Let’s assume you play and belong to a club. The obvious strategy is to show up early and ask to be connected with other members needing an extra person to complete a foursome. Over time, you gradually meet more and more members.
It’s been said after you play golf with a person for a couple of hours, you get a pretty good idea if you would want them as a client.
The game originated in Europe
no exact information about the invention of this game, but it is believed that it was discovered in Europe around the 17th century, after which this game became popular in America and then became popular from there to the world. A low score is good in golf. The golfer gets one point for each ball he hits with the club, which means the club with the most swings of the ball to reach each hole is declared the winner.
How Par Scoring is done
: This number is associated with each hole, which means that a good golfer has to put the ball into the hole in the same number of swings. Within this number, the golfer who reaches the hole with the ball is said to be “on par” for that designated hole.
Bogies: The bogie score is one point above the par score. If the golfer takes one swing more than it takes to put the ball into the hole, he is called a ‘double bogey’ followed by a ‘triple bogey’ and so on for each swing.
Eagle: A score that is two points below par 4 is called an eagle.
Hole in One: If a golfer puts the ball into the hole from the starting position, it is called a hole in one.
Strategy One
Although people often ask: “What do you do?” it’s not sporting to corner people and insist on talking business when they are expecting to play a relaxing round on a summer day. Getting the “What do you do?” message out is often done by wearing a hat or shirt with your company logo.
That might be a bit obvious.
I met a financial advisor with an interesting strategy. He would attach a luggage tag with his company logo onto his golf bag. There’s lots of downtime in golf as you wait for another player to take their shot.
Someone in the foursome notices the tag and says: “You’re with ABC Investing. My advisor is with XYZ Financial.” After saying something complimentary about their firm, he would ask: “What do you like best about your advisor? Would you recommend them?”
If they can’t think of a positive attribute or wouldn’t refer them, he says: “Why do you stay with them?” If they say great things about their advisor he might say: “In what areas do you think there might be room for improvement?”
When a person tells you what they aren’t getting, it’s an indication of what they want in a relationship.
Strategy Two
A bank president I interviewed had recently bought an insurance agency to expand the bank’s services. He told a story about the guy who founded the agency.
When the fellow moved to a new area, he was given the following advice: “Buy a Cadillac and join the most exclusive golf club.” The guy exclaimed: “I can’t afford that!”
He was told to find the money and make it happen because many businesses are built on perception. If you drive up to the most exclusive club in a new Cadillac, people assume you are a successful insurance broker.
He would play golf a couple of times a week. Sometimes it was with three friends from the Chamber. Other times, it was with his CPA and two of their clients. The one requirement was the guests needed to be owners of smal-l or medium-sized businesses.
After playing golf, he would buy everyone lunch. Over lunch, he would say to a guest: “May I call you next week and set up an appointment? I have some ideas I would like to share. I think I may be able to save you money.”
Here’s the logic. Small- and medium-sized business owners probably belong to a club, but not the best one. They only get to play that course when someone invites them.
The insurance broker also bought them lunch. They are under a social obligation making it difficult to say no to a polite request to meet.
Often people in sales find getting the appointment is the most difficult part of the process. Once they are face to face, they can communicate their value.
Strategy Three
Suppose you are a great golfer. This can work to your advantage.
I came across a financial advisor who had been a pro golfer. He would invite a client to play a round. He would encourage the client bring two friends. Upon arrival, he would suggest the client team up with him and play against the client’s guests. The client and the advisor would win, because the advisor used to be a pro golfer. The client feels great because they won!
A couple of weeks later the advisor would call each of the guests and suggest the same idea. This time, the person who was a guest at the last game invites two of their friends and they team up with the advisor. They win, of course. This allows the advisor to meet plenty of potential prospects in a relaxed setting.
It’s often been said lots of business gets done on the golf course. It’s also said building relationships is critical to success in sales. These strategies show how playing golf can be a tactful part of your business prospecting strategy.