I was asked why I play business golf. Then I was asked again and again..to where each time I was asked I had a different reason for playing business golf. So I sat down and listed in the most important order the top ten reasons I play Business Golf. Many of these could be your reason for playing golf. If not then maybe a few of these should be reasons for you to play Business Golf.
1. Improve Business
It makes sense the reason you would be playing business golf is to improve business. So why hide it? Even a professional golfer plays business golf to improve his/her business which is teaching, managing or playing golf.
It is a fact that business golf can help improve business. How? Through getting to know the person better. Yes, businesses are run by people so getting to know the person who runs the business or works for the business helps gain knowledge on what their needs are.
Don’t have time to play…or is it you are not interested in taking the time to play business golf. Maybe you should consider taking the time since improving business is every business person’s reason for being in business. That is why the reason to play business golf to improve business is the number one reason to play golf.
My studies have shown business golf, played correctly, improves your chances by 15% of making a bigger sale than if golf was not played. Also, the chance of repeat business is improved by 40% when golf is played with the customer than if not.
2. Improve Golf Game
The most obvious thing that happens when you play more business golf is your golf game improves. This is a plus on a number of levels.
When your golf game improves your confidence level improves, and when your confidence level improves your personality improves to a point that your potential clients enjoy you more as a person, which has a bearing on how much business they will do with you.
The level of golf skill does play a part in how you are seen as a person, but just a PART. Many beginner golfers play excellent business golf because they keep their expectations in check to the level of golf they are able to play. They also take time to learn the game since they understand the value golf has in helping develop real business.
Each time a round of business golf is played is an opportunity to improve the level of skill in playing golf and doing business.
3. Travel for Business
Who does not like traveling to play business golf? Well, yes, this security thing, airline fees thing and so forth make it a hassle, but overall, you are going to have to travel eventually in business if you are to expand your markets. Why not play business golf while you are at it?
Stats show that the chances of closing a deal, networking to a connection for a job or making a connection for business have a 40% better chance of happening if golf was played as part of the out of town business trip. Organizing business golf as part of the business trip also has some perks to experience with the golf becoming part of the business expense. The key here is the golf player has to be business golf not just golf.
4. Travel for Golf
You can also enjoy a golf trip more if there was a round of business golf scheduled before or after the recreational golf. Who knows, the recreational golf might turn into a round of business golf or the business golf turns into discovering a golf partner to play with when you meet up again. Going on a golf outing set up for recreation and then turns into business does have its perks…but make sure to enjoy the golf and let the business be business.
5. Business Networking
Business Golf is a natural for Business networking. How many times have you gone to a business networking gathering, met someone, thought of someone to refer them to for business and stopped short (like you should) and think…I don’t know this person. Do I want to risk my friendship with someone by referring someone to them I do not know?
In a more trusting time, sometime before 2008, referring someone was part of being courteous. Now, caution has to be taken when connecting strangers with the network you have developed. Deception is, unfortunately, a by-product of a dark economy. One unscrupulous person getting into your list of connections can ruin years of hard work.
Playing business golf as part of your business networking develops a knowledge of who that person is really like. Golf pulls out the character flaws a person has deep inside them. Knowing that person before connecting them to your network will keep your friends still friends.
6. Social Networking
Naturally, what is good in business is good in a social atmosphere. Just make sure the social is social and the business is business. Do not put doing business in a social environment. There are times in the social arena to make new golf partners or friends. So playing social golf can lead to a round of business golf. Just keep the social, social and the business, business.
7. Develop Solid Business Relationships
Studies are showing business golf, at its very minimum, builds a stronger business relationship than any other form of activity. Naturally, there will be many rounds of business golf, around 35%, that will not produce any direct business. This is a much better rate since over 60% of the contacts made during other business networking or development activities do not produce any direct, indirect or even a business relationship.
If played correctly, each round of business golf produces another connection to a solid business person that could not be made in any other manner. Solid business relationships are hard to accomplish. Business golf can break down barriers and open doors to the people you want to know.
8. Develop Solid Personal Relationships
There are many times when just having a friend to talk to about the weather is a help in keeping your sanity. New friends met during a round of social golf sometimes become close friendships. Many times close golf friends can be great sources for possible business ideas or connections they have. But, be cautious with this approach of turning a round of recreational golf into a round of business golf. It should not be done very frequently if ever. Just remember, that sometimes business comes from areas of your life you would not expect it. The social personal relationships you develop through golf can be very important in sounding out approaches to doing business. Use them sparingly but realize that personal relationship can lead to a business connection.
9. Screens Out the Chaff
Using a round of business golf to screen out someone who is not serious about themselves, the business they do or golf they play is also to be expected from playing business golf. Some people would take this aspect of business golf and make it their number one purpose of playing business golf. Truly, the need to find the people who ‘walk the talk’ in business is needed, but overall, using business golf as only a screening tool is not very productive.
This is not to say business golf is not to be considered as a tool to use to discover a person’s true motives. Sometimes just the act of inviting someone to play a round of business golf will trump up a person’s true intention. If they do not have the time to play golf usually shows they have a time management issue or are overly focused on making a sale which generally leads to them burning out. Knowing this before doing business with someone sure saves a lot of time and possible legal fees.
10. Learn Something
What you learn during a round of business golf I rated as number 10, however, it really could receive a higher rating if you look at what you learn from a round of business golf as a positive venture. I find that every round of business golf produces something positive, even if the entire round was negative.
Each round of business golf opens a different door in a person’s life. Sometimes one of the doors opened by getting to know someone better can lead to a change in business, change in life or an improvement in a way of thinking towards something.
Naturally, each round of business golf allows me to learn more about my golf game. Nonetheless, just playing golf allows for more to be discovered than any other activity anyone can play recreationally or as part of the business. It is the learning I find enjoyable about playing business golf that most people oversee due to them being too focused on the bottomline.
Get out and play a round of business golf and find which one of these reasons is the reason you play golf. Let me know how I can help.
