Instead of Operating Our Facilities, It May Be Time to Co-operate Our Facilities

Years ago, the USPTA Southern Section established a site where anyone could contribute their tennis coaching tips. It was a great idea and helped mine the intellect of many high-quality tennis pros. This article, and this new section which will be focusing on the business sector of the tennis industry, hopefully will be able to host a similar place for information and insight that all managers can share. Feel free to join in with your ideas and thoughts. Our industry has a great number of bright and talented people - it's time to hear from all of them!

To start the ball rolling, we all should be asking these important questions. Do we need to adjust our method of operation so that we are able to increase our membership and/or revenue?  Has your business kept up with the changes in your community or marketplace?  Has your location and business been impacted by an outside influence, i.e. new competition, the influence of climate change, or a transition in the economics of your community?  

Let me begin the building of our mutual think tank by presenting these ideas. Start with a better understanding of what your current and future tennis members are looking for and expecting. If in the past your classic mixed doubles night or round robins and socials were better attended…time to change.  Time is precious for most, and having casual time off is the luxury of a smaller and smaller demographic every day. Review your market, and ask these few questions.  Who is most likely to attend and what are they hoping for? Do you want to extend your invitations to non-members or for that matter, to other clubs or tennis facilities? Will they have time for casual interactions or are they just looking for a quick tennis fix?

As to competition, the best example of needing change is easily seen in the demise of club tennis ladders. When they first came out many years ago, they were the hit of the competitive tennis world.  But they were like water rushing into an empty valley.  Plenty of movement until the valley was full and the source of that water ran out…what you had was a calm gentle lake with very little movement, or in tennis terms, nobody challenging or using the ladder. Today you may need to mix it up, have new formats, and more concise events that take less time to complete. Remember, you’re competing with the league programs, you can’t win that battle against an opponent that has the ability to recruit far more players for their programs. Your events are not likely to extend beyond your local area, theirs will, all the way to a national venue. Go with the flow and consider competitive practice sessions for your members that will serve to feed the beast, but still leave room to host the outside tournaments or leagues.

If you’re lucky, you have greater demand for court time than you have available courts. Consider challenge courts that can be orchestrated to have more rapid turnover. One set if you lose, maximum of two sets if you win. Possibly mandate doubles during the busier times, or shorten the court times during those hours. But maybe most important to help increase growth and participation is realizing that electronic communication will never replace personal interaction. Research and discover ways to connect your members and to each other…as the word implies, they are members first, not customers. Many clubs have found that having one or more long-time members become a “Welcome Wagon,” for new members is a great fix. Just remember, tennis is more than a sport, it is a social event, and much like dating, finding the right partners can be a challenge.

Note that many of these fixes are predicated on growing your membership and fostering the retention of members. For that reason, you need also include a reevaluation of your initiation package for joining. In many locations, the old standards of large initiation fees are no longer a good fit. But rather than lower those fees, look for alternatives that maintain a steady income and keep the facility active. What about having your initiation fees be applied as a credit towards the use of the facility, such as the café, pro shop, or tennis lessons? Creating more revenue flow is key, and with this idea, the new member may not even see this as a fee, but rather a down payment towards what they hope they will be using.  In addition, you’re keeping your facility active and your staff busy.

In many communities, the practice of sharing exposure is a marketing tool that is very effective. Contact your local city council or just contact any local business directly, and see if there is an opening for a common or shared event. Usually, these small businesses are very receptive to working with anyone who has a large clientele and strong daily traffic.

Dues and court fees should also be reevaluated. Monthly dues are often the lifeblood of a facility’s financial structure.  But alternative incomes should be investigated. Revenue from community social events, renting out space, hosting parties, or just providing a location for locals to use for various reasons…lectures, demonstrations, rallies…the fact is, tennis courts take up a lot of real estate and as a result, provide a natural source for additional revenue.  

The goal is growth, at all levels. But if you think that the larger organizations are going to help you, think again. They may try to lift the entire tennis world, but at the end of the day, they have their messages for their massive audience, and that will be their focus. For that reason, look to recognize the purpose of their messaging and the audience they are trying to reach. Take advantage of how and who they are trying to reach. Note at the US Open there were two main messages, “The Healthiest Sport in the World” (the logo was printed on the center courts for all to see) and a Chris Evert narrated ad on the value of people taking up tennis. Gets some free advertising and piggybacks that message in your promo packages.

If you are among the many that are finding it difficult to increase your revenue, let alone maintain it. You’re not alone, this is the new tennis market and a new economy. You need to adapt your approach at all levels and in all departments, as well as realize that changes will need to happen at all levels and all departments. To help with these changing times, there needs to be more shared information and ideas. We really have little of that taking place, which is unfortunate for everyone, because when any sector of the industry is suffering, eventually that impacts every facility. As mentioned in the opening paragraph of this article, we can be stronger united and share ideas and time to work towards that goal.