Clambake Café ™

How to Get Someone to Play Golf With You..Again.

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iStock_000004244190XSmall Getting someone to play golf with you is sometimes easy to do, but if you don’t understand how to communicate with others or if everything has to be about You, it may be very hard to get someone to play golf with you again.

I am sure everyone has experienced a round of golf with someone you just do not get a long with.  In competitive golf that is kind of expected.  However, in business golf getting that second round of golf with someone could make a difference in the level of networking you will receive or the sale you would make with them.  In that case, it sometimes good to be able to get another round of golf with that person. 

To do this you need to be prepared for everything and be able to stay pleasant at the minimum during the first round of business golf you have with someone.  Here are a few pointers to remember.

Turn the Sale Off

One of the first problems many sales people have when playing golf is knowing how to ‘Turn The Sale Off’.  Its understandable that selling something pays the bills but there is a time to sell and time to find out who it is you are selling to.  The number one rule of business golf is to not talk business on the golf course.  At the end of the day when the round is over the business part comes natural.  Keep the business – business and golf – golf.

Listen More

Many times a Host of a round of business golf will feel like they need to keep the air filled with talk.  This sometimes is needed, however, the best thing a host should do is ask his guest questions..let him/her do the talking.   Ask only questions on current events in business news or questions (here is a novel idea) about golf.   This takes the edge off any feelings someone may have towards being set up for a six hour sales pitch.

Mirror Personality

Personality conflicts top the list of why someone may not want to play golf with you again.  Knowing from body language or tones of voice what type of personality someone is comfortable with comes from personality profile training or years of experience.  Not understanding the other person’s personality traits, and even worst, not wanting to understanding their traits, usually is what gets someone to not like someone.  That makes it real hard to get those people to want to play golf with you again.  Best thing to do is learn how to mirror other personalities that are not comfortable for you.

Be Pleasant

Not everyone can be ‘Mr Funny’ or ‘Ms Charming’..those characteristics of a person’s personality sometimes come from how the person was brought up.  If they were in a social environment as a child then being sociable comes natural. 

To some, being personable is difficult.  However, to get someone to want to play golf with you a second time there has to be some enjoyable experience encountered during the first round.  Being pleasant is the absolute default to behavior for the first round of golf you have someone.

Look Important

People like people who know how to dress for the occasion.  A person could have the best personality but if they dress too casual the people around them get uncomfortable and that turns them to not want to be around that person.  Some people take lightly what they wear to play golf and see no problem in it.  However, that portrays an image of ‘Its All About Me’ which is the killer personality trait for any business relationship.  The best thing to remember is to dress UP, not down for business golf.

Business golf is one of the best ways to go about fighting off a slow economy.  Learn how to business golf and it can make life and business a little more fun while also being profitable.  Let me know how I can help.

Mr Business Golf Plays Golf-A-Thon

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Jack and Jill Logo rob_profile_pic When Rob Pritts, of Back 9 Promotions, approached me to solicit my support for the FORE! Jack and Jill Golf Marathon I was sold on supporting the cause at Rob’s saying.. “Hey, I need your help”. 

Now, I Need Your help

Here is the deal.  I have pledged to play 72 holes of golf in one day, on June 28 at the TPC at Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas. 

For those of you who are not familiar with the TPC at Craig Ranch or where the heck McKinney, Texas is ,I can tell you this, any golf course the TPC hangs their hat on is tough and anywhere in North Texas  is all I can say is it is going to be HOT.  So, for me to bite off playing 72 holes in this Heat on that brute of a course means I am SERIOUS.

Click Here for more on what I have to say about this cause.

What I hope I can depend on you for is serious support in the way of a pledged donation to the Jack and Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation for each hole I play.   Any amount per hole adds up and the donation is tax deductible. Pledge-Button

How Does a Golf Marathon Work

A golf marathon is a FULL day of non-stop golf on a championship venue. All golfers tee off in the morning and keep on going to see how many holes they can play for the day. The goal is for all players to play 72 holes. 

Each hole is validated that the player has played each hole.  At the end of the day, the number of holes the golfer has played is totaled along with the amount pledged and the donors are charged for their pledge.

