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PGA show moment

Just returned from the 2020 PGA Show in Orlando.

Had a great time meeting customers, viewing and trying new products, and making new friends.

But what struck me most was an interaction I had with a sales rep who uses GolfSurfin.com

While walking the show floor, someone tapped me on the shoulder and asked my name.

He said he noticed the logo on my shirt and wanted to introduce himself.

We shook hands and exchanged the usual first meeting pleasantries.

He then said he wanted to meet me because, as a result of our service, he was able to pickup a great line and deeply appreciated what we do and how we do it.

I was kind of caught off-guard and thanked him for the compliments.

As I walked away my eyes teared up for just a few seconds.

The most gratifying feeling one can have (at least for me) is to know that what you do for a living is actually helping another person and/or maybe adding to their quality of life…even if it’s just a teeny, tiny bit.

So despite being surrounded by tons of the fun, a simple Thank You from an appreciative service user was my most impactful experience at this year’s show.

Ok enough sappyness.

If you or your company is in need of quality sales reps, check-out our Sales Rep Blast Package.

Details below.

Dawn Schlesinger
Chiefgolfologist
Dawn@GolfSurfin.com

Beware of Spooky Golf Employers

Employers constantly complain about bad candidates, a lack of solid ones available and turnover.

But what about scary employers?

You know the ones that never take responsibility for screwing-up the interview process and/or cause turnover.

In the spirit of Halloween, let’s look at some of the most scary golf employers that should be avoided during your job search.

The Ghost

The ghastly employer who “ghost”, fail to acknowledge applications, is the #1 culprit for angry candidate creation. This type of employer cannot get their act together to acknowledge receipt of your resume and/or position throughout the interview process.

It’s rude and unprofessional and eventually tarnishes the employer’s reputation.

Golf employers who ghost are usually the top tier manufacturers and golf clubs who get tons of applications for just about any position they post.

A funny twist that started about 2 years back, is that employers are now being ghosted by candidates!

The bottom line is poor etiquette on both sides.

The Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde Employer

These ugly ghouls lurk throughout the interview process creating havoc the very first day at the workplace.

They describe your “dream job” during the interview yet when you accept the offer and begin employment, the job is not what you expected.

For example, you accept a job as GM thinking you’re the decision maker on most club issues yet quickly find out “the board” is really in-charge; you’re hired as a chef, clearly describing your talent in the fine dining arena during your interview, only to find out that club members demand basic comfort food. Or as a sales rep you take-on a new product and realize, after a couple of customer visits, there were four sales reps before you in two years in two years who failed miserably with the same line.

The Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde employer is dangerous because what you see is not what you get!

The Revolving Door Employer

Title sounds innocent enough but its effects are deadly.

Revolving door workplaces experience high turnover…when a % of employees leave your club/company over one year.

High turnover wastes money, time and kills a good company reputation.

Most importantly, turnover is like a hidden disease that starts with one employee and spreads throughout the organization.

The Revolving Door employer also creates low employee morale. When people start falling like hotcakes employees who remain start to wonder why they’re still there…even becoming bitter.

No one wants to be caught dead within The Revolving Door Employer!

So candidates beware of the above employers not just around Halloween but throughout the year.

And if you’re like one of the employers described above, chances are there are some issues within your company or its culture that must be solved before you start hiring new employees again.

If you’re an employer who refuses to wear one of the above costumes and have a position/positions to fill, post your job now.

Dawn McGarry Schlesinger
ChiefGolfJobologist
Dawn@GolfSurfin.com

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Take advantage of salespeople who call on your shop

Came across an article written in 1977 for Golf Business magazine titled “Take advantage of the salesmen who call on your shop”. Btw should now be titled “salespeople”.

The article gives a “birds eye” view of the trials and tribulations of a golf sales rep in “olden times”.

Thought it would interesting and valuable to compare the sales process today vs. yesterday.

We contacted a slew of current, solid golf reps and asked them to read the article then give their opinions on what they believe to be the biggest changes now vs. selling then.

Here’s what they said:

Buyers are unqualified – Gone are the days when golf pros owned their own shops. Today plenty of shops are staffed by under qualified employees, poorly maintained and merchandised and overall, unappealing to the buyer. Golf reps today must be product experts, know their accounts and educate the buyer. The most important task for today’s rep is to build customer rapport and figure-out which product will sell in each particular shop. Learning buying habits of club members is crucial!

