A new service has been launched which offers you the opportunity to do just that at http://www.golferinsight.com. read on for more details.

As a club owner or manager, have you ever found yourself saying “why am I the last person to know about this?” at which time it’s usually too late. Traditional forms of member communications can leave owners and managers vulnerable when it comes to evaluating their clubs performance, and making informed decisions. They often rely too much on front line staff to tell what’s really going on with regard to member interactions. Also, very few clubs have a mechanism in place that makes it easy and convenient for members to communicate directly with owners and management – so most don’t bother. The lack of effective member communications over time can spell trouble when it comes to member retention, loyalty, and bottom line profitability.

A simple, yet effective solution has been developed to help owners and managers improve member communications. It’s called Golfer Insight. What this service does is make it easy and convenient for members to communicate directly with the owners and/or management of golf clubs. A member can leave their comments either anonymously or with their contact information through this third party service. The format and approach is very effective at getting members to share their point of view in a positive and constructive way. The result is greater access to quality member input that owners can use to make better decisions based on the knowledge and insight they gain.

The most effective way to solicit member input is to take a proactive approach by sending them a direct email. A link in the email points directly to the clubs listing on Golfer Insight. In the email, members can be asked a specific question (added through the admin panel), or asked to comment in the default categories provided which are: The Good News, The Helpful News, or Ideas & Suggestions. An email notification is sent to the owner or manager immediately after comments are received. This provides the opportunity to review the comments promptly, and take action if necessary.

There are several reasons why this approach works better than traditional means of communication.

1) Its well documented that people respond in greater numbers to a third party service.

2) The service makes it easy and convenient for members to communicate directly with owners and/or management from the comfort of their home or office.

3) Members have the option to submit comments with their contact information or remain anonymous. Please note: There’s a misconception that anonymity attracts poor or inappropriate comments. While this can happen, it is rare. Some of the most valuable information received will be anonymous, coming from the clubs quieter, more reserved members. Not hearing from members (that prefer not to be identified) is a missed opportunity that should not be overlooked.

4) Asking for member input makes them feel valued and appreciated. This leads to a great sense of belonging and connection to the organization, which translates into higher retention and loyalty. Simply asking for input has perceived value whether the member responds or not.

The more that owners and managers know about their members, the easier it is for them to consistently meet their expectations. This leads to improved retention, increased loyalty, and a smooth running operation.

Testimonials

With the confidentiality/anonymity option that Golfer Insight (formerly Dear Vivian) affords our Members, we are seeing an immediate willingness on their part to share and reflect candidly on our National TCCP program. The response received thus far has been immeasurable.

Craig Watson, Canadian PGA

The question format used on Golfer Insight (formerly Dear Vivian) allowed our members to comment on any area they felt pertinent.  The questions are not skewed to any department and are not looking for a particular answer.  As we continue to listen and learn from our members, we now feel we are better equipped to meet their expectations and earn their continued support. I would highly recommend Golfer Insight to other golf clubs looking for honest comments from their members.

Cathy Burton

CPGA Head Professional

River Spirit Golf Club

http://www.golferinsight.com



I have a very simple system that I call my 10 Minute MBA.

So called because it takes approximately 10 minutes for most of my clients to absorb the information before I see their face light up.

After 10 minutes they suddenly understand something so key to their future success and that of their business that I usually call a coffee break right there and then, only 10 minutes into a meeting!

They need this time to absorb what they have just learned, which is something they had pretty much given up looking for; a simple strategy that you can carry around in your head and apply everyday to watch your business turnaround and become massively successful right before your eyes.

The 10 Minute MBA suddenly opens your mind to the mystery of leadership, strategy, marketing, sales and operational success; and it leaves you in a state of calm assured that you have a way of dealing with anything that crops up and knowing for sure that you are not missing any vital steps in your daily work.

In total its only 10 minutes worth of looking at a diagram and absorbing a beautifully simple theory, so it leaves plenty of room in your brain for learning to belly dance, kite surf and think of ways to spend more time with your kids and friends or whatever else you need to do.

Here is a simple 3 point summary of the key learning from the 10 Minute MBA:

1. Define your golden niche
2. Make BIG promises…
3. Over deliver on your promises.

The 10 Minute MBA is just one of the 7 steps detailed in my new book Golf Business Turnaround, the 7 Essential Steps to Success

The concept is so simple, but of course the proof is in the implementation.

In the book I reveal the full 10 Minute MBA and walk you through a simple 7 step process that can be implemented in your golf business starting today.

Golf is also a business steeped in tradition and ironically its very easy for new traditions to take hold that we simply “must” adhere to, usually at great expense.

One of the biggest taboos in golf is getting to grips with the greenkeeping function. Greenkeeping is the single largest cost heading at any club, but a lot of that expenditure goes unchallenged from year to year.

