “We have an in-house technician who’s on-call and if someone wants to get their cue re-tipped, they can give him a call and he’ll be happy to accommodate them,” Hammond says.

OWNING, NOT RENTING One interesting aspect of Trick Shots’ business model is that it owns its tables. Smith says the first room they bought owned the equipment, “but it was kind of crummy compared to what we wanted in the room.” And that’s why they bought tables for the second room. The second room they bought used rented, coin-operated tables, which they replaced with the eight-foot models. “It just didn’t have an upscale feel to it whatsoever,” Smith says. “Having to go to the bar to get quarters… it wasn’t what we wanted in a pool room.” For the third location, the Trick Shots team bought the kind of tables they always wanted. High-quality, commercial tables with Formica on the top side to prevent denting. “They have a good, clean look to them, and when we did our third room with these tables, we really liked the look and the feel of them,” Smith says. “They were very popular with the customers. I suppose you could find somebody who would buy (tables) and finance it for you, but we weren’t in that position to have somebody finance it for us, and 30 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2015

for us to rent them. We were never in that position.” Owning the tables also means being responsible for maintenance and recovering of tables. Trick Shots uses a technician who works on the tables, but Hammond learned how to re-cover tables to better understand the process. “If we buy the cloth and the rubber and the rails, and all the supplies, we know what’s going on,” Hammond says. “We have a technician who recovers the tables but I wanted to further my education on it, like I always like to do, and that’s why I got certified in Chicago at Championship Billiards.”

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE One challenge for any business, any industry really, is bringing in new customers. Attracting people who have never played the game to a billiards room can be a challenge because of the fear of the unknown, and because of competition for people’s entertainment budgets, but Trick Shots works to make everyone feel welcome. “That’s one of the things we try to minimize,” Hammond says, of the fear factor. “That’s something that can seem like a challenge but as long as you minimize it and make people feel comfortable, and make people feel like they have a home away from home, and that it’s their home bar, that’s what we’re always trying to accomplish.”

One way to encourage customers of the future is by allowing minors to play pool at Tricks Shots, with a parent during daytime hours, prior to 7 p.m. Hammond says that is done so that the next generation of customers is ready. For the rest of the day, Trick Shots are for the 21-and-over crowd. “We allow minors as long as they’re with a parent (before 7 p.m.), they can come into our locations, so that they shoot pool and learn how to enjoy the sport and fall in love with that,” Hammond says. That’s not only good for Trick Shots, as it helps establish its next generation of customers, it’s also good for the game itself. In fact, Hammond was one of those young players, before he started working at Trick Shots in 1998. He’s been a pool player since he was 11, and when the first Trick Shots opened, he was a regular. “I came in with my father to shoot pool in our first, original location, and was shooting pool pretty often there with him,” Hammond says. “Seventeen years ago, that’s how I started with the company, ironically.” Hammond says he has seen lots of people come in as casual, or first-time, players, and they keep coming back to develop a true love of the game. “That’s the ideal customer that we look for, we hope everybody gets to that,” he says. “That’s what we strive for, to make everybody feel at home, and then make them a regular. We want them to make us their home bar, the place they want to go, especially if they’re coming out

for billiards and want to shoot pool. We hope that every customer we draw in, hopefully, will become a regular. That’s why we offer so many deals on the pool, because the more they enjoy it, the better they get.” Smith says that while he’s the owner and makes the financial decisions and handles negotiations, the success of Trick Shots is because of Hammond. “He’s got the spirit, and he instilled that spirit in the employees,” Smith says. “He’s there on a day-to-day basis. I rarely frequent the rooms; I love to play but I’m terrible.” But Smith does admit that his experience as an accountant has given him savvy that has helped make Trick Shots what it is. “I believe we run a good, clean, trim operation efficiently,” he says. “When

I got involved with this thing, Scott Smith got me involved with Jamie Daniels, who was still one of the owners, and Steve-O. He knew I would keep a watchful eye over it, and I have.” And more Tricks Shots could be on their way. Smith says the company still owns all the equipment from the first two locations, and that it’s all in great shape. But the economic struggles since 2008 still haven’t recovered to the point that the climate is right for a new location.

TRICK SHOTS LOCATIONS

But the goal is for Trick Shots to continue growing. “We’re ready to open another one,” Smith says, “if we find the right location and this economy picks up just a little bit more than it is.”

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BBIA HONORED WITH BCA’S PRESIDENT’S AWARD By Keith Loria Each year the Billiard Congress of America presents its President’s Award to a person or organization that has made significant contributions to the billiard industry and its latest honor went to the Billiard and Bowling Institute of America.

good pitch and we all thought it was one of the best worthwhile investments we could make.”

