The only way bowling centers and bowling in general will flourish is if an individual does the glad handing and one on one interaction with prospective bowlers.  

Many have posted on this forum about how to change the down turn in bowling.

I am here to tell you I believe this is the ONLY way that we as the bowling populace will see an upturn.  

IMO....it has to be done one on one.  

Example, when I ran a ten lane center that was all but ready to fold.  I had to build a bowler base and in less than two years going from two full leagues we had a league every night and went to 10 leagues.  

How did I do this?  Easy...glad handed.  Went to all our open bowlers and asked them if they'd like to join a league.  This can be done if an individual takes it upon him/herself to build their lineage and bowlers.  It's in the best interest of the center and for the life of me I never see center employees in the centers that I bowl in now do the same thing....the glad handing and the going from one to another and asking them if they'd like to join a league or bowl in a house tournament.  Sure you will see centers put up posters and advertise.  But, the hard work of actually getting out there in the trenches so to speak and doing the PR work and talking to prospective bowlers...you'll usually never see that.  I don't understand why not....other than it's hard work and some aren't people persons.  But, then get someone on staff that is.

I also did a lot of promotional type stuff and put down a repeatable easy scoring THS for leagues.  

I'll go one farther.  Our local assoc. City tournament like many around the country has gone from one of the largest per captia to a point where it's laughable.  We have a paid position/director who never to my knowledge ever visits centers during evening leagues to push the tournament.  Why not?  

IMO..this is the ONLY way bowling will flourish.  Prospective bowlers will NOT walk thru the doors to sign up for leagues.  It has to start with an individual.  How many new bowlers have you started in leagues the last 2 years?  

What's your opinion?  Is there any other better way to put bowling on track?

Scott

Great posts guys.  I totally agree that the best way to get new bowlers is to just talk with people.  And like Phirex said, remember who you talked to already.  When I did promotions for a bowling center, I would only talk with the people that I knew I would remember, either because I've seen them before, or for some other reason.  That way, it wasn't like approaching a stranger, and when I followed up with them, I would already know them a little bit.

It really takes a certain kind of person to do this work, but for the right person it isn't "hard work" at all.  It's really pretty easy.  In my opinion, this PR person should be a bowler, and a good one.  I noticed that when new bowlers saw me bowl, they respected me more when I asked them to join a league.  They felt I knew something about bowling and could help them out.  I think it's too bad that that's how things are, but it is what it is.

But we need to have a more organized plan than just going out and getting new bowlers.  We need a better league structure.  We need introductory/beginner type leagues for brand new bowlers.  100% handicap, and every team gets a pizza each week, or something like that.  Offer learn-to-bowl leagues.  Offer adult have-a-ball leagues.  Then entice them to join a better league as they get better with time.  This is why I want to promote scratch bowling so much, so that there is an ultimate goal for every new bowler.  If their ultimate goal is currently to get into the best men's league in the house, which is full of sandbaggers and people who whine about the shot, then what did we really achieve by getting new bowlers into our sport.

It's a big picture, and Scott has certainly touched on one of the most important aspects of promotion.  Nice thread guys.
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Brian
MichiganBowling.com
http://www.MichiganBowling.com

Famous Last Words of a Pot Bowler--"Ok, but this is my last game!"