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                                                                                                                                                        Doing Business on the Golf Course

 

You have spent time and energy building a relationship with a prospect/client. It’s going well and you feel like inviting them out to play a round of golf with you will take your relationship to a new level. This presents a huge opportunity to connect with a decision maker outside their office! Yes! What can possibly go wrong?

You now have a 4 – 6 hour window to really get to know this person! The time spent, for better or worse, will reveal your character! At this point, a simple game of golf can make or break your case. You better be sure you can move the needle. This is an integral step in relationship building, which you are staking your reputation on!

First off, this is not a regular weekend game with your buddies; so don’t treat it like one. Continue to be professional. There will be plenty of opportunities during the round, to show your sense of humour and personality. This is not the day you pound beers to relax, so don’t. I don’t care if my guest imbibes, I will definitely let them lead the way on this and as long as they don’t do damage or endanger anyone’s health, then they are the ones who have to live with what happens.

This time together also reveals their character and you get to decide whether or not you want to continue to pursue this relationship any further, it’s a two-way street.

I like to play golf with new people.  Life is a time-space continuum and people’s lives change all the time. There is no telling where your paths will cross again, should things not work out for you in this moment. That’s not to say it won’t, just that circumstances always move the goalposts!

Now, my advice. . . just play golf! Do not lead with business. In fact, don’t do any business! This is NOT Glengarry Glen Ross!  NO A – Always, B – Be, C – Closing! This is GOLF! A golf course is not the place where you become the salesperson in a clothing store and follow your prospect around the store offering up verbal diarrhea until they walk out without even picking up a tie! Put yourself in your guest’s shoes. Would you want someone always bringing the subject around to business and taking flow and enjoyment away from what should be a pleasurable time? If your guest initiates, follow their lead, but show patience as one of your character traits. If you play your cards correctly, there will be a couple of opportunities to close for the next order of business, either after the round, over a meal and refreshments or as a follow up the next work day. You might even be asked about why you didn’t bring it up, which will give you the perfect opportunity to explain yourself and respond that you would like them as your customer forever and there is plenty of time to do business while you develop your relationship!

Acknowledge we are in the #metoo era! What it really means to men is that we need to show respect to everyone and everything! For me, this includes the opportunity to play golf on Coast Salish Territory, this beautiful land which we occupy rather dubiously. We also need to accept responsibility for our actions. We men need to think before we speak, think before we act and offer up the respect necessary to be respected in return. Just because you can say or do anything, doesn’t mean you should. My rule of thumb is, if I can’t add anything positive to the commentary, I will remain silent. If my actions can not be viewed positively, I will not move. Be patient, let impulses pass, treat others the way you wish to be treated!

Some rules!

Don’t “let the customer win”! I am fortunate to have played this game at a high level for a long time. I have never played golf without trying to shoot the best score possible, whether I brought my A-game or not. My ability to shoot in the 70’s has drawn more respect from superiors, peers, customers and prospects, than disdain. Play your game, and play it to the best of your ability that day!

If the course you have chosen to play has a dress code, know it and apprise your guest. There is nothing worse than having someone show up in jeans and a t-shirt. Your expense account likely doesn’t have room on it for your client’s new golf outfit!

Don’t talk politics. Should you go down this road, be cognizant of the very divergent political positions these days. The polarizing and passionate views of today’s rhetoric could negate all your set up work with this prospect/client. It could also set you up for a moral/ethical decision. If your prospect/client is diametrically opposed to your position, like, truly believes in something that you can’t or won’t stand for, you need to decide whether your relationship with this individual is worth it. I can be as hypocritical as anyone, but I have left employment and ceased relationships based on opposing points of view. You need to decide which battles to join and which ones to walk away from. Again,  this all boils down to character. You are the one that needs to be able to sleep at night. Some deals and relationships aren’t worth just the $$ or the backlash. Your moral compass may make your journey longer but will also make it less stressful.

Don’t be homophobic. Advocate for those who get discriminated against.

Making comments that demean and marginalize have no place on the golf course. You miss a putt and exclaim, “that’s so gay”, has no place in our world! I am an ally of the LGBTQ community, many of whom play the game better than you and I do!

Don’t be misogynistic. Again, advocate for sexual equality.

I know some women who play a better game than most of us and it is plain offensive to make derogatory and inflammatory comments.

Don’t talk religion.

Should you have opposing views, this could create some unnecessary tension between you.

Don’t cheat. Cheating reveals so much about your character.  If you cheat at golf, what else will you cut corners on

Know the rules. One of the rules of golf is to know the rules of golf. Sounds kind of weird, but if you don’t know the rules, you are probably cheating! Also, there are new rules added almost every year, 2019 in particular. Now you have the ability to leave the flagstick in while putting, the ability to repair marks (other than ball marks) on your putting line and dropping your ball from knee height (rather than shoulder height). These are put in place to make the game faster and fairer. There are more new rules in 2019, can you list them off?

Don’t bet. What happens if one of you completely routs the other? Awkward. How do you build a relationship on that?

Follow golf etiquette. I like to set up one ground rule before I tee up.  I try to play “ready” golf! If my guest is “away” but not “ready” yet I am, I will play so as to keep the pace of play moving! That includes teeing off on subsequent holes. Also, be cognizant if you are one of the slow groups on the course.  It is your job to keep things moving, whether that is by assisting with bag positions or just keeping everyone focused on moving. If you are the one who is guilty of slow play, not too many people will accept a second invite, so get the hint.

