Opportunity or Obstacle – May be time to hire sales talent

In these strange and unsettling times, business decisions are not easily made.

The economy has changed, our personal lives disrupted, and most of us are feeling anxious and unsettled about the future.

We either lay low and see how this situation unfolds or we make moves.

Because with obstacles come opportunity.

Take the stock market as an example.

Although there have been recent historical lows in the market, now may be an opportune time to buy shares in great companies.

A similar scenario has developed with hiring opportunities in the golf industry.

Fortunately our industry is opening and people are playing again.

It’s one of the few activities we can do safely outside in our own carts or walk paths.

In fact, courses are opening at a rapid pace.

A recent article in the Washington Post titled “Coronavirus shutdowns are making golf course an oasis for stir-crazy Americans eager to get out and tee it up” claims 41% of Americans want golf courses open over any other type of business.

Thats great news for golf!

Back to the point of recruiting opportunities.

Despite the current openings of golf courses throughout the U.S., manufacturers in the golf industry have experienced a substantial impact on production, retail store closings and order cancellations and delays.* As a result, experienced sales reps are open to new employment opportunities.

Now may be the time to hire them!

If you agree, the #1 sales recruiting tool in golf is available with a 15% discount.

Purchase our Sales Rep “Blast” package here or below. Enter code DISCOUNT15 at check-out.

See package details below.

*”Coronavirus Effects Thoughout the Golf Business“, by National Golf Foundation, May 2020

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Club Management turnover – Elephant in the club

The average turnover for a club General Manager is approximately 2.5 years.*

When a GM leaves a club, other staff members follow.

Management turnover causes financial, motivational and emotional problems for club members and employees.

A must read for anyone associated with a private club particularly Board Members of private clubs, Committee members of Member owned clubs and department heads, is “The Elephant in the Club” – Private Club General Manager Job Security and Turnover – Whitepaper”

Richard McPhail, CCM | Jul 26, 2016.

McPhail discusses in depth why management turnover is chronic (and hasn’t really changed much over the past 20 years) and gives suggestions, ideas and/or remedies clubs can use to instill consistency and avoid change.

Ideas like:

  • Understanding the private club model…different from a public business
  • Appropriate budgeting. Are wanted member amenities and services realistic with the budget?
  • Strategic Planning. Sticking to long-term asset preservation and amenity renewal plans.
  • Making goals and communication clear between the the board, members and GM.
  • Consistency. Retaining and maintaining a loyal staff.

Given the fact that turnover is fairly high in private clubs (we’re guessing turnover numbers are somewhat similar in semi-private and public golf facilities), recurring recruiting costs are steep.

GolfSurfin.com offers recruiting services that are both affordable and effective for golf clubs.

If your club has an open staff position, check-out our Target Search Service.

Click here for more details.

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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

You don’t know jack about Thanksgiving

…at least we don’t at GolfSurfin.com.

Did you know there are over 200 websites discussing what really occurred during the very first official Thanksgiving celebration?

In fact, there’s a debate on just about every aspect of the first Thanksgiving meal including WHEN and WHERE it actually took place and WHO attended.

In reality, much of the information we were taught in school about Thanksgiving wasn’t necessarily true.

Details were manipulated and given a more positive “spin”.

Here are just a few interesting myths:

THE MENU

No turkey, cranberries, or pumpkin pie on the first Thanksgiving table. Instead the menu choices probably included passenger pigeon, venison, lobster, clams, mussels and eel.

No bread or butter or even sugar was available at that time!

ATTENDEES 

18 adult woman boarded the Mayflower. Yet by the time the first Thanksgiving was celebrated in the Autumn of 1621, of the 50 colonists who attended, only 4 were women!

Unfortunately for the men and women who arrived on the Mayflower, many did not survive that difficult first year in the U.S..

Regarding the Native American guests, no-one really knows for sure whether they were invited OR were already in the area busy with their own harvests and crashed the party.

UTENSILS 

No forks! Only knives and spoons were used at the first Thanksgiving table.

The origin of this fact is gray. Some sources claim colonists had forks yet traded them with native Indians for supplies and information. Others claim forks had not yet been invented. Instead, settlers ate with spoons, knives and their fingers!

When it comes to Thanksgiving facts or any claims made by anyone for that matter, you really don’t know what you’re getting until you do your research.

Which brings us of our Sales Rep Blast Promotion.

If you’re seeking sales assistance and like discounts, save 15% on our Sales Rep Blast Package for a limited time.