To try to tackle some of the more pressing issues such as spiralling greenkeeping costs and the effects of climate change and design on revenues and costs, I’ve started a new site which aims to look in more depth at the critical and very practical issues facing golf clubs in the UK today.

The site can be found at www.golfcourseturnaround.co.uk I would welcome your input. If any of you have points or comments to make on the issues discussed on the new site or indeed on this one, I’d be very pleased to hear from you.

To our industry’s continued improvement, John

About the course
Sales is often thought of as the domain of the ‘knights of the road’ and high-energy extraverts that can talk underwater, however many years of observing and training sales people has demonstrated something very different. High performing business people who sell are often quiet, calculated and humble people who plan sales success and take pride in the careers they build. In fact, the best we have seen regard themselves as business professionals. They regard their skill development and on the job training akin to a degree in ‘art’ or ‘science’. This raises an interesting thought; “Why is there no university for sales or selling?” After many years training sales people, and business people to sell, Banjar Group have discovered that when individuals are presented with a solid framework and process for selling effectively, alongside opportunities for practice, anyone can sell – they just need a little sales essence or “swagger”.

This online course aims to instruct participants in the art of selling and improve the skill set of anybody who has to present and sell their products or services to the market. So take this online Sales Safari and get a feel for the basics that will assist you in selling.

The Sales Safari journey covers 5 specific Camp Sites over 28 steps where specific areas of the sales process are studied. These are:

Camp 1  - Sales Essence – Developing skills and attitude to ooze ‘sales success’
Camp 2  - Customers –   What are they for you?
Camp 3  - Process – The Steps to Success
Camp 4  - Skills & Techniques – What are they for you?
Camp 5  - Tactical Planning – That Plan of Attack

A BIG thank you to Mindshop and to Mike and Andrea Boyle for all their hard work in pulling this course together and to those that were part of the review panel. We trust all hole18 clients find this a valuable addition to the value proposition and a great tool to assist you in building your sales skills.

You can register for the course now by filling in the form below. Prices are £97 for our Mastermind Network members and £239 for non-members. You can join the Mastermind Network here:

Just complete and submit the form below to get started; we’ll be back in touch within 24 hours with your log in details.

“What makes you unique?”

They invariably sigh, then tell me that they have a golf course or courses and that due to that; they sell golf. They then usually (not always) go on to tell me that golf is golf is golf and…(they sometimes add the suffix…STUPID) as  a result, they cannot differentiate themselves from other golf providers. Of course I try not to take it too personally, but I usually tell them to have a re-think about that last statement.

Step 3 of my book: Golf Business Turnaround, the 7 Essential Steps to Success is called“Uncovering Your Golden Niche (and how to dominate it)”.

Let me tell you that once you have mastered this one step, you can look forward to a rejuvenated business that operates almost as if in a vacuum, in other words, almost entirely unaffected by the local competition. In this step you will learn how to make your business truly unique, but it doesn’t stop there, you will also:

• Know exactly what your chosen market wants and how to “ringfence” those customers for yourself.
• Have a “company wide” vision about your competitors and know how to leave them languishing at the starting post.
• Have the knowledge and confidence to market and sell to a clearly defined customer base and be 100% certain that you are reaching them.
• Own and thoroughly understand a technique you can use over and over again to effectively prime your staff to understand and effortlessly sell for you at every opportunity..I call it the 10 minute MBA.

You can get your copy of Golf Business Turnaround, the 7 essential steps to success by simply clicking here.

In the latest edition editor Mike Orloff asks: Do we need more golf courses or are we actually better off with less in Australasia?

Maybe we are missing a trick here in the UK and can learn something from the Australian experience. In addition to the above the latest edition looks at:

• The Challenges of New Golf Development
• Alternatives to Price Discounting
• Golf’s Electronic 19th Fairway
• Planning Golf Courses in Australia

The latest edition of this excellent online, carbon neutral magazine is as always crammed full of thought provoking and refreshing content.

You can view the latest edition here.

Now as I strain to point out in the book, waste auditing and reduction, although a very exciting prospect when you see 20-30% extra profit winking at you, is not something that you should set out to do at the outset of the turnaround process (that’s why its step 6) as the process will be more productive and you will understand it better after you have implemented the first 5 steps. This ensures that you are auditing a smooth and stable business.

However, all that said, the waste reduction process is a very exciting phase of the turnaround work laid out in the book and can genuinely add 20-30% to the bottom line for no extra cost.

You can get your hands on your copy of the book right now here.

]]> http://hole18.co.uk/wordpress/2010/03/waste-excitment/feed/ 0 http://hole18.co.uk/wordpress/2010/03/golf-business-turnaround-masterminds/ http://hole18.co.uk/wordpress/2010/03/golf-business-turnaround-masterminds/#comments Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:31:03 +0000 admin http://hole18.co.uk/wordpress/?p=725 Thanks to everyone who has bought the book so far, it’s been a very busy month for us here at hole18.

