It seems to me that if a clubmaker can't operate a profitable business the
plaques and certifications don't mean much to them. You can be the best in the
world at this and if you loose money and go out of business it doesn't do you a
whole lot of good IMO. IMHO the first thing anybody in this or any other
profession needs to learn is how to operate a business. If you can't do that
everything else is moot.
I read these forums and it seems that about the only thing ever discussed is
the technical side of this business. It seems to me that everyone goes into
business to make money, yet somehow they measure their success by how busy they
are and never mention how much money they are making. I would think that if
someone is working their tail off and has all the business they can possibly do
but can't afford to join an organization, can't afford a new launch monitor,
can't afford to take a couple of weeks off for a vacation, doesn't have time
for the family, etc., maybe they need to learn more about business. I may be
wrong but I do not consider someone who works all the time to simply stay
afloat a success. My idea of success is someone who works normal hours and can
afford to join an organization if he wants to, can afford to go to the
convention if he wants to, can afford to take time off when he wants to, can
afford a new launch monitor if he wants one. In other words he works when he
wants to because he an afford it, not all the time because he has to to
survive. If he is working all the time it is because he's that good and he's
making a lot of money.
As for pricing, a good fitter and builder makes a better product than a golfer
can buy off the shelf from the OEMs. These products are worth more than the
OEMs. There are a lot of customers who will pay a premium for better clubs that
improve their game. Most of them don't even ask the price.
Fairways & Greens
Roy Nix
McNix Golf
4405 Armour Road
Columbus, GA 31904
www.McNixGolf.com
Founder: Assoc. of Golf Clubfitting Professionals
www.clubfitter.org
Certified Rifle Center
706-324-7490
On Time Printing
www.NixOnTimePrinting.com
"Some men see things as they are and say why... I dream of things that never
were and say why not."
- George Bernard Shaw
----- Original Message -----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: ShopTalk@mail.msen.com
Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2008 12:50 PM
Subject: Re: ShopTalk: PCS/AGCP/GCA
Hi
My husband has a few of those plaques on the wall. PCS, Dynacraft
advanced shaft research, GCA, GolfWorks, and PGTCA.
The only accredidation that has helped in business is the PGTCA. When people
call for golf lessons, I'd say maybe 5 people in 10 years have asked about his
credentials. I would have to agree that as far as clubmaking, none of the
"memberships" have done anything for adding value to our business. We were
members for awhile, but didn't up for renewed subscriptions. Thinking back,
I'd have to say the main reason for the training and associations was so my
husband could feel he had done it all to insure he was a professional in the
business. It was more for himself not for customers. He did enjoy the seminars
at the PCS like Fitting, Frequency matching, etc. I'd say it had value for
learning but after the first round of classes we felt there was no need to
stay in the organization.
I agree price is a concern for many. They are also impressed with
knowledge...but I don't think they care where they knowledge came from. They
just want clubs that the feel confident holding and can hit well.
We did get one customer from another company's web site. I am thinking it
was thru the PCS, but it could have been a component company I can't recall for
sure. But hey, it was just one. And that was several years ago.
So, to answer your question...plaques and organizations haven't helped us
get customers . It did help educationally.
Karen
Cross Creek Golf
-----Original Message-----
From: Tom <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: spine <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; ShopTalk@mail.msen.com
Sent: Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:21 am
Subject: ShopTalk: PCS/AGCP/GCA
There's a lot of fuss about the subject organizations so I'm wondering: how
many of you folks are or have been members of these alphabeticals?
I confess that I attended the Golfsmith Advanced Clubmaking school about 20
or more years ago. The week away from Southern CA was a gift from my wife and
kids . . . probably to get me away from them for a week ;-) . Frankly, I didn't
learn a whole lot at the school since I'd been at the game for many years
already. However, I did become an "accredited member" of GCA with the attendant
discounts and mailings. I never renewed the membership and rarely bought
anything from GS. There were and are plenty of suppliers of shafts, grips,
ferrules, etc., where I could get better prices and/or faster service.
But more to the point, I never got a referral from GS and even though the
walls of my shop were covered with plaques and certificates (Better Business
Bureau, Rotary, Lions, Elks, GCA, and others), it was a rare customer who even
noticed any of that stuff. Nearly every customer I dealt with was concerned
with price more than diplomas. Price was and remains king in this business. So
I never "re-upped" with any clubmaker's association and did very well without
them.
I'm interested to learn how much new business came to any of you who hang
diplomas on the wall as a result of the diploma? I know for damn sure I didn't
get anything new.
TFlan
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