Everyone has heard the salesman stereotype of selling on the golf course, but does it actually work? One might think of think back to episode 17 of season 4 of The Office where Jim manages to close a sale with a seemingly stubborn client. While there are a lot of stipulations and maybe even humorous thoughts surrounding the act of selling on the fairway, it might be more effective than the masses think.
Where does selling occur most often? The obvious answer is some sort of conference room filled with anxious sales reps, tablet in hand. These rooms are congested with technology which inevitably brings forth a wave of distraction and anxiety. While this is the norm in the world of sales, there must be a better environment that will prove more effective when it comes to closing a sale. This environment is none other than playing a smooth 18 holes on a gorgeous Tuesday morning. You might ask, “How does golf improve your chances of closing a sale?”. I would be honored to enlighten you.
Golf is a sport that is played with as little technology as possible. This gives the salesman a client that has nothing to do but listen. Throughout the 18 holes, the two individuals will spend much time discussing their personal lives and maybe even cracking a few jokes. Connections will be made that would not have been made otherwise, and the ambient atmosphere of a gorgeous golf course with produce an abundance of fruitful conversation. There are numerous elements of the game that can transfer to the world of business. Of these are discipline, focus, and consistency. Demonstrating these characteristics will prove to the client that the salesman or saleswoman is reliable, loyal, and will be there for him/her and his/her business. The client will also be able to see, first-hand, the salespersons ability to adapt to difficult circumstances.
Who knew that golf could make a sale? It is a cheesy thing to acknowledge, but oh is it effective. Hopefully, you will apply this one day on the links!
testacr22
I agree that a golf course can actually be a great place for conversation and a way to get outside of the typical workplace. Good blog!!
I worked at a Country Club over the summer and the amount of clients that came in to golf blew me away. I knew my dad took clients golfing but I didn’t know that the majority of the members (under 65) had memberships for the main reason of taking out clients. Golfing is such a key point in business that some salesman and women’s companies will pay for their membership so they can use golf in their sales process.