What This Really Means

OK, let me paint a picture of what me playing 72 holes is going to entail.   First, lets get this out of the way..I am a Bad 14 handicapper..that means the absolute best score I could make on my home course is 86.  Now, add in that the TPC Craig Ranch is about 10 strokes harder than my home course that would mean that at my very best I might be able to score a 96 each time I play Craig Ranch..yaw, hahaha  Give me a break! 

Now, you take into consideration I am going to play the equivalent of 4 rounds in one day I am sure that 96 score would be a great score by the 72nd hole…hope Rob does not have the cameras on for that last hole.  So, if you add that up that would be a minimum of approximately 385 times I will hit a golf ball for charity. 

OK, knowing that there are around 80 golf balls to a medium size basket of balls at the driving range…that would equate to setting five baskets of balls on the range and hit all of them before dark…  

Plus, lets don’t forget the Heat factor!  Geez, Rob, are you kidding me?  OK, you are not, so it is Suck It Up Time and quit whining..I got the message, thank you.

BOTTOMLINE:  Guys and Gals, I am going to play a lot of golf in one day and not many people do this for recreation.  It is in a way a daunting task..especially for a hack like me.   What keeps me going is thinking of the cause I am helping.  This is where your support with your pledge comes into play.  I am pledging to you to complete this task if you pledge to make a donation to Jack and Jill for each hole I play.  You can donate as much or little as you want and can even make a Flat Rate Donation.  Anything and everything you pledge is tax deductible and it all mounts up.  So, together we can make a difference and with your pledge I will also stop whining and make those four loops around the TPC of Craig Ranch with a Smile..knowing I helped US make a difference.  Let me thank you in advance for your donation…and as always, let me know how I can help.

More on the Cause

The Jack & Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation provides memory opportunities for children who have a Mom or Dad with late stage, limited life expectancy cancer. Thousands of Mom’s and Dad’s in their 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s  with late stage cancer will die each year despite the advances in research.  These parents are leaving behind grieving children.

The Jack & Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation provides families with an opportunity to capture indispensable memories together that will be both a break from the disease and a return to some normalcy now, as well as a legacy to cherish after the loss of their parent. The Foundation is able to positively impact the children and parents by providing them with strong, happy, recent memories that certainly provide comfort and support on the imminent grieving process.

As Jill Albert said just weeks before she passed away: "The children need a break… they just need a break… and so do the parents. This Foundation needs to continue. It must."

Dallas Gets 1st BGCC Chapter Club

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The tee goes in the ground at 4PM on June 9th to launch the Business Golf Country Club’s 1st Chapter Club.  The location?  Where else, right here in my backyard (literally) of Dallas, Texas at my country club.

Dallas-Club-Logo Here we Go!

The BGCC will launch its 1st Chapter Club in Dallas, Texas on

June 9, 2010,

Brookhaven Country Club. 

The club is for golfers (of any level); business owners and executives who golf; and Professional Golfers.  The launch will have a 9 Hole Round of Golf, a Networking gathering and a talk on what the BGCC Chapter club has to offer business golfers.  Anyone interested in joining the club can contact me through this site or register to attend here…

Register for Golf - Business Networking BGCC D/FW Chapter Club Launch in Dallas, TX on Eventbrite

Number of registrants is limited for the ‘Launch’ so make sure to sign up now.  Sponsor packages are available for this event.

What!?

The Business Golf Country Club (BGCC) is a 665 member private business/social networking group.  The mission of the BGCC is to build a safe online golf community for golfers, business owners, business executives and golf professional.  The private club environment encourages members to freely develop new business and advance their golf skills through the use of sound social media with other members around the globe.

Founded in 2007, the BGCC  is owned by Innovative Business Golf Solutions (IBGS).  In 2008 IBGS partnered with eGolfGroup , Dave Bisbee, for the managing of the club’s operations.  

The BGCC’s initial growth has come through word-of-mouth networking. In late 2009, the management team decided to create a greater online presence through the use of IBGS’s Social Media experience and, in light of the frail golf economy, adopted the slogan…

Help put business back on Course…the golf course.