Nemecek hopes that this award will reignite and spur more interaction between the billiard industry and BBIA.

Held this past July in Rankweil, Austria, the ACC event was a monumental success.

“Mike Serra giving the award to the BBIA was not only a complete surprise to me but also a well-thought-out plan to recognize the help and support the BBIA extended to the pool world,” says Skip Nemecek, who represents billiards in the organization. “This goes to all the great bowling industry members of the BBIA and its board, who showed great support to their comrades in billiards.”

“The ACC was an idea shared with the EPBF many years ago and although the BCA had some great talks over those years about the ACC event, and ideas behind it, we could never really get to the starting line,” Nemecek says. “I personally felt this was a great opportunity to engage the youth of the pool world and energize the sport again.”

“For many, many years the billiard industry met, discussed, and carved out a plan for billiard sports in America at the annual BBIA convention. Unfortunately that participation has eroded over the years,” he says. “I know the BBIA convention offers a relaxed atmosphere to conduct some good planning meetings, interact with fellow colleagues, customers, competitors, etc., not to mention there is a lot to learn from the bowling industry and how they do their business. Billiards in America needs to get back to communicating and forging a plan and strategy for the sport again. Everything can’t be simply left to the BCA to tackle. Some good meetings at a BBIA convention with enthusiastic billiard people could go a long way with pool in America….like it used to do.”

As the lone BBIA board member representing billiards, Nemecek was instrumental in swaying the organization to supply a grant to the BCA that helped it fund the inaugural Atlantic Challenge Cup, pitting the best junior players from the U.S. and Europe in a Mosconi Cupstyle competition. “Skip was very passionate about this and presented his case very strongly to the rest of us on the board, who are all in bowling,” says Jeff Mraz, president of the BBIA. “We’re fighting for that same customer who has gone away—sometimes bowling and sometimes billiards doesn’t have that wow factor, and when Skip brought this idea to us, we thought it would be a great shot in the arm for the sport. We are constantly looking for ways to help, and he made a very

But it was never just about the event. Nemecek also talked about incorporating BCA room and retail members into the greater concept of Team USA through hosting local events and having retail members being involved through promotion and driving local sales from a local event tied into Team USA.

BELOW—BCA Chairman Mike Serra and Skip Nemecek

“America is only four months into the ACC and Junior Team USA idea but I see this growing into something big in terms of future events, after the juniors tours, lifting the image of the sport and giving something to the BCA membership to be proud to support,” he says. “Hopefully the continued success of the ACC and incorporating the BCA members into the concept and program will move billiards in America back to the prestige it deserves.” BCAINSIDER.COM | 33

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SHOWROOMING: TACTICS TO IDENTIFY IT AND REVERSE IT By Kathryn M.Van Druff The advent of mobile technology has taken the retail world by storm in countless ways. Many retailers are already leveraging the power of smartphones and apps in their brick-and-mortar stores and virtual locations through social media, couponing, loyalty programs, and more. Likewise, customers are also leveraging smartphones to help them find the best items at the best prices. Sometimes that involves showrooming— going to a store or several stores to check out items in person and then later buying them online at a lower price. “Showrooming isn’t as new as we think,” says David F. Giannetto, author of a new book entitled Big Social Mobile. “Customers have always come into retail locations and left because they knew they had better options. The only difference is that now they can check those options right on the spot. But remember, the consumer is standing in your store. That gives the physical retailer a huge advantage.”

RECOGNIZING SHOWROOMING IN ACTION One thing merchants can do right away is to become more aware of showrooming as it is occurring. Many customers will whip out their phones right there in your store, right next to the item in question, scouring the Internet for deals, discounts, and cheaper pricing. Sometimes you win,

sometimes someone else does. It’s time to improve your odds when it comes to showrooming shoppers. “The absolute best way for companies to identify consumers who are showrooming is to get consumers to use a retail store’s own app,” says Giannetto. “This will provide them with deep insight into where a consumer is, both inside and outside of the store, and what apps they are using—which reveals showrooming behavior and provides the basis for how to counterbalance it. “Next, more effective is to get consumers using the retailer’s Wi-Fi network, as this will provide the same, although lessdetailed, information. Smart antenna can also provide similar insight. This is how the best retailers are doing it—it is all about the data. The data tell them who, when, and where people are showrooming, and why, so that prices, policies, and product offerings can be adjusted to counterbalance it.”

SPINNING SHOWROOMING TO YOUR ADVANTAGE When it comes down to it, you and your sales staff have more control over showrooming than you may think. In most cases, it’s a matter of being prepared, being aware of when it’s happening, and taking appropriate actions. BCAINSIDER.COM | 35

Jess Stephens, CMO of the innovative messaging and communications company SmartFocus, offers a number of savvy tips retailers can use to stifle the business lost to showrooming: USE INCENTIVES TO ENGAGE CUSTOMERS: Consider location-specific mobile vouchers and coupons for use in a local physical store.



