Using the Guest’s Name to Build Relationships With Golfers:
Now that most courses’ season is getting into full-swing, we must consider maximizing our resources. The greatest resource we have in the golf industry is people/golfers. Over the next few months we are going to have hundreds of visiting golfers on our course and unfortunately, in most cases, these golfers will come and go unnoticed and untapped for future revenue. This is why the game and business we love is dying a slow miserable death.
I have often written on the subject of the six core emotions every human must experience and how one or two of those emotions impact our daily decisions i.e., significance, security, variety, connection, growth and contribution. We are very fortunate our product (golf) satisfies all six of these emotions. But we must do our part and anchor in those emotions (feelings) every time we engage a guest/golfer. One of the easiest ways of doing so is by simply using their name.
Use the customer’s name as much as possible when greeting them or in conversation because the customer will have positive associations and anchors to their own name. Our names are associated to positive feelings and our brain lights up when our name is heard.
Every time a guest/golfer/member comes in your club house you must do your very best to acknowledge them by name. Remember the old TV series “Cheers” and their theme song “where everyone knows your name”? If you watched that show you know you felt happy every time you heard that song, and the reason is, is because it resonated with your own feelings of how it feels when everyone knows your name.
Repeating your guest’s name in a sales presentation is an absolute must if you want to build that rapport (relationship). People associate good feelings to their name and feel “significant (important) and connected when they hear their name. Use this simple tool when presenting your course’s golf membership, preferred players card, punch card, etc. and you will lock-up far more relationships this season.
Best of luck,
Chuck