(If you miss the promo, purchase Sales Rep Package anyway. We’ll find independent reps for your company quickly & professionally and it’s still a great deal!)

Purchase package, save $$…no research needed!

Click here to get started.

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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

Two ways golf employers screw-up hiring

There are so many ways golf companies and clubs screw-up hiring good, solid candidates.

We’re going to address two of the most common hiring faux pas.

One:

Poorly Written Job Ads 

So many ads are written with the employer in mind – primarily focused on what they want and need in a candidate. Reality Alert…good candidates don’t give a hoot about what the employer wants at the beginning stage of a job search.

In today’s applicant pool, it’s a buyers market. Typically quality candidates already have a job and are looking around for something better OR they have multiple companies wooing them with opportunities. These candidates want to know “what’s in it for them?” Scratch the robotic verbiage about the company and/or product and replace it with the exciting and unique story about your company and open position.

Two:

Bad Job Ad Promotion

Job ads, particularly in the golf industry, are seen on free boards. Some are industry specific, most are not. Employers don’t seem to care about quality. Their mantra is ‘the cheaper the better” when it comes to recruiting. Here’s the problem with over-promotion on the wrong job boards. The employer usually ends-up with a slew of unqualified candidates or worse, hires the wrong candidate from this “dead pool” just to fill the job. Six to eights months down the road the not so new hire leaves usually creating havoc on her way down and the position becomes available again.

Ugh…not good.

Lesson here learned is not so earth shattering yet golf companies continue to make these same mistakes time and time again.

Next time you have to fill a position or if you currently have an ad that’s not really cutting it, think about why your company/product is great, why you’re passionate about working there and and why it’s unique place to be employed. Then tell the story in your ad. Next, figure out which job board/boards appeal to the type of candidate you need even if it costs a bit. It may be the best investment you make all year!

Dawn Schlesinger

Chiefgolfjobologist

Dawn@GolfSurfin.com

PS. GolfSurfin.com is the #1 job Board for golf

PSS. GolfSurfin.com a has a loyal following of candidates who either work in the golf industry or by those who want to break in to golf .

PSSS. Click here to post.

Companies with head in sand lose customers and sales reps

Was talking with a friend about a tennis pro who was coaching a huge named player on the ATP tour. Couldn’t believe how little this coach was being paid for his time. His weekly salary was comparable to that of a wallpaper hangar. No diss intended to wph’ers just making a point.

Got me thinking about the Matt Kuchar saga.

In case you haven’t heard, Kuchar played and won a golf tournament in Mexico, the 2018 Mayakoba Classic. His regular caddie couldn’t make it so he used a local guy named David Ortiz from a local club.

Kuchar won the tournament (first win in 4 years), and a grand prize of $1,296.000 of which Ortiz received $5000.00.

That’s .0039% of total winnings!

PGA Tour caddies typically get 10% of earnings, expenses paid and bonuses if their player finishes within the top10.

That’s bad.

Not only was it a measly pay-out but a really poor look for Kuchar, his “brand” along with his agent Mark Steinberg the worlds premier golf agent who also happens to manage Tiger Woods.

It gets worse.

Social media blew up calling Kuchar ”el cheapo”, jackass and worse yet he continued to hold his ground not budging from his defense.

Adding insult to injury, when asked about the evolving debacle Kuchar’s response was “I certainly don’t lose any sleep over this”.

Ouch!

Eventually Kuchar caved-in and paid Ortiz $50,000 plus an additional donation to charities in the Cancun area.

By denying the problem and defending his actions, Kuchar created a PR mess that could have long lasting negative effects on his career.

The point here is golf manufacturers help drive sales and create staying power by listening to customer and/or sales force complaints, admit when they are wrong, are open to change OR better yet, fix the problem.

Companies who make promises they can’t keep or slack on quality control or have chronic difficulties with recruiting and “high” turnover or struggle with brand recognition, don’t last very long in the golf industry.

These are the same organizations who are closed minded and get defensive or “ghost” when complaints appear…a recipe for disaster.

Instead be smart, listen and adapt.

Oh…one last thing…if you’re fortunate to have a few great salespeople or two on your team, treat them like gold!

It’s very difficult to recruit and keep honest, hard working independent golf reps. The good ones will “work their buns off” for you and become loyal brand ambassadors if treated fairly.

Speaking of recruiting, if your company needs sales talent exclusive to the golf industry check-out details below regarding our recruiting services.