OFFER AN EXCEPTIONAL LEVEL OF CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT SHINES ABOVE THE ONLINE EXPERIENCE: Outfit your staff with digital devices and technology to stay ahead of the curve as they help customers find the right products. 

CONSIDER IMPLEMENTING A PRICE MATCH POLICY: Customers will need to show proof of the lower prices on their devices before you can honor a lower cost. 

EQUIP YOUR STORE WITH INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY: Rely on beacons, smart display screens, mobile gamification, and other creative options to attract customers and keep them engaged. 

ENTICE YOUR CUSTOMERS WITH MOBILE OFFERINGS: Give them an easy way to access video demos, actual reviews by real customers, and other special features they can access on their phones while in your store.

A mobile app like Snapchat can give retailers an edge in shutting down showrooming and replacing it with interactive, engaging customer behaviors. Use Snapchat to attract more customers into the store, driving better sales and engaging them from the start. Creative use of Snapchat can allow your store to issue in-store coupons with surprise offers, valid only upon checkout. This keeps your customer base interested and excited at the prospect of a discount without being intrusive. Also, once in line to check out, many customers will go through with the purchase rather than bail at the last minute. “The customer doesn’t really want to go somewhere else; they’ve already made the effort to come into your store,” says Giannetto. “What they want is for you to give them confidence that they are getting a good deal—not even the best deal possible. And that means you have to let them know you understand that they have other options and you are willing to price match, or order other options and ship for free. And retailers have to reinforce the lack of instant satisfaction that comes from showrooming. Those who can balance these two things using in-store signage and good, knowledgeable salespeople have very little to worry about from showrooming.”



CREATE YOUR OWN MOBILE APP: Many stores have already done just that. Use the power of your brand’s own app to give customers rewards and instant offers while they are physically inside your store.



Once you are aware that showrooming is going on, it’s up to you to do something about it. Rather than feeling frustrated, take the necessary steps to turn it around to your company’s advantage.

TALES FROM THE TRENCHES Customers may not always realize it, but when it comes to showrooming, retailers are onto them. Dennis DiPaolo, treasurer of Gull Group, Inc. dba Seasonal Specialty Stores (seasonalstores.com), cites some of the major red flags indicating showrooming customers, such as scrolling through something on their phone while standing at a product, taking photos of the sign, the label, or the UPC code, and simultaneously refusing to talk to any of the store’s employees. Diffusing showrooming isn’t always easy, but it’s definitely possible. DiPaolo says showrooming happens all the time. He shares that his staff is trained to approach the customer politely; after all, it is their right and their own common sense leading them to check pricing or features online. Seasonal Specialty Stores employees may try key tactics like talking about the company’s price guarantees, the buyer protection plans, lifetime labor guarantee, and the advantages of buying from the store rather than purchasing over the Internet. Stores can also consider changing their inventory to avoid selling items that are typically sold online, DiPaolo says. Selling unique items from different brands that are not easily found online gives brick-and-mortar stores an edge when it comes to reversing showrooming and closing sales instead.

36 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2015

“

“Showrooming is a problem, but not as major as Amazon and the Internet in general,” DiPaolo says.

THEY COULD BE SHOPPING ONLINE AND NEVER EVEN ENTERING THE STORE. AT LEAST (WITH SHOWROOMING) THEY ARE IN THE STORE AND WE HAVE HALF A CHANCE.”

Brenda and Lance Sanford own and run Billiards Plus in Lancaster, Pa., (cheapcharliesbilliards.com). Being in business for 35 years (with nearly 10 years at their current location) has shown them a number of instances where customers tend to shop around. Showrooming customers have commented to Brenda Sanford that they’ve gone online before their trip to the store, or that they have found particular items online for a certain price. “I try to match the price they see online, but I do try to investigate first to see if the online listing is legitimate or not,” she says.

service, they are getting a good deal, and being treated fairly, they are always going to come back to you.”

NOT ALL BAD: REVERSE SHOWROOMING The mobile age has empowered customers in other ways beyond showrooming. Some customers are instead researching their options and what products they actually want, and then heading out to a brick-and-mortar store to make their purchases. This form of reverse showrooming allows shoppers to read online reviews and compare features, styles, and to be aware of pricing, narrowing down their options and finding a local merchant to fulfill their needs. Retailers can capitalize on reverse showrooming by offering online orders available for store pickup, special discounts for smartphones, and other digital features and incentives to drive people into the store. Above all, no matter what a customer’s motive for coming to your store, ensure great customer service for a positive customer experience every time.

