Everyone wants to get the best bang for their buck. Why not try to get the most out of your hard earned money? Makes sense to me. If someone puts aside $1000 for golf equipment, they want to get the best set that they can afford… and then some.Golfers love to wheel and deal. My customers love coming into the store, finding something that they like, and then trying negotiate the best price. It’s actually kind of fun for us on the other side of the counter too… we want to make a sale and want to find a price that works for both sides.
So how do you negotiate and get the best price available? Where is there room to move? What items lend themselves to big discounts? Let’s look at how to “wheel and deal”…
The golf business is tough. Margins are low, competition is fierce, there is always new equipment coming out and people are willing to shop around for the best deal. It’s a funny business too… we don’t make much on the high priced stuff… even though customers seem to think we do. Now I’m not going to sit here and tell you how much we pay for things… that’s a secret! Having said that, here are a few guidelines to help you get the best deal…
Support One Store – We give better deals to our regular customers. We remember the people that come in and buy. You don’t need to walk in and drop a ton of cash to impress us. Start with buying a box of balls now and again. Pick up a glove or a bag of tees. Chat up the salespeople. Be good to us and we will be good to you!
Take The Plunge – When you’re ready to buy… buy big. Don’t just buy some irons. Buy a bag, a glove, headcovers, shoes and/or a putter. Give us more discounting options… we can only do so much on a set of irons. You’ll save the most money when you buy more than one item. Does your wife need a bag too? Pile it on… but a lot at once instead of one thing at a time.
Combine Low Margin Items With High Margin Ones – Probably the most important thing to know when looking for a deal is knowing what we can move on. There isn’t a whole lot of room on the brand name stuff… it costs us a lot to buy and we have to keep prices low in order to sell it. Don’t expect huge discounts on golf balls either… we sometimes wonder if it is even worth our while to carry them! We can move on things like shoes, bags, accessories, clothing and lower end equipment. Add a few of these items to the mix and watch the prices fall. It’s not unusual for us to make more on a $400 11 piece set than on a $1000 set of brand name irons.
Understand Equipment Trends – Keep up to date on what is current and what is being replaced. Look for equipment that is being discontinued… there is more room on this stuff because it costs us less to buy. Closeouts can be your best friend if you know when they are coming!
Understand Supply and Demand – You probably took it in school… supply is low, demand is high, prices go up. What does this mean to us in the golf business? It means that we are eager to drop the prices on stuff that isn’t selling and less apt to marking down stuff that is. Don’t try to grind me on the hot selling driver… I can find lots of people willing to pay full retail for it so I don’t need to lower the price. Interested in the driver that hasn’t sold well? Let’s make a deal because I don’t want it in my store!
Tax In, Tax Out – Live in an area with a sales tax? Asking for a “tax in” price is a great way to get a discount… just don’t negotiate a price and then try to get us to eat the tax… don’t push your luck!
Pay Cash – One of the easiest and best ways to get a discount. It costs me nothing to take cash from your hand and put it in my till but it does cost me money everytime you use your credit card. Pay cash and we can pass our savings on to you.
Try to get a good deal… but remember that we are running a business too. We have to turn our lights on everyday and we have to pay staff (although sometimes it feels like I work for free!). You want to buy something for cheap and we want to sell something for a good profit… let’s meet in the middle and get the deal done!