Reps need to be picky when choosing lines – Buyers today don’t have lots of time and patience to spend on new product introduction. Typically this gives the rep time for maybe 2-4 new product/service presentations so the rep has to be smart and creative in what’s shown to the buyer. A big problem these days is golf reps carry too many lines. Some carry 10–15 lines. Unfortunately they throw as much product at the buyer as possible to see what sticks. This approach “waters down” the sales person’s credibility leaving a pissed-off buyer and manufacturer!

Golf sales reps have always had to be knowledgeable, honest and creative even back in the 70’s when the average price of a new home was $49,300.00, a gallon of gas cost 65 cents and a shiny new BMW 320i set one back around $8,000.00.

Current times are much tougher.

Green grass pro shops are up against on-line venues and big box stores making it nearly impossible to compete on price. Not to mention the overall health of the industry – shrinking since the glory days of Tiger Woods.

Reps today need to work smarter, prioritize the customer’s needs and be product “picky”. And for all you club pro shops out there with seasonal/temporary help, take advice from your loyal sales rep!

Although times have changed, some challenges remain the same.

Dawn Schlesinger
Chiefgolfjobologist
Dawn@GolfSurfin.com

Interview – Secrets of a Con Man Part I

You may be thinking why in the world would anyone want to interview like a con artist.

They cheat, lie and steal and overall have more then a bad rap – they’re just plain bad people.

That’s what I thought too until I stumbled upon a list of strategies and techniques used very successfully by con men/women.

Con people are exceptional at the art of persuasion.

And who better to use these techniques in a positive, legitimate manner than candidates applying and interviewing for golf jobs.

Now if this sounds like a bunch of b…s… to you, stop reading right now.

However, if you’re a bit unconventional and open to learning new persuasion techniques that may very well improve your chances of scoring the perfect golf gig, read on.

In this post, Part 1, we’ll cover 4 important secrets that can help you ace an interview and land a great golf job.

Con Artist Select #1 – Find out what a company wants and figure out a way to give it to them

If you can uncover what your potential employer needs or a problem they’re facing (a “pain”) and you can help solve that problem if they hire you, you’re golden. The fact that you’re even discussing their problems puts you way above the competition.

Con Artist Secret #2- Choose the right mark

The right mark for our purposes is the hiring manager. As most of us know by now the hiring manager’s name, tile, work history and interests can be found on Linkedin, company websites, job postings etc… Once your mark is uncovered, research something about them i.e. where they went to school, hobbies, interests, charities anything that can align you with the decision maker before and during an interview. This is why our White Glove service works so well. We blast a concentrated copy of your resume directly to decision makers in the golf industry.

Con Artist Secret #3 – Listen don’t talk (yet)

This the probably the most valuable secret to use in any sales scenario especially if you’re selling yourself. Listen to what the employer is saying. What went wrong with the last person they hired? What are they looking for now in a candidate? What do they want to achieve, acquire or accomplish in their department, company or club? The best way to uncover this information in an interview is to ask good questions and let them talk.

Con Artist Secret # 4 – The foot-in-the-door trick

“Sticking one’s foot in the door” means to ask someone for something small. Ever walk by kiosks in the mall and the young girls and guys hocking soaps, creams of perfumes or whatever typically ask you a question? They’re trying to lure you slowly into buying their product one small step at a time. For our purposes, I think a similar technique is applicable at the end of an interview. Qualifying questions like “How do I look compared to other candidates you’re interviewing” or “Do you think I’m qualified for this position?” or “Do you think I’m a good fit for this opportunity?”.  Most interviewers will respond positively and the beauty is once they commit to you verbally, they become more committed to you psychologically. The mere fact that you’re qualifying them puts you above the competition. I cant tell you how many strong candidates with tons of experience and accomplishments are either afraid or neglect asking for the job.

There are actually 43 con artists secrets. I’m only taking the ones I think are applicable to job hunting and will review more in my next post.

You can view them all here.