SUPPORT THE CUP!

Brenda sees that some websites will advertise an item for a price clearly lower than it should be and will come to find out that those stores went under or stopped carrying the item long ago. She says her shop’s relationships with their vendors are very important, especially in cases where price matching comes into play. Often a manufacturer can help get to the bottom of whether an online product listing with a lower price is genuine. With Billiards Plus being a family-owned business, the Sanfords very rarely allow a customer to leave the store without being fully satisfied.The store specializes in used pool tables, but also carries a full line of everything a customer needs for billiards and game rooms—all major brands of pool cues, cases, accessories, and more. Most of the store’s customers are willing and happy to talk to the owners, and a simple conversation is usually all that is needed to disarm showrooming situations. “It’s our business, so we don’t let a customer walk out the door until they are happy,” Brenda says. “They may find a price $10 or $15 cheaper, but if they are getting good customer

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BCAINSIDER.COM | 39

FREE AND CHEAP— INNOVATIVE IDEAS TO PROMOTE AND MAXIMIZE YOUR HOLIDAY SELLING SEASON By MerryWise Many retailing businesses understand the value of advertising, but do not take full advantage of the free and cheap promotion opportunities they can access by using effective public relations. Advertising and public relations are important, but they’re different. Effectively understanding and using techniques of good public relations can stretch your advertising budget and result in many more sales as opposed to focusing all your efforts on advertising. With the holiday season approaching, perhaps you will want to try some innovative new ideas to take full advantage of your best opportunities for increased sales! Advertising involves paying for ads in various media (Internet, print, TV and radio) to promote your business, including these new ideas. Public relations, on the other hand, involves efforts you make to build visibility and a good reputation for your business through other methods. These might include special events you sponsor or participate in to bring positive attention to your firm or awards you win. They can be publicized through informational articles, online presence, print media, and radio and TV interviews that mention or promote your business in a positive way. Doing some community service is another way to bring media attention to your business. Sometimes a good public relations program is combined with effective advertising to “feed” each other and enhance perception of your business. It’s important to identify your media opportunities and “influencers” in your area where you want to create a presence, 40 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2015

and, of course, now there is the extra added attraction of a good social media program adding a whole new dimension to traditional advertising and PR. Suppose you have a newspaper, magazine, (or several) that is locally read. One effective tool combining advertising and PR might be for you to create your own special section with articles encouraging the value of home entertainment products, lots of pictures, features on fun new products, emphasis on how to create great holiday memories for families using your products, and the fun of holiday entertaining of friends when your customers create their own home entertainment rooms equipped, of course, by you! But isn’t a “special section” expensive? It can be, but here again, you can leverage relationships to make it affordable! If you have a relationship as a substantial customer with a supplier, how about asking for some cooperative adverting dollars? Some manufacturers in some industries have formal programs for this, or may informally chip in if you are a good customer of theirs. Spreading the cost even more with several ads from “sponsors” of your section is even more cost-effective. Teaming up with non-competitive but related businesses to create this is also useful. Any good party at home needs food, beverages, and every lady wants to look her best when the company comes over at holiday time to enjoy the billiards room, play some games or watch a great movie in the home entertainment room. Enlist an area liquor store, caterer, boutique, and include paid ads from them

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and perhaps great recipes and fashion tips to subsidize your special section. Pretty soon you are promoting your business well with less cost. Another effective way to promote free and cheap is to sponsor a special tournament at your place of business, charge small fees to participate, and gain community service publicity by donating the funds to a local charity for the holidays. Especially if your tournament includes kids in the community, you gain a huge audience of fans for your business including grandmas and grandpas and aunts and uncles, all of whom are potential new customers who might decide to jazz up the basement during the long, cold winter with fun from your establishment. You can team up your tournament with special sales as well, and even bring in auxiliary products to promote for the holidays. Holiday decorations, food specialty items, cooking equipment or grills, spas, entertainment-oriented furniture like barstools, loungers, theater seating, etc. can offer your now captive audience tempting opportunities for extra sales. What if I told you that you could promote your business effectively during the holidays with no more expense than a package of copy paper, some colors and/or markers and a little children’s table corner set up to encourage creativity? One of the best and cheapest promotions I once did for my pool store did just that—we had a kid’s pool design contest. You could have kids design their dream entertainment and game room. Encourage all kids who come to your store to create a design while their parents shop, which has the bonus effect of keeping them busy and distracting their parents less. Then after you collect the designs during the contest, select several winners in different age groups, invite them back in for their prizes, take their pictures with you and your store featured prominently, and publicize, publicize, publicize— everywhere you can! From the local paper to a local magazine to social media to even radio or TV, if you can coordinate them to come, you are golden, and with very little “gold” expended. Finally, don’t forget about the less fortunate during holiday time. It is a great time to collect food or coats or toys for organizations or on your own, to make in-kind donations to some local organization, to collect funds from customers who might want to support a good cause, etc. Take photos and publicize your good efforts as well, not just for the PR value but as encouragement to others to do the same. And besides, it feels good to do good. Hopefully these ideas are just starter yeast to your dough of promotion ideas, and with a little kneading and decoration on your part, your store will bake up extra holiday profit treats to make your season tasty and bright this year!

