Fore Score! Golf Get-Togethers that Win Big

Many sales people would rather hit the links than head into a customer’s office. But do they know how to move the sale forward at the same time they’re getting closer to the cup? Probably not, says Jeffrey Gitomer in his new book, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers (Prentice Hall, 2006).

According to Gitomer, the main thing to remember is that on the course, you’re selling yourself. Your customer is learning whether or not he likes you, trusts you, has anything in common with you, or respects your ethics. A tall order! “Your language, your drinking, your ability to follow the rules, and your sportsmanship are determining factors in your ability to build a relationship and get the business,” writes Gitomer.

Here are his tips to make your next golf outing profitable:

1. Start before you start. Gitomer recommends arriving at the practice tee to warm up with your prospect for at least 30 minutes before your tee time. Get to know him or her better, he recommends. Use this time to gauge their competitiveness, their skill level, and their personality quirks.
2. Pick the right team. “Select strategic people to play with your prospect,” he recommends. His choice? A prospect for your prospect. “That way everyone can do business on the golf course,” he writes. It also shows your customer that you’re interested in his or her success, not just in your own ability to book the order.
3. Set a good tone. Gitomer says he likes to surprise his partners at the first tee with a small gift: a couple of sleeves of top-notch golf balls. He also loads his cart with drinks and snacks he’s chosen based on a prior conversation with the prospect’s admin or support person. Such actions are easy ways to demonstrate your preparation, thoughtfulness, and attention to detail.
4. Start with golf. Since it’s obvious you have one thing in common – golf – why not start the conversation there? Gitomer recommends talking only about golf for the first half of the course – favorite courses, holes-in-one, great tournaments, etc. 
5. End with business. The back nine, says Gitomer, is “the business nine.” Use the front half to gain rapport, and use that as a springboard for your business discussion as your outing progresses.
6. Keep ethics in mind, always. “The person you’re with will never remember the score. But, they will always remember that you cheated on the third hole,” writes Gitomer. “The key is to make sure that you show your best side, your honest side, your ethical side, your service side, your friendship side, and your fun side,” he continues. “All of these will be business-building elements on the golf course.”

For more information, click on www.gitomer.com.