When I started out to write my book, How to Play Business Golf, originally published in 2005, I set out to explain how golf can help develop business.
Now, 13 years later and hundreds of more round of business golf played, I simplified the process of learning to play business golf to being the 5 Steps to Playing Business Golf.
For those of you new to Golf, or especially Business Golf, here is the answer to the three questions you now have or will eventually.
- What is Business Golf?
- Why play business golf?
- How Does One Play Business Golf?
Here are the answers to all of those questions.
5 Steps to Playing Business Golf
I’ll assume you know how to play golf…or at least have learned to play well enough to be comfortable with playing with someone else.
Knowing the game of golf and being able to play a complete round of golf is the only prerequisite to playing Business Golf. However, I do have some extensive knowledge of business golf for people just learning golf, but that is for another book.
So you know how to play golf.
Even if the only time you have played golf was to play in a few charity tournaments or even played in a few outings organized by your club’s golf association. That is enough to get started with playing business golf. You just need to know the basic rules, golf ettiquets and have a passion to want to play the game while you socialize with a business associate or client.
Business Golf starts with the…
1. The Invitation
Have you noticed how rare it is to receive a letter in the mail?
I am not talking about those letters that real estate agents send wanting to buy your house. I’m talking about a message someone sends you to thank you for something you did or to invite you to attend a private event.
It is unfortunate that getting anything personal in the mail is very rare.
Now with the internet email servers being hammered with Spam emails the good ol Snail mail now works to your advantage.
What should say in your invitation?
The Message: Keep you invitation brief. Naturally, the recipient is going to want to know what THIS is all about. THIS being, why he got an invitation to play golf.
You do not want to be deceitful of your intentions to talk business after golf so make sure you always ask if he could make sure he has time to talk after the golf.
This way he or she knows what is expected of them.
If you can work in a quick agenda like…meeting me at the club for a round of golf and afterwards I would like to speak with you about something I could use your help with. Or, something of that effect. Just remember..keep it brief and to the point. No Rambling!!
Mailing a well thought-out personal invitation to play a round of business golf as a follow up to your one-on-one introduction, sends a profound message to the recipient that gives you a 65% better chance of being granted a positive response.
It does not have to be that fancy..just a postcard. There are several postcard services that you can join that produce the card and your message.
2. The Set-Up
Once you have secured the confirmation to your invitation it is now time to make sure everything is set up for the business golf.
This step plays as one of the most important stages of playing business golf. The Set-Up is where all of the problems are solved before they happen. Things like Slow Play, overcrowded dining area or grill, poor condition of the golf course.
All of these things are manageable if know before your guest shows up.
If possible, sometime before the round of golf scope out a quiet place in the grill..or even on the patio where it is quite enough to talk and not have to talk over something.
Remember, you probably only have the time it takes to drink one beer or cocktail to get your spill said and done. So make sure all interruptions are taken care of before they happen.
3. The Golf
The Golf…enough cannot be said about how important the Golf part of Business Golf plays in the outcome.
The most important thought that needs to be in your head during the entire four and half hours you are on the golf course is to resist making it the time on the golf course a Sale Pitch.
I Know, it is hard, but you have to control that urge. My studies support that you only have a 1%chancee of winning a sale on the golf course if you use the round of golf as a sales tool.
The Golf is what you and your guest came together to play so it should be the ONLY focus.
It starts with a purposeful welcome that leads to stating what the agenda for the day will be.
The focus on the golf course is on the golf, the fellowship and small talk about relevant commonalities.
After Golf, the talk levels up to business relevance filled with asking a lot of questions.
4. The After Golf
After golf is where the business golf is played. As the host, you got a unique opportunity on the golf course to explore your guest’s character and how he or she communicates.
Now it is time to find out what business opportunities are available. There could be a number of things to make note of, or, nothing.
Either way, the connection has been made and if the business golf was played well there is always the opportunity for the new connection to make a referral.
Keep the conversation moving by asking questions. Getting your guest to talk more than you. Listen closely and make notes.
Expect the tables to be turned on you and be fully cooperative to the opportunity to answer any question you guest may ask.
End the After Golf with an action item or plan.
- If the round was pleasant, there is the offer to play another round sometime in the future.
- If there were some business possibilities make the effort to ask for a follow-up meeting.
- If the round was tedious or the character traits were uncomfortable there is always the “Let’s keep in touch” and leave it to that.
Always end on a good note.
5. The Follow-Up.
The final step to playing business golf is the most important step. It is what you are playing business golf. It is the Follow-Up.
The Follow Up to a round of business is the most powerful part of Business Golf. Again, if the round of business golf was played correctly the one thing that should have developed to your favor was Respect.
Golfers, like it or not, are a fellowship, a mutual admiration society of sorts.
Have you ever been to a business networking gathering or conference and noticed there is usually a group of men and women gathered in groups, having a drink, and seeming to have a jolly time? Those usually are the golfers in the group who found each other during either ideal conversation or from the golf outing that the conference had before the event.
Golfers gravitate to each other because…well…they are golfers and they have a commonality perfect for generating the ultimate in small talk.
OH, I suppose people who Bowl or build drones have that same fellowship, however, golf is not just a game of skill, strategy and physical fitness…it is a lifestyle of a sort that can be played for a lifetime.
But back to the Follow-Up.
A well-played round of business golf with a perfect stranger nows gives the host a foot up on getting his guest’s attention after the round of golf. Making a phone call to your guest has a better chance of being answered once your name shows up on the caller ID. Or even an email that has your name in the email address will be opened well before the Yada-Yada-Yada emails that flood into your former business golf partner.
Getting in to see you guest after the round of business golf is more likely than if you were just calling after going to a business card exchange gathering.
Yes, most of this all a form of common sense. However, the differentiator is in the Golf. Golf is a natural business developer. Golf opens up a person to show their true character. Golf is a respect-builder.
Yes, golf is a hard activity, sport, game to learn to play, but not impossible. Studies are finding that Golf is a great activity to keep the brain active..and I know a lot of business people who need to get their brain active.
Make the time, take the effort and spend the bucks to learn to play golf. Golf is good for you and your business.
Let me know how I can help.