42 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2015

MERRY WISE

is President of Retrospective publishing and spent over 40 years operating two swimming pool and spa retail stores. She is the author of “Cruising Through Pool Care the Wise Way,” a book on swimming pool and spa care, and a freelance writer, speaker and consultant for operating retail stores, training employees effectively and other specialty subjects. She was formerly vice president of Wise Pools near Houston, Texas. She has written articles for “Aqua Magazine,” a leading national swimming pool and spa trade magazine and other national and local publications. She was also formerly a high school teacher and is a graduate of the University of Houston with postgraduate work at Sam Houston State University.

BCA HOF WELCOMES NEWEST MEMBERS By Keith Loria Former world champion Oliver Ortmann of Germany and pool promoter/historian Charles Ursitti have earned election into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame this year, becoming just the 65th and 66th members of the exclusive club. One of the most decorated players in Europe, the 48-year-old Ortmann will enter the Hall’s Greatest Players wing. “When I was a kid, I always looked up to the heroes of this sport. The Hall of Fame was, and still is, the highest and most honorable institution in pool sports,” Ortmann says. “For me, being elected means an indescribable feeling. I’ll wear this award with pride and dignity. I always wanted to be a part of it, and now I am. It’s just amazing.” As a child, Ortmann was a good soccer player, but an injury derailed any chance at a career in the sport. That’s when he made the decision to pursue pool. “I played for fun and because I loved it,” he says. “My parents were my mentors. They always supported me from the beginning. My father gave me the most important advice—‘Lose with respect, then you can win.’” Ortmann led the way for European players in the U.S., by scoring a very memorable and shocking win over pool legend Steve Mizerak in the final of the 1989 BCA U.S. Open 14.1 Championship in Chicago.

“No doubt, that final match against Steve is my favorite memory,” he says. “I was traveling alone to the U.S. and won the biggest event in straight pool. I played my heroes and beat my hero in the final in a heartbreaker. Emotions couldn’t get any higher.” Ortmann went on to win the 1993 BCA U.S. Open, as well as three World Pool-Billiard Association world titles— the 1993 WPA World 9-Ball Championship and the WPA World 14.1 Championship in 2007 and 2010. “World titles, championships and to win other big events is always great. It makes you proud and means a lot. But to be inducted into the Hall of Fame means much more than that,” he says. “It shows that you get attention and respect of what you did for a long time and not just for one tournament. It helps present the sport to the next generation.”

“I would like to thank everybody who voted for me to get into the Hall of Fame and supported me,” he says. “I wouldn’t be able to enjoy this honor without my family, friends and my sponsors during my career.” Voting for the 2015 BCA Hall of Fame was conducted by the USBMA Hall of Fame Board, which consists of USBMA members, elected At-Large members and living members of the BCA Hall of Fame. Ortmann, in his eighth year of eligibility, was named on 60 percent of the ballots, edging out fellow pros Gerda Hofstatter (44 percent) and Kim Davenport (37 percent). BELOW—Oliver Ortmann

The fiery Ortmann twice won the International Challenge of Champions (1997 and 2000), and captained Team Europe’s winning Mosconi Cup squad in 2002. He also holds 14 European Pool Championship gold medals, 13 Euro Tour titles and is a three-time European Player of the Year. He hopes to be remembered as someone who helped develop the sport in Europe and thanks everyone who helped him along the way.

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For a career spent as a top promoter and pool historian, Ursitti was honored for Meritorious Service by the Hall, achieved when more than 50 percent of the Hall of Fame Board votes in favor of the candidate. “This is a dream come true,” Ursitti says. “Being in the Hall of Fame with the greatest of the great like Mosconi, Greenleaf, Mizerak, Hopkins, Butera and all the others is better than winning the lottery.” Ursitti’s career in billiard promotions began when he teamed with boxing promoter Big Fights, Inc., to produce the first-ever meeting of pool legends Willie Mosconi and Minnesota Fats in the “Great Pool Shootout.” The 1978 ABCTV “Wide World of Sports” production drew more than 10 million television viewers, and remains the most watched pool match ever aired in the U.S. It’s a night Ursitti remembers well. “Howard Cosell was there and I was the referee,” he says. “It was the secondhighest rated show for the year only to be beaten out by the Ali vs. Spinks II fight. More importantly, it put pocket billiards back on television and opened the door for future promotions.” Ursitti is also credited with creating 7 Ball in 1980, the first new pocket billiard game since 14.1 in 1912. “I designed a ball and pink-striped 7-ball and a black-striped 9-ball,” he says. “Back in the late ’70s and ’80s there were still a lot of black-andwhite TV’s, so I made it easier to see the game ball.” Ursitti went on to promote more televised matches between Fats and Mosconi, eventually introducing modernday players like Allen Hopkins and Steve Mizerak into the productions. A seven-year run with CBS Sports Spectacular created opportunities to add more pro players, as well as female stars Jean Balukas and Loree Jon Ogonowski (Hasson). 46 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2015