Thanks also for your kind feedback regarding the book and the Mastermind Network resources.

Due to the success of the Mastermind Network, we are about to embark on a new project which will see the group having its own dedicated site. This will not only allow us to expand the volume of resources we currently share as part of the Hole18 main site, but will also see the launch of some exciting new services to help members build more profitable golf businesses. Watch this space for more news in the next week or so.

Meantime if you are one of the golf business owners who still doesn’t have a copy of Golf Business Turnaround, the 7 Essential Steps to Success, it is still available, just click here.

“There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things” Niccolo Machiavelli.

The inertia in most clubs; even “at risk” clubs usually has to be seen to be believed, but in my experience that’s usually due to one or all of 3 main factors and I have a formula I use for managing the process of change:

D (Dissatisfaction) X V (Vision) X P (Plan) = Change potential

In this respect Dissatisfaction is actually a positive force; i.e. the more dissatisfied the staff, management and members are with the current situation, the better- This is the ‘Why’ or the motivational factor in our formula. Few people like change, but we fear and dislike change that is imposed on us more than any other kind of change. In most cases the level of dissatisfaction needed to support significant change efforts must be quite high. Clubs do not take on change unless there is a very strong reason to do so. That reason may be competitors becoming threats to your business, sales levels dropping or any number of painful issues.

If the ‘Dissatisfaction’ in the formula is missing or insufficient it doesn’t matter how excellent the’Vision’ or ‘Plan’ is, it will fail.

Vision – The ‘Dissatisfaction’ above pushes the individuals to change but does not provide a direction. They know that they are not happy but don’t know how to make it better. The ‘Vision’ pulls the individuals towards change by providing a direction for change. The Vision is the ‘What’ factor of the formula. This vision is how you would like the club to be in the future. It should represent something that people really would like to be a part of and want to make it happen. The contrast between the way things are now and the way they could be after the change is in place can generate enthusiasm to replace the fear and dissatisfaction. Without this clear sense of direction and an attractive future to begin working towards, any change effort will be greatly hampered. People who do not know where they are going in their confusion will become another resistive force that must be dealt with.

Club alignment to a common purpose and vision is a very powerful force. Misalignment is a sure-fire way to fail. The investment of time and effort in developing a clear and comprehensive vision will certainly pay off. If the vision is not clear, situations will occur where people will have different understandings of the goals and aspirations that will clash or compete destructively, wasting precious resources, time and energy.

Plan – This is the ‘How’ factor of the formula. A high level project plan with the major activities, deliverables, and benefits can help increase the motivation to change. People often underestimate what it will take to bring the club from it’s current state to the desired future state. It is common to misjudge the amount of time, barriers, money, effort, training, communication and planning needed.

The three variables above must form a believable package that is supported by credible leadership. A vision and a plan without resources is just a fantasy. If the change formula stalls, the chances are one or more of the variables in this formula is the problem.

In Golf Business Turnaround, the 7 Essential Steps to Success, I take you through a very powerful step by step plan to turn your golf business around fast.

Well the first thing that happened was I was alerted to a blooper in the first edition of the book. An eagle eyed reader noticed that I had made a calculating error in my spreadsheet in Step 1b. Now, that spreadsheet is an enormously powerful tool at the best of times, you know the one, its in the section on maximising income and is called Tweaks. Essentially this spreadsheet reveals a little known secret, little known outside of the Dragon’s Den anyway, that shows readers the enormous power of making little tweaks to 5 Critical elements of their golf business

At first when I read the email alerting me to this I thought oh oh!, I’ve made a major error in the formulas on that spreadsheet and the fantastic numbers it spits out are wrong and I have essentially exaggerated the power of this secret. However, I was relieved to see that I had actually made an error in the other direction and the spreadsheet had underestimated the effect, well it was a bit of a relief to find that out I can tell you. What I did wrong was omit to have the spreadsheet recalculate one of the 5 critical factors.

The upshot of all of this is a major 3 way bonus for readers. First I decided to re-create the spreadsheet from scratch, set it up so it is really simple just to pump your own numbers in and get the amazing answers you need. Secondly, I uploaded the new sheet as a freebie for Mastermind Network Members to use and finally I re-wrote that entire section of the book, brought forward some other revisions I was working on, slotted them into the book and released a new, enlarged and totally revised version of the book. Oh yes, and erm…number 4 (of 3?) was I emailed out the new book to all of the previous purchasers so that they could get the latest version sooner.

Well as you can see, John has been busy, OK he made a mistake in the first edition, but when I saw the update I couldn’t believe that the numbers just got better…very powerful stuff.

You can get your hands on the much revised and enlarged version of Golf Business Turnaround, the 7 Essential Steps to Success right away, just click the link below:

Golf Business Turnaround, the 7 Essential Steps to Success, by John Quinn: Instant Download