P.S. Ready to apply some of these interviewing tips? Check-out our White Glove service. We’ll package your resume starting with the headline explaining Why You Should be Hired…in a quick, easy-read format then send it directly to the “right” marks..golf job decision makers.

Dawn Schlesinger
Chiefgolfjobologist
Dawn@GolfSurfin.com

What’s donuts got to do with resume?

Let’s face it, it’s tough to get a good job in the highly competitive golf industry.

At GolfSurfin.com, I’m always preaching that candidates need to stand-out, do something different, take a different tack when applying to jobs.

Heres a great example.

A few years back a new young transplant from Lithuania named Lukas Yla was seeking a marketing gig in Silicon Valley, another nasty competitive industry full of talent.

Lukas got real creative by dressing-up as a Postmates delivery guy and delivered boxes of Mr. Holmes Bakehouse doughnuts to some of the biggest Bay Area tech companies like Lyft, Uber, Instacart and Postmates with a pitch: give him a job.

The result?

He scored over 10 interviews with the companies and ad agencies.

According to Yla “People appreciate this approach. They understand that it requires time, creativity and a hustler attitude”.

This approach may be a bit too extreme or gimmicky for you (I for one think its pretty ballsy) but this story does make the point that creativity is rewarded for those bold enough to be different.

Not everyone has to dress-up as imposter to get her/his foot in the door.

There are various ways to make a good impression during the job application process.

One way is to use the easiest, most cost effective job seeking tool in the industry called GolfSurfin.com’sWhite Glove” service.

Through White Glove your quick-read headline will highlight your unique qualities and great benefits you will bring to the table and send it directly to hiring managers, HR executives and golf company owners.

We’ll help present the best “you” possible in a timely, profession and honest manner at a price that won’t break the bank.

Want more details? Click here to get started.

Dawn Schlesinger
Chiefgolfjobologist

Prepare for interview like a US Open tennis match

If watching professional tennis is your thing, it’s US Open just concluded and thought it fitting to apply a mental strategy used by a world-class athlete and use it in your job interviews.

Played a USTA doubles tennis match this Summer in the picturesque, cool, breezy mountains of North Carolina.

Although the weather was a reprieve from the scorchingly hot Summer conditions in Miami my home-base, the competition was fierce especially since I haven’t been playing much in the heat.

Needed to prepare mentally for the battle ahead!

My go to source for a quick “mental tune -up” is one of the best tennis strategy books ever written called “Winning Ugly” by the now famous tennis tv commentator Brad Gilbert…he’s all over coverage at this year’s Open.

If you’re not familiar with Brad’s pro tennis career, he was a journeyman on the ATP Tour (Association of Tennis Professionals). Of average ability and talent, Brad made a dangerous foe by figuring out and exposing his rival’s weaknesses. At the same time Brad used his strengths to slay some of the biggest names on the tour in the 90’s including Johnny Mac (McEnroe), Michael Chang, Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg.

Not too shabby.

So how can average guy with an average body type and skill-set, abused by the likes of McEnroe screaming during a match “Gilbert you are the worst. The — worst! …you don’t belong on the same court as me!” take down multiple titans of tennis?

Brad asked himself 2 questions before every match:

A – what do I want to make happen?

B – what do I want to prevent from happening?

This advice is golden for interview preparation.

Before approaching any interview, uncover what problems a potential employer may have and explain how you (your strengths) can help solve their problem/problems.

The goal is to not let personal or professional weaknesses sway an employer the wrong way. I’m not suggesting you ignore or lie about your shortcomings like a lack of experience. Instead, be honest and explain that a lack of tenure pales in comparison to the level of energy and determination you have to succeed (check out blog entry called “Make the Skeleton Dance” detailing a cool story about a guy who turns big resume negatives into positives during his interview).

Make the interview focus on the employer’s needs and your strengths.

Prevent weaknesses from putting the kabosh on a job offer by spinning negatives into positives.

Get your game on and attack your next interview like a pro.

Speaking of positioning, looking for a job in golf?

Get an upper hand on the competition by sending your resume to thousands of golf employers exclusively through our White Glove service.

It’s easy to use and effective placing you and your uniqueness in the spotlight.

Dawn Schlesinger

ChiefGolfJobologist

  1. Pic above. That’s me in white and my partner playing as deep underdogs. Won 1st round  lost in quarter finals.

Resume writing guarantees – fact or fiction

Doing some poking around on the internet before writing a guide/ebook to help candidates find a job in golf.

