Baseball and Softball Demo Days: What You Need to Know

Looking to take advantage of the holidays with an opportunity for an additional revenue stream and more? Demo Days are a holiday in baseball/softball facilities that just keeps giving. 

Here’s what you need to know – Baseball and Softball Demo Days are scheduled events at a facility where athletes (both members who regularly attend camps/classes and new athletes to the facility) come in and try out different bats, gloves, etc. in action. It gives parents a great idea for Christmas gifts making their shopping that much easier. Along with the revenue from the sales, this event can be a great recruiting moment for new athletes coming in to try out some equipment before buying. 

Overall, Demo Days will increase sales, expand facility exposure, and make customers happy. 

Here are some steps to take to get it all set up: 

Find Your Vendor 

For those with a fully-stocked, established pro-shop – go ahead and skip this step. 

However, if this is not previously set up, it’s time to do some research and start looking into vendors. Fortunately, most know about Demo Days and have information readily available. 

For those that don’t or facility managers unfamiliar with vendors, here are a few things to check before choosing a vendor*:   

• Pricing 
• Commission rates
• Minimum inventory orders 
• How they help on the day of the event 
• How they help promote and sell the products 

*For facilities using eSoft Planner, we can introduce you to our wholesalers. It saves money on upfront inventory pricing and reduces time on this step of setting up a Demo Day.

Plan Your Baseball and Softball Demo Day

Once the vendor is set, pick a date and begin marketing. Just like any other camp, class, or clinic, the sooner the marketing starts, the better. 

Need help on that? Here are a few steps to follow: 

• Contact Your Network: Use social media, email lists, other events, and anything going on in the facility to get the word out. Don’t just stop at one marketing push. Above all, send multiple reminders.
• Reserve the Space: Like any other event, camp, or class in the facility, make sure spaces are available for the athletes to try out the equipment. 
• Prepare Your Staff: Get the products and information to your staff before the event. The vendor may offer information or even a run-through with a rep to get all the details. All in all, this knowledge will help your staff make the sale as they speak to athletes.  

Launch Your Baseball and Softball Demo Day

With Demo Day approaching, get the facility gameday ready! 

• Display Your Products: With equipment coming in different sizing, colors, etc. it is important to have a mobile device. This gives customers access to the vendor’s website for additional browsing. Don’t have a device for this? Use a QR code so they can do it on their own devices. Also, have a station or table with their branded cloth to display the test equipment. 
• Prepare Your Order Forms: With orders moving toward digital, there’s another opportunity for a QR code. If there are extra devices in the facility, have the order form loaded up and the device fully charged for the day of the event. If you use eSoft Planner, you can use the Point of Sale feature to submit orders as they are made.
• Promote the Facility: Along with the sales of equipment, your staff should treat everyone as potential new customers. Have them try to collect contact information (name, email, phone number) for future promotions. Also, consider offering coupons and discounts on other facility services such as lessons, cage rentals, etc. By all means, encourage them to come back! 

*Not going to be able to implement a Demo Day before the holidays? Use the upcoming spring season to your advantage instead!  

Learn more About eSoft Planner and how it can help your facility with Demo Days and more.

eSoft Planner is flexible, affordable, simple, and perfect for small business owners. Request your free demo today to see how we can help you consolidate effort, save time, increase revenue, and grow your business.

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