Dawn Schlesinger
Chiefgolfjobologist

#1 question to ask in a sales interview

After working in the golf recruiting biz for so long – approaching 20 years – and helping countless companies with their sales recruiting needs including independent reps, I’m constantly being told about the trials and tribulations of finding and keeping good dependable sales people.

Got me thinking.

If I were a golf manufacturer talking to a potential sales candidate to fill one of my territories what would be the most important interview question to ask?

After much thought and ponder, cause so many topics running through my head like past production, tenure in a territory, account base, personality, reputation, existing lines etc., etc., I came to a conclusion.

If I had to narrow it down to one question it would be the following:

“Where does or would my line stand in priority to everything else she/he is selling?

In other words, if a rep carries let’s say 3-5 lines including a major one (a top tier brand), does she present that top brand first OR does she ask the customer permission to start with other products/services. If given permission, where does my line “fit” on the priority list? Depending on the answer I can determine if my line is or would be receiving sufficient time and consideration from a buyer.

Again there are countless questions and concerns to discuss with a potential new hire and the better prepared and in-depth your inquiries are, the more valuable info you’ll uncover to help make the best hiring decision for your company.

Once you have your questions lined-up and ready to go you need to find candidates interview.

An awesome place to source golf sales pros is through GolfSurfin.com.

Why?

You get to post your ad on the #1 job board for golf and breeze through our resume database full of qualified sales candidates from the golf industry.

Ready to take a shot? Get started here.

Dawn Schlesinger
Chiefgolfjobologist

GolfSurfin.com’s 2018 PGA Show Sales Rep Promo

November is filled with thoughts of falling leaves, pumpkins, hot apple cider & the PGA Show Sales Rep Promo…

It’s here!

Post your ad on the #1 job board for golf and reach thousands of qualified, experienced independent golf reps at a discount!

This is the only discount we’re offering in 2018.

Don’t be a turkey and ignore a chance to fill open territories at a discount.

Gobble it up now! Details below. Offer ends soon***

GolfSurfin.com’s PGA Show Sales Rep Promo

Package includes:

  • 90 day ad on job board
  • access to resume database
  • exposure to sales candidates who live and breathe golf
  • “Blast” to coveted golf rep database (over 4K contacts)
  • social Media exposure
  • one-time fee $329.00 – 15% discount

To get started click here, choose either Sales Rep Blast Package (state OR nationwide) and use discount code PGAPROMO at check-out.

***Offer ends January 21, 2019

 

GolfSurfin.com’s – It’s baaaack – the scary angry sales rep

Sent this email before yet it’s a chilling reminder to beware of blood sucking, time wasting, money depleting candidates who lurk behind fancy resumes and howling bravado.

It all started when I wrote a blog entry about independent golf reps (Hiring Sales Reps – Promises Promises) who make empty promises to manufacturers. The point of the message was for employers to perform “due diligence” when hiring a rep before wasting time and $$$ on those frighteningly devilish candidates making empty promises.

An angry rep, who’s blood was obviously curdling after reading the entry, responded back that my commentary was offensive AND I should not criticize golf reps in general. In other words “don’t bite the hand that feeds you”.

I was a little spooked at first that a sales person took the time to write such a scathing reply. In fact, he was even upset that I referenced “Zig Ziglar” ( Zig was the selling guru back in the day).

Booo…thats scary angry!

There are many hard working, professional, independent sales people in the golf industry who are trustworthy and do a great job with the lines they represent. I call them Superheroes. They are the good sales guys & girls GolfSurfin.com helps by connecting them with our customers.

The fact is that there are some bad apples, scammers out there who take advantage of golf manufacturers…especially companies new to the golf industry.

Beware. Bad reps come in a variety of disguises:

  • Ghosts or Mummies are the reps you never hear from once they get their samples
  • Ghouls tarnish your brand by lack of customer follow-up
  • Grim Reapers give wrong company information or make false promises to customers
  • The infamous Vampires/Vampiresses usurp all company resources yet never makes quota or significant sales; all they do is complain

To help avoid getting involved with sales Monsters, conduct background checks like:

  • call references
  • customers
  • former employers
  • other sales people
  • check social media etc.

Don’t just accept a good sales pitch that winds up being just that…a good sales pitch.

To connect with sales Superheroes in the golf industry post your ad here.

Dawn Schlesinger

ChiefGolfJobologist