After plugging in few key words and phrases, I kept landing on resume writing services. Didn’t I realize how many of these companies exist along with the unbelievable guarantees they make.

For example let’s look at a service called “Resumes Guaranteed”.

Their guarantee includes:

“If you are not HIRED within 60 days of receiving your new resume, we’ll refund your money, PAY you $50*, AND continue to help re-work your resume!*”

Wow not only will they refund your money but you can actually earn dough by not getting a job. Is this true?

Let’s dig deeper.

Continued to scroll around reading the fine print and wallah there in black and white was a major refund requirement stating:

“*Guarantee requires clients to submit at least 40 copies (hard copies) of their resume to prospective employers following our advice.”

It gets better.

“You must provide reasonable proof that you submitted your resume to at least 40 prospective employers in the form of certified mail, receipts or verifiable fax transmissions receipts (if you utilize an untargeted mass submission service, their bulk submission shall count as “one” mailing/faxing for the purpose of this requirement.”

I’m exhausted just reading these requirements let alone the thought of having to fulfill them.

In my humble opinion, if a guarantee sounds too good to be true it’s too good to be true.

It’s also my opinion that if anyone in the employment biz i.e. consultants, writing services, job boards, headhunters etc… – no matter the industry – charges a fee then guarantees employment is full of horse poop!

Now for the good news.

While further perusing the long list of refund requirements I came upon a link called “Our expert resume distribution guide” which is actually a little nugget of great advice for job seekers.

In fact, there’s so much good advice I could write about them for days.

Check out their guide by clicking the following link:

https://resumesguaranteed.com/resume_distribution_guide.pdf

This is the stuff they should be selling vs, resume writing.

Odds are if you have no contacts decision makers are never going to see your brand spankin new, perfectly key worded resume.

There’s no point spending $$$ on a resume if the right girl/guy doesn’t read it.

I’ll skip the “days of writing” and summarize some key “guide” points like:

  • candidates seeking employment in golf should not rely solely on job ads to find opportunities (our White Glove Service reaches decision makers directly)
  • research the contact and club/company of interest before making contact
  • send a copy of your resume along with a targeted cover letter describing why you’re unique and how an employer will benefit by hiring you

Hope I’ve given you some job seeking food for thought…now go Weedhopper, seek and conquer and land your dream golf job!

Dawn Schlesinger

Dawn@GolfSurfin.com

Learn interview technique from the King of all Media

Finally finished reading Matthew Berry’s book Fantasy Life”. Yes I’m a very slow reader (like a turtle) but  consider it “quality vs. quantity” reading.

And you’re probably wondering why a middle aged lady living in Miami would be interested in fantasy football (ff).

Because its challenging and fun!

I’ve always been a bit of a tomboy, followed sports when I was a kid and got the fantasy sports bug about 4 years ago. I’m now approaching season #4 as Commissioner of the “Real Housewives of Miami” ff all women league. It’s been a blast and I’m really proud of the ladies who step-up trying something new, something they know nothing about and end up throwing trash talk like T.O. or Richard Sherman by season’s end. Pretty cool to observe.

Anyway back to the book and lesson for today which I’ve discussed in the past (take a look at blog post Stick Out in a Good Way).

At the end of the book Mathew added a “bonus section” to update his story and probably to sell more books. One of the major events he talks about is getting an interview with his idol Howard Stern on SiriusXM radio show.

Matthew Berry was a pretty seasoned host and guest on sports radio shows yet he was so psyched and nervous about his interview with the one and only, King of all Media, the most successful and outrageous radio personality ever to hit the airwaves, that he could barely sleep the night before.

Of course he made it through the interview with flying colors even took a picture with Howard at the shows conclusion.

A couple of days after his appearance Berry received a handwritten note from Howard.

In his words: “I got a note at home. From Howard. Thanking me for being on his show….in all the years I’ve been interviewed by every type of show, it’s the first time I have ever gotten a personal note like that. The whole thing, start to finish, was a complete and total class act. I didn’t think it was possible but I became a bigger Howard fan in those few moments off-air than I had in 20 years.”