Chapter Club Experience

The BGCC Chapter Club is offered BGCC members of the region an opportunity to meet and visit with fellow members of the club.  The Chapter club will gather monthly and each club will be managed by a member committee.  Typical monthly chapter club meetings will consist of at least 9 holes of business golf; an after golf Networking Session with food and drink; and an organized learning experience that highlights new or improved methods of developing business.

The BGCC Chapter Club targets business professional, owners and executives as well as golf professionals. Each member will go through an application process to make sure they meet the club’s requirements for membership.

The BGCC aims to balance the amount of golf activities offered with the same amount of Networking and Business development opportunities.  Members of the Chapter club will be required to be a member of the BGCC online private club.  The annual Membership dues will be determined by the number of club meetings the chapter committee decides they want to organize each year.  For more information on establishing a BGCC Chapter Club in your region contact me through this site.

The BGCC Chapter Clubs have been a long time coming and more club members benefits will be announced in the coming months.  We truly are dedicated to helping golf survive for the Business Golfer around the world through helping Golf survive.  The BGCC does this through bringing to golf clubs, golf resorts and country clubs all of the club’s offline functions.  If your golf facility is interested in learning more on what the BGCC can offer your facility contact me through this site.

Lets get out and tee it up so your can tell me how I can help.  See you in Dallas on June 9th.

ClamBake Cafe Ready for BGCC New Site

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IBGS Broadcast Media The ClamBake Cafe interviews will be back as soon as the new BGCC site is up and running with the a new video platform.  We hope to be back with fresh BGCC Member interviews by mid-June.  Until then, keep checking out the BGCC site for news and updates.  Updates will be posted here as soon as they are announced.

Top Three Things Keeping People from Playing Business Golf

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Senior executive business man Being out and about networking with people, playing golf with people and managing the Business Golf Country Club membership all offers me a unique opportunity to talk to business people about business golf.  Naturally, many of the people I talk to off the golf course who do not play golf have an array of impressions of Golf.  Following are the Top Three Things that keep people form playing Business Golf

1. Attitude

It seems the common thread of the non-golfers, and some golfers, towards Golf and Business Golf is their ‘attitude’.  For some their attitude towards Golf in general is negative.  For the golfers who do not use golf as a business tool the concept seems to be too complicated or feel it really does not work as good as the methods of business development they currently use.  For those who do not play golf, the concept of playing golf is beyond them so anything they do not know how to do promotes their negative attitude towards golf.

Usually, after drilling down further, I find out more about the person I am dealing with I find it is their attitude in general that is keeping them from reaching goal.  So, having an attitude towards golf not being something of interest is just that…an attitude.  Which is keeping them form experiencing many things that would improve their life as well as their business.

2.Vanity

Oh, Yes.  I wish I had a penny for every time I have heard someone tell me..’I don’t want to look foolish’..or, ‘golf fashion just is not me’.  I would be able to pay cash for a home on PGA West and site out on the patio and heckle the members…well, almost. 

Vanity seems to play a huge part in many people’s lives and business.  In some cases it should.  Having a professional image does calm consumes concerns and builds greater trust.

However, I have run into a large number of business executives who tell me..usually through their assistant or other indirect communication..that they do not want to play golf because their lack of athleticism would make them appear ‘weak’, ‘less professional’ or ‘less in command’.  Unfortunately, in the majority of cases I reviewed of these type of executives, their vanity to how they look in the workplace is causing the same concerns they are trying to avoid due to their lack of athleticism. 

3. Misunderstanding

The lack of understanding golf and how what it offers towards relationship building is probably the number one thing keeping business people from playing golf.  What keeps it from being certain is the other two top things keeping people from playing business golf are specific leaving the misunderstanding of golf covering a larger area of things people think about Golf.

To a business person, executive or business owner, not knowing something in the business world is, in their minds, to appear to be less professional.  So to cover that lack of knowledge they will talk over the issue or write it off as something not worthy of their time.

The misunderstanding of Golf and its positive virtues is usually what I deal with in many encounters I have with people I talk to off the golf course.  It is the lack of understanding golf that is keeping so many people in business away from learning to play golf.

A persons attitude, vanity and understanding for things really does affect the way they go about life and business.  Changing the thinking in any of these Top Three Reasons for Not Playing Business Golf would make a change in life and business.

Let me know how I can help.

How Special Can You Make a Business Golf Outing?

