Here Are Top Level Findings: Discounts, Meet Ups, Instruction.
We are so grateful to the many readers who responded to our Spring Subscriber Survey 2016. We had a 28 percent response rate. Anyone who knows surveys and response rates can appreciate how phenomenal that is. And a huge surprise to us. Most surveys get response rates in the single digits!
What that immediately says to us is that our readers are very engaged and, in fact, are rooting for seniorsskiing.com. We received many comments like “Keep going”, “Good job”, and “Like what I see”. When people said, “We appreciate what you are doing,” well, we got a little teary. Thank you for your encouragement.
As for immediate findings, the following were mentioned frequently in the comments:
Many of our readers said they wanted discounts, and we understand. Those of you who have opted-in withSeniorsSkiing.com (provided your email address for weekly updates) have access to Promotive, the web service providing discounts on outdoor gear and clothing from hundreds of manufacturers. These are the same “PRO FORM” discounts enjoyed by PSIA members. If you haven’t already done so, sign up for this free SeniorsSkiing.com benefit .
We also are developing a relationship with a major online lift ticket reseller. Watch for these lift ticket discounts.
Finally, look for our updated list of US areas that provide free skiing for seniors. We are updating it for next season.
Meeting up with other seniors. The next most frequent comment was “How can I meet other seniors to ski with?” We were surprised how important this was to our readers and here’s what we can suggest right now. More ideas will be forthcoming.
First, use The Forum for posting where and when you want to meet others. The Forum is a bullet board application that is accessed from SeniorsSkiing.com home page. There is a category for Meet Up/Get Together.
Second, “like” SeniorsSkiing.com’s Facebook page and use that to post when and where information. That message will go to other people who “like” the page.
Third, you will soon see an ad for the 70-plus Ski Club on SeniorsSkiing.com. This club is a perfect match for our readers. The club goes on many trips to many different areas in the US and abroad. You can find one that fits your needs and, voila, you’ve made a bunch of new skiing pals.
Technique, Instruction, Gear for seniors. Here was another pleasant surprise. Many of our readers are interested in skiing technique and instruction that meets seniors’ needs. These include people who are returning from a long hiatus, those adjusting to the new skis and boots, and others who want to ski safer.
We’ve noticed a trend for ski areas to have “Senior Days”, or “Master’s Clinics” on a regular basis through the ski season. It makes enormous sense for ski resorts to do this for their most loyal customer. We’ve been publicizing these through the last couple of seasons.
We will be working on how to publish more technique stories from instructors who have developed curricula for seniors. If you know of anyone who teaches seniors how to re-start their skiing experience, or who has some special ideas for seniors who want to sharpen their technique, please let us know.
More findings will be coming along as we continue to analyze the data.
Great response! Keep up the good work. I’m new to all “senior” skiing (at age 73) and I appreciate this newsletter. I found you by joining the 70+ ski club. I’m looking forward to next winter!!
Ok, so about actually putting in a link to click for Promotive. I don’t see where I need to go to sign up.
If you subscribe to seniorsskiing.com, you will get the link automatically. If you did subscribe and for some reason didn’t sign up with promotive or it slipped through the cracks, then I will email instructions separately.
Please resend a link to Promotive. Thanks.
I sent an email that will refresh your memory. Thanks for subscribing.