The 68-year-old, who was born in New York City and now resides in Florida, says his secret to success was giving the public what they wanted to see.

started me off on my quest for the truth. It took me over 30 years to compile the data. Whatever is missing I can honestly say does not exist in print.”

“I kept their interest with short rack games that they understood and related to,” he says. “If you watch someone run a 100+, you know that you can never duplicate that but you can certainly learn how to run 7 or 9 balls.”

Although he loves the game, Ursitti admits he was never really that good at it.

In addition to being a top promoter, Ursitti researched and created a database documenting the history of competitive pool and three-cushion billiards in the U.S., chronicling the sport from 1878 to present day. The database is available online for free at charlesursitti.com. “When I first worked with Cosell, I had to supply him with accurate data. I went back looking for the early champions and found out that Cyrille Dion was the first. He was French-Canadian and he was left handed,” he says. “The BCA rule book had him champion from 1878-1880. But I could not find him competing after August 1878. I searched the obits and found out that he had died in October of 1878. That

“My high run is only 64 and in three cushions it’s just 9,” he says. “But I enjoyed the challenge of selling my ideas to the networks. It was a real challenge.” Looking back, it’s the relationships he made along the way which carry the best memories for him. “I still enjoy my relationships that I have with the players. Some of them for more than 35 years, like my relationship with Lou Butera, who passed away in June of this year, or those with Allen Hopkins, Jim Rempe, Mike Sigel, Jimmy Fusco and so many others,” he says. “I was so close to Willie Mosconi that I called him Uncle Willie and I called his wife Auntie Flo. I consider myself to be one lucky son-of-a-gun. How many people can say that they worked side-by-side with the greatest players of all time?” BELOW—Charles Ursitti

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THE SHUFFLEBOARD RESURGENCE By Keith Loria Back in the roaring ’20s, shuffleboard was a popular parlor game, played in taverns and for money in popular hotels in Atlantic City, but prohibition delivered a blow to the game that caused most Americans to ignore it. For almost the next 90 years, interest in shuffleboard went through peaks and valleys, but due to a lack of any uniform rules or major push behind the game, it seemed to die out and few billiard stores even offered the game anymore. It was around 2010 when people in the billiard industry started to see more of a demand for shuffleboard tables, spurred by America’s newfound curiosity of curling thanks to the Olympic Games and just an overall interest in finding something new. Cris Gould vice president of sales and marketing for Legacy Billiards, Collierville, Tenn., expects at year’s end to see sales in 2015 dramatically increase over last year. “Many homeowners are not willing to give up an entire room to a pool table, which often sits right in the center. Yet, they still want to have a game room to entertain family and friends. This desire has allowed games like shuffleboard to become more popular,” he says. “The 12-foot and 14-foot are most common as they are a large enough playfield to be challenging, while being small enough to fit into most recreational rooms or basements. “Plus, all ages and all skill levels can enjoy shuffleboard. This makes the game a great attraction for the whole family.” Brian Rosselli, vice president of operations for Olhausen Billiard Manufacturing, Inc., Portland, Tenn., shares that over the last few years shuffleboard games have definitely seen a sudden surge in popularity and he is not seeing any slow down in this trend in 2015. “This category continues to grow and we are still experiencing a heightened demand for this product in the marketplace,” he says. “I think it is a game that all ages can play, which in many ways is easier to play than pool. There are a number of different games that can be played and overall I think that 48 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2015

the skill level required to really enjoy the game is significantly less than playing 8-ball or 9-ball.” Over the last five years, many Millennials have also discovered the joy of shuffleboard and it has become one of the most popular gaming tables in the industry. “I have sold more shuffleboard tables in the past nine months than I have in the last three years,” says Pat Sullivan, owner of Total Recreation, St. Cloud, Minn. “A big reason for that is that it can be placed on an outer wall and it doesn’t kill the whole flexibility of a said room like a pool table does.”

