Warning: This newsletter is intended only for clubs that want new members. Stop reading if you don't want new members.

This newsletter will focus on the "prospect technique" and its the second installment of "Membership Sales as Easy as 1-2-3". To read about the "referral technique" click here.
 
Below are five steps to implement at your club today.

Step 1: Identify your prospects.

Who can you sell a membership to? Everyone? Wrong. Tell me of the last time you sold a membership to someone that hadn't played your course. You haven't. Really, you can only sell memberships to someone who has played your course, right? So what are you doing to collect their data?

If you're a private club how many non-members play your course any given year? 1,000? (Keep in mind all the guest play, outside event play, maybe it's a lot more than 1,000.) What are you doing to capture their information?

But Alan,you say, it's too awkward to ask a guest for information. Make it a new policy. Tell your membership that you want their guests to have the experience they expect, and that you will follow up with guests to rate their experience. In order to help in that effort, you'll need to obtain some simple contact information from them when they play.

If you're a public or semi-private club that sells an annual pass or membership, how many non-members play at your facility? 5,000? 10,000? A lot, right? 

How are you capturing their information? Have your staff ask, "Would you like a free round of golf on your birthday?" 90% of players will register. Simple, right?

Need help capturing more data? Click here to receive 15 tips on collecting more data at your facility.  Please specify "15 data tips".

Step 2: Sell the dream.

This is critical. So many clubs try to sell the economics of joining - "you break even after 4 rounds per month". Who cares? I have 2 kids under 2.  I play once per month if I'm lucky and dream of playing four or five times a month. Sell me the dream of playing more.

Step 3. Campaign 3 times per year.

Campaign heavily in the Spring, then Fall, and a third time depending on your season. The 3rd campaign should be an introductory membership program, such as a 6 month program in the off season. Here are four campaigns ranked from most effective to least effective.

1. House email list. Target all of your non-members that have played your course.  Use a professionally written sales letter that appeals to the desire to play more golf. Include a specific call to action to fill out your registration form. Now you have a hot lead.

2. House mailing list. Through your point of sale database or other databases, identify the players with mailing addresses and sort by playing frequency. Send a professionally written sales letter to the top 1,000 players, again with a call to action to join. 

You'll get more shelf life with a mailed letter, so you can include more info about the program and how to join. If done correctly, you should hit your membership targets within 1,000 prospects. If not, expand the range.

3. Your staff. This can be the most effective method if implemented correctly; however, it's difficult for a facility to get their staff to do this on a consistent basis. 

Have your staff ask one question to everyone that walks in the door: "Are you familiar with our XYZ membership offer?"
 
If the answer is yes or no, respond the same way: "Great, let me get your contact information and send you some more information." The XYZ could be a special offer or contest.

4. Rented or purchased list. If you don't have a house list, you'll have to purchase a mailing list or rent an email list. This is very ineffective in comparisan to a house list; it will, however produce results. 

This is the same concept as above, but with even more aggressive offers to register. Your purpose with these lists is to get the lead, not the sale. These are folks that haven't played your course, so you need to get them to play your course first.

Step 4: Keep track.

Now that you're prospecting and generating leads, how do you follow up with them? Create the following lists:

1. Non-members. Any non-member that has played your course. Once they show more interest, move them to your hot leads.

2. Hot leads. These are people that have filled out a membership request online or have inquired about membership.

3. Referrals. I like to keep these separate from hot leads. They require a little hand holding.

With these three lists, you can pinpoint your message. Also, keep detailed notes on every call you make and response you receive. 

Hopefully, you can build up a list of several hundred hot leads and referrals. At that point you can't remember all the details, so write them down.

Step 5: Evaluate.

If you're following the above steps, yet not getting the results you want, you have one of the following issues:

1. Your product isn't competitive. Maybe your costs are too high, or you don't offer enough products. For example, weekday only memberships, after 1:00 memberships, cart fee only memberships…I know of one course that has nine plans to choose from. The gym does, why not a golf course?

2. You. A lot of times you feel like you're doing the best you can. And maybe you are. So get outside help.

3. Your staff. A successful program is going to rely on your staff. So train them, incent them, and reward them for their efforts.

Until next time. 

Alan Stalcup

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