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Eagle Mountain I play a lot of golf around the country.  I say a lot.  There are others who play a more rounds of golf a year than me, but on average the number of rounds of golf I play a year is far above the average of what most people play.

Most people who come to me to talk about business golf, or to be mentored in business golf, only play 12 to 14 rounds of recreational golf a year.  Naturally, the number of rounds they play doubles the first year after I get them started in using golf as a business tool.  Still, even with the increase of play, golf to them is very special.

It is good to be excited with playing golf and keeping the play special.  What keeps golf special sometimes is different for each golfer.  What keeps golf special for a vet like me has to do with the quality of golf.  What keeps golf special for someone else could be something as specific as the cups of ice the club attendants give, to something as general as just being able to find the time to play.

Whatever makes the round of golf you play with a guest special should be the goal.  A pleasant experience always leads to a pleasant outcome.

Generally, what keeps business golf special has to do with where the golf is played.  So, if you are not sure what makes your guest’s golf special, pick a golf club that holds a very high standard to the overall quality experience.  Odds are that golf club will make the round of golf special for both you and your guest.  The results of the business golf are then left to you.

Let me know how I can help.

The Etiquettes of Business Golf

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There are seldom times when knowing what to do is as important than when playing Business Golf. 

  • Do I let the boss when? 
  • Do I drink while I play?
  • What do I do if I am not as good of a golfer than my guest?

All of these questions are natural reactions to playing business golf and represent just a few of the questions surrounding Business Golf Etiquette.  Nobody wants to look bad or make someone look bad by not knowing what to do.  The rules of golf are hard enough to remember.  When you add on the rules of business golf then playing business gold could seem a little daunting.

However, the rules of business golf are no different than the rules of golf.  Both are applied to how the golf will be played on the golf course.  Business Golf just adds in a more personable and professional image to the round.  Here are just a few of the things to remember when playing Business Golf.

Character Evaluator

Business Golf does not have number rules for etiquette since most of them revolve around common curiosities.  Since most rounds of business golf are ‘first time meetings’ the round is on the most part an opportunity to evaluate each others character.

Show Fortitude

Many people feel intimidated when playing golf due to them feeling they need to play at a higher level of golf skill they are able to play.  Every golfer should want to play their very best.  Business Golfers need to shake off the bad shot or entire hole and move on in a positive direction.  A demonstration of fortitude helps to keep the positive attitude that stays with the professional image you want to portray.

No Vise Area

Statistics show the use of Cigars and heavy drinking ruin a round of business golf.  The use of cigars and lavish behavior paints a negative picture of the person.  Inconsideration of others is the message broadcasted out to the business world when someone lights up a cigar and ordering a case of beer for the front nine thinking it is acceptable behavior.  Make the round of Business Golf a ‘No Vise’ Area.

Display Humility

A demonstration of humility when your guest or your host is having a bad day is another common courtesy used more in Business Golf.  Having sympathy towards a golfing partners bad day or being humble for you exceptional play is all part demonstrating your true character.

Honesty

Golf is a vessel that nurtures honesty.  The rules of golf are based on honesty.  Same goes for business golf since honesty in business is the main pillar of trust.  Simple things like scores provide audible demonstrations of honesty. 

Focus on Pleasantries

Many high strung ‘Type A’ personalities have a hard time keeping from taking over a round of business golf and making it all about them.  Sometimes a little boastfulness provides a demonstration of strength.  However, pageants of persistent  narcissism will work against any strength a person has.  Keep things pleasant and balanced between the on course chatter.

Business is Business and Golf is Golf

The biggest mistake most Business Golfers make is in talking business during the golf.  Pitching a deal on the golf course seems nature when novice of business golf first hear the phrase Business Golf.  However, statistics are sound in proving the ‘Six Hour Sales Pitch’ has a very low success rate.  Business Golf boils down to being..Business is Business and Golf is Golf..keeping them separate works the best.

 

These are the basics of Business Golf Etiquette.  When uncertainty arises during a round of business golf on what to do, it is best to take a position on what feels best at the time.   Being more professional than casual leaves a better impression even if it may not be the popular position at that time.

Keep it in the short grass and put the square face of the golf club on the back side of the ball..and let me know how I can help.