KNOWING THE TABLES With this rebirth of shuffleboard sales, many manufacturers set out to provide high-caliber tables that would compliment any game room. Today’s shuffleboard tables can be made in 9-foot, 12-foot, 14-foot, 16-foot, 18-foot, 20-foot and 22-foot lengths and can be finished to match a pool table or other piece of furniture in the game room. There are many differences in the quality of shuffleboard tables, especially when it comes to the play surface.The game relies on a precision throw, so you need a well-cured solid deck so the pucks slide to where you want them. Many cheaper models use laments but a true player will use wood. In the past few years, manufacturers have released climatic adjusters, which help the table maintain the slight concave shape so pucks remain on the surface without falling over the sides. Another popular feature is the bowling pin set that can be added to the table.

WHAT’S AVAILABLE Chance Pack, vice president of sales at Champion Shuffleboard, Richland Hills, Texas, notes the company has seen tremendous growth in shuffleboard sales of late—both in coin-operated shuffleboards and home models.

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“People enjoy the simplicity of the game,” he says. “The biggest change to the industry was the one we made in the early ’90s, changing the lacquer playing surface to a polymer top that never had to be refinished.” The company has been making shuffleboards since 1988, and has spent the last 25 years designing the tables to be the best that they could be. “Knowing the game, we have a patented handicap scoring system that we added to the game, which allows novice players to compete with the best players in the world head-to-head,” Pack says. According to Gould, the “rustic” style is trending right now and Legacy is experiencing great success in its new 14-foot Cimarron and 14-foot Winchester Rustic products. “However, the style is one thing, the finish has got to be correct ‘to the style’ or the success of the product will be poorly affected,” he says. “Rustic-style furniture should be distressed, raised grain, and a matted finish to be consistent with what consumers are looking for. We rely on the expertise of our furniture divisions to help us recognize these trends and the production details that help make them successful for our dealers.” Legacy has also been innovative in its design and features, adding LED lighting and Perfect Drawers for accessory storage to the tables. Ciarra D. McIntire, operations coordinator for Universal Billiards, Inc., Dallas, Texas, says the company’s current 50 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2015

best-selling shuffleboards are affordability priced 12-foot and 14-foot furniture style shuffleboards. “Shuffleboard is a fun way to maximize fun in a home entertainment area. With options expanding in the product selection of smaller shuffleboards, homeowners can utilize a long wall to add another fun, low-maintenance game to their home entertainment space,” she says. “Our shuffleboard sales have significantly increased since a few years ago.” Elly Tweety, sales and marketing manager for Presidential Billiards, says the company started noticing an increase in shuffleboard sales about five years ago, and it made the decision to boost production on tables. “It’s become very popular. People want tables that match the pool tables, so we have come out with three different models that do that,” she says. “People like new games, and it fits easily in the room, plus it’s fun for families to play together.” At Olhausen, the table designs that are experiencing the most significant increase in popularity are more the straight line, modern or contemporary styles. “In regard to finish color, we are continuing to see color choices gravitating to the Dark Brown, Black and Grey tones,” Rosselli says. “We have a vast number of models, styles and designs we have available, in addition to the customization and options that buyers can choose from that allows them to precisely match the style and décor of their home. We also offer sizes from 9 to 22 feet on most of our models to cater to

the needs of the consumer as it relates to the amount of space they have available in their game room to accommodate their new shuffleboard table.”

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Arachnid, Inc., recently released DiscGlo Shuffle, a highspeed, wireless electronic shuffleboard that virtually imitates a 22-foot long table, but is actually only 5-and-a-half feet. “It’s perfect if you don’t have enough room, plus if someone doesn’t like shuffleboard, it has 10 different games you can play—including classic bowling,” says Sam Zammuto, president of the company. “Every game is exciting and different, plus it’s a whole different color.” Don Campion, owner of Mega Mania Diversions, LLC, Commerce Township, Mich., feels that shuffleboards continue to get more popular, likely the result of the improving economic situation, combined with a bit of backlash against the video world. “People seem to be looking for a balance,” he says. “For us, the lower-priced products sell quickly for a while, then are replaced by the top-of-the-line, then the middle takes off. People seem especially pleased once they get the table home and are playing it with friends.” The company offers a Snapback Shuffleboard table, unique in that it’s a rebound shuffleboard game, changing the dynamics of the game a bit. “It plays like a long board and fits in a space much smaller than a billiard table—twice the fun in half the space—and half the price, too,” Campion says. Gould shares that Legacy sells hundreds of Shuffleboard Bowling Pin Kits that add another fun option to a shuffleboard table.