If you “need” to have your cell phone with you, please put it on vibrate mode or simply turn it off. You should have time at the end of 9 and 18, or if you are waiting behind a slow group, to check in.  Remember that your guest is the most important part of your day and if you haven’t been able to clear your schedule it will reflect on your ability to stay focused. Think about your guest. If they are on their phone, it takes away from relationship building time you are fortunate to get in the first place. Some courses have a NO CELL PHONE policy. Be aware.

If your guest has been drinking and is inebriated, for everyone’s benefit, arrange transportation home. There are organizations who will drive vehicles home for clients. Make sure you don’t allow your guest to get behind the wheel! Be the adult and take responsibility for the situation.

What could go wrong? Plenty, but keeping things light, talking about golf, family, hobbies and interests, should allow for good relationship building.

Hopefully your day plays out without issue and you are able to advance to the next stage of business, whatever that may be.

Have FUN! Remember CHARACTER. Showcase yours; it will be well worth the effort!

 

MAF

19 Feb 2019                        

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         Mike Fraser Golf

Your golf resource for Vancouver and the Lower Mainland

CGTF - 9th year Certified Golf           Teaching Professional

Master Club Fitter - GolfTown University

MFG – January 2023

Fifty-four years playing this amazing game this year. Nine years as a CGTF Golf Teaching Professional. My seventh year on the maintenance crew at the VanParksGolf – McCleery Golf Course. In the spirit of reconciliation, I call myself a land custodian. I am trying to leave this City of Vancouver land in a better state than I found it. As a golf course, the Superintendent and crew have made many improvements to McCleery that make me proud to be a part of it. I acknowledge that I am a 3rd generation uninvited settler who lives and works on the unceded territories of the Squamish, Musqueam and Tsleil Waututh Nations.

Got a chance to play 48 games in 2022. Seems like when I get a chance to play over 40 games in a season, it invariably ends up being a good one. This past year was no different. Three years post left thumb surgery and I’m so happy to report that my left thumb, apart from being permanently hyperextended, is fully healed. I have the mobility I need to play golf, and am doing it pain free. My right thumb is following the left, though not at a surgical state as yet. Pain comes and goes, mostly reflecting the humidity of the day.

Coming up to my 65th birthday, I’m contemplating reducing my hours at the golf course and taking on some more lessons. The lesson move will have to take in to account the nature of CoVid going forward into the summer and fall. I will keep you posted.

I’m making an early gear change for 2023. I have been following Danny Seifried – Kayson Golf, for the past couple of years. I have always been a fan of roll face putter technologies, believing that a roll face offers the same loft at point of contact, regardless of forward press or hitting the ball on the upswing, etc. Well, Danny has developed a putter that has most of its weight above the equator of the putter. This high center of gravity allows the ball to be struck with some over-spin or more roll out. It’s a mallet head, which I have never played before, and has a nice black finish with 3 different alignment markings on the top. He also gave me a smaller large grip (not the SuperStroke 5) and made it a little longer than my previous gamer.

I am really looking forward to getting this in play for the season.

Danny has also provided me the opportunity to demo a set of his Kayson Golf  graphite shafted club sets. There will be another entry to evaluate the Kayson products in March, after I have had a chance to give them a good test!

Now on to last year’s review:

            Handicap                                         +0.1

            Low Score                                       69 (twice)

            High Score                                     77

            Par or Better                                15 games (nearly 1/3 of my total rounds)

            Lowest Score at Langara      72 (with 1 – 3 putt)

            Birdies                                          103

            Most Ft of Putts Made       115 (6 birdies for 69)

            Least Amount of Putts          22 (10/12 up & ins for 70)

            Most GIR                                      15 (1 Birdie – 1 Double for 72)

            Most Pars in a round             16 (same round as most GIR)

            Most Birdies in a round         6 (twice)

I did not keep statistics for any categories this year. I was less concerned about improving in any of the categories because I simply wanted to play a shot at a time and enjoy the process. What I did find out about my game this past year was that I was not reading greens very well and subsequently didn’t make as many putts as I think I should have. Hence, the equipment change. Also, I am committed to taking a bit more time with my putting routine, with most of that time being more thorough on reading the green. I don’t 3 – putt very often, but I also don’t make some of the good chances I get round in and round out. I’m hoping I can improve upon this.

In conjunction with me pulling back my hours on the crew I’m hoping to add an extra game per week from May or June onward. If I get the chance to play 3 times a week, there is no telling how well I might play this year.

I had some nice aha moments this past year. After a bogey-bogey-bogey start, played the last 15 even for a 74. A double-par-bogey-double stretch 3-6 with 3 penalty strokes, but finished with 6 birdies and shot 72. Birdied 14 -15-16 to shoot 70. The realization was, to not give up, to not get frustrated, to keep playing shot for shot.

The consistency that this year held was really rewarding, even though my lowest score wasn’t really low (-2). My sloppy games were 74’s and 75’s. Lots of those games were played after a full day of work, with my alarm going off at 4am. Those rounds were ones where I really had to stay in the moment and push through the exhaustion to finish as well as I could.

I continue to absolutely LOVE this game! I am committed to hitting balls on the range a couple times a week during the off-season. I’m heading for what seems like an annual trip to Palm Springs a little later this year, going at the end of February. This will give me a really good start on the West Coast 2023 season!

I like to analyze your past/current golf scores and discuss where I see areas that can improve.

My use of some regular game performance statistics allows me to zero in on those areas.

Starting with the basics (grip, stance, aim, ball position and posture), we build to solid contact, scoring shots for control and then move to distance clubs for power.

My consultation time with you is free, you need to believe that what I suggest to you is worth pursuing.

We will discuss a strategy, agree on a plan, then get to work!