If The King of All Media can send a ff analyst show guest a handwritten note thanking him for his time and making a huge, positive impression doing so then wouldn’t make sense that candidate who wants to stand out from other applicants do the same after an interview with a potential employer?

The point being is candidates should want to take any/every advantage to positively separate themselves from other applicants.

One effective way to do this is writing a handwritten note to the person/people conducting the interview.

Another way to stand out is through our White Glove service.

Take a peek at White Glove details.

PS. here’s a pic of some of my ff league mates during awards night.

 

Land golf job with no connections

I’m obsessed with finding information to help our followers and customers with their job search and how land their dream golf job.

If you’re golf job search is at a standstill and you don’t have a list chock full of contacts to help, you need to devise a plan.

After spending hours reading about job seeking secrets and daily talks with candidates and employers in the golf industry, I think the best advice I can give to candidates new and not so new to golf is to research the heck out of what you want to do, who you need to contact, the company/club you want to work for and, most important, the problems/challenges they have that you’re going to help solve.

Whether it’s an influencer (someone who can lead you to a decision maker) you’re trying to close or the hiring manager…show them you know your stuff.

Why?

Because you’re special and the way you conduct your job search is the way you’re going to do your job if they hire you…better then anyone else out there.

You’re willing to make the effort.

Go the extra mile.

Stand out from the pack.

That’s why your special.

Check-out this killer article titled How To Get a Job Anywhere With No Connectiions by Cultivated Culture.

It gives you step by step instructions on how to uncover your dream job, who to contact, how to contact her/him…and if you land a meeting how to prepare for it.

Anyways happy reading and also consider trying our White Glove service…an easy way to stand-out and shine in front of thousands of potential employers in the golf industry.

Hollywood writer says bs to job app process

Fantasy Football and Golf Job

I’m a big Fantasy Football junkie…official Commish of the Real Housewives of Miami Fantasy Football league.

Started reading Matthew Berry’s book “Fantasy Life” (thoughtful Xmas gift from my daughter) who describes how he found his way into the sports fantasy biz; his passion.

If you’re not familiar with Matthew Berry, he’s a top fantasy football (ff) guru on ESPN. Writes a column, has his own ff show as well as a group show on National tv. He’s cornered the market as an expert in the ever popular and growing world of fantasy sports.

Anyways back to the book.

Matthew describes how he went to Hollywood, became a reasonably successful writer for tv shows like “Married With Children” and movies. His big movie break Crocodile Dundee 3 was actually sold, produced and released which is a big deal in La La land…ok so it may not be a movie of the highest caliber like a Godfather, Wonder Woman or Star Wars yet by Hollywood standards he was doing pretty damn good.

Despite his success, Matthew wasn’t happy.

His passion was writing about fantasy sports…primarily football.

He stumbled across an ad for a fantasy sports writer and sent a message to the contact pouring his heart out in a long, impassioned email about how he was a Hollywood writer and lived and breathed fantasy sports…And he’d work for FREE!

Yet no response back.

So guess what his mindset was and I quote:

“That’s not a no (no response), right? It’s just a challenge that needs to be overcome”.

Make a long story short he uncovers the head writer of the hiring sports site asks his opinion on how to get a foot in the door, yada yada yada and low and behold the guy turns out to be the hiring manager. Apparently the job’s contact email was so overflowed with applications that the manager had no time to sift through them all.

Mathew winds up getting the job with Rotoworld and the rest is history.

What’s this Cinderella story have to do with finding golf jobs?

I’ll tell you what.

Just because you don’t hear from an employer doesn’t mean you can’t get a  job in golf.

Think outside the box!

Separate yourself from the pack (our White Glove service gives you clear applicant mob separation ) then sell your strengths.

I know you’re thinking this guy Berry had big-time writing chops and credentials. Maybe so, but that didn’t get him a foot-in the-door.

This example also shows that a killer, “bang-up” work history doesn’t even guarantee a response let alone an interview.

Rather, not accepting “no” for an answer and bypassing the application process gave him the chance to close the deal.

This crucial job seeking step is where many candidates fail miserably.

If you’re not scared to be bold, creative and take control of your job search odds are in your favor to close a great job in golf vs. waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting for employers to respond back.