ADVICE FOR RETAILERS Tweety feels the best way for retailers to increase shuffleboard sales is to spotlight them a bit more in the store. “They need to put them in a good position in the store, where it catches people’s eye,” she says. “Also, let them try it out so those unfamiliar with the game can learn how fun it is.” Campion thinks retailers should not only have a table on the showroom floor, but also have a poster nearby which clearly shows how the game is played, so customers can try it out for themselves. At Total Recreation, Sullivan has one 14-foot table mounted with signage, and catalogs for four other manufacturers so customers can see the differences. The best tip Olhausen’s Rosselli has is to display the shuffleboards in combination with the matching pool table design. “You would be amazed how many consumers will go into a store, see a matching pool table and shuffleboard side-by-side and say, ‘Wow, I got to have both,’” he says. “Now that is a nice sale. The more matching pool table and shuffleboard combinations you display, the more you will sell.” Gould notes that the most successful shuffleboard retailers have more than one or two shuffleboards on display at all times. “If a retailer is going to take this category seriously and make shuffleboards a high-profit center, they must display several different sizes, as well as shuffleboards with difference features in order to give their customers a selection,” he says. “This is true with all products; the more selection a retailer can offer of any specific product category, the more sales they will receive from that category.” BELOW— Legacy’s Landon Shuffleboard

THE RETAILERS SPEAK Each edition BCA Insider will pose a question to BCA members to get their insights on trends and issues affecting the industry.

Q

WHAT IS YOUR TOP TIP FOR IMPROVING HOLIDAY SALES?

A ALBERT TRUJILLO

President, Fort Worth Billiards, Fort Worth, Texas

“Have a marketing plan in place for the fourth quarter. In my opinion, it’s vital to have all of your ducks in a row especially at the busiest time of the season. Inventory is also imperative. Always have the product availability for those impulse buyers. Introduce new items and specials on social media during the holidays as people are always looking for deals or want to see something new and exciting. Don’t forget to mention services that you offer, such as pool table recovers, moves and more. We sometimes forget to stay consistent in promoting professional in-home billiard service, for most retailers, that supports a significant portion of your business.”

A MICHAEL SMALL

Partner, Seasonal Specialty Stores, Foxboro, Mass.

“We have tried offering several different promotions over the years. One thing I think that is more important, honestly, is the fact of what I do not do. We will never give away delivery or a playing equipment package. When you give away a play kit, the customer does not want to hear about upgrading it to something they would purchase. They assume you gave them everything they’ll need. Most free play kits have inferior equipment, but the customer often won’t look further, since it is a giveaway.”

A ANDY BERESFORD

Home Leisure Direct, Bristol, South Gloucestershire

“Get your marketing right for your market. More and more customers are getting their information online, some never picking up any printed materials now. So you need to make sure you have the web covered as effectively as possible, whilst working to your budget. Get it right and you could be pleasantly surprised by your performance. There are plenty of companies and software packages available to help you manage your campaigns covering both social media and 52 | BCA INSIDER • HOLIDAY 2015

Google Adwords. Cost-effective campaigns can really deliver some excellent results.”

A DON & JUDY KUCERA

Owners, Cedar Rapids Billiards, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

“Our top tip for holiday sales is to be stocked up with inventory such as cues, balls, novelty items, logo products and of course pool tables. These items have been our top sellers since 1988. Another tip is to save days close to Christmas and New Year’s for table installations only and then take a customer’s information to work in other jobs if time permits and be willing to put in many hours of work. It is so rewarding for us to make our customers’ Christmas very special for them. Gift certificates are popular also.” If you’d like to be part of next issue’s The Retailer Speaks survey, please send a reply to the following question to billiardskeith@gmail.com by Jan. 2.

Q

WHAT’S AN OUT-OF-THE-BOX WAY YOU HAVE BROUGHT CUSTOMERS INTO YOUR STORE?

COMING NEXT ISSUE... THE POWER OF ONLINE ADVERTISING DIVERSIFYING PRODUCTS BEYOND POPULAR BILLIARD GAMES IN THE U.S.

Service Matters Just Ask Our Customers Dear CueStix. I’ve dealt with a lot of companies over the past 30 years and CueStix is by far one of the best. From my perspective, you don’t seem to have any of the corporate BS that goes on and your organizational structure is such that you are able to get things done and get them done quickly. The work ethic that they apparently promote and you all project is awesome. I always know that when I order you ship the same day. If I have trouble, you are quick to resolve my issue. You always have people on staff to personally help. Your company and the staff project a strong image of organization to me. This is just another example of what I’ve been experiencing with your company. I let you know something wasn’t right, you investigated and had it completely fixed within a day. You didn’t have to escalate it to anyone and were given the respect and authority to resolve it. In most companies, it is just too much trouble to resolve issues because it has to be escalated, approved and then resolved if it makes it that far. Keep up the good work and have a great day.

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