Page 40 - GBC Fall Eng 2016

SALES PROCESS
Regardless of the type or size of your facility, there must be a process for:
 Generating an ongoing stream of high quality leads
 Greeting and bonding with the prospect
 Qualifying the prospect
 Gathering information on the prospect’s wants and needs  A formal sales presentation
 The handling of any objections  A closing sequence
 A formal request for referrals
For maximum results, every aspect of the sales process should be scripted, orchestrated, and delivered the same way every time, by every staff member. For example, in a good sales process there is only one way to answer a specific objection and it should be answered using the same words every time. No more, no less, just the best possible answer you have already scripted to that particular objection, then back to your sales script.
This may sound too mechanical or rigid, but it’s not. Think about the best movies, TV, shows, and comedians. They are all the result of great scripts practiced again and again so they appear natural. The same principle applies with member- ship sales. Decide in advance on your best possible presentation, where you will stand, where you will point, what you will say and walk through the process again and again until you perfect it!
Bonding, RappoRt, and Qualifying
Let’s start at the beginning, by sitting the prospect down on the veranda with a coffee or cold drink and get to know them a little better. Ask open ended questions to get them talking, both to build rapport and to qualify them.
Some open-ended questions include: What are some of your favourite courses? What’s your best score? What type of golf do you like to play? If you were to become a member, how do you see yourself using the facilities?
The more they tell you, the easier it is to customize your presentation to their exact wants and needs. If the prospect tells you he or she is a competitive player whose partner has no interest in golf, then you can discard the part of your script that references couples golf and zone in on his or her exact wants.
the foRmal memBeRship touR
Once you have developed rapport, established some of their wants and needs, and qualified that they have the means to pay, you can start your formal tour. No matter how large or small your operation is, you should script the key benefits you have to offer and formally go through them in a membership tour. List your top 5-10 or even 20 benefits and map out a walking tour, including key stopping points and specifically what you will say at each.
For example, “Mr. Wood, let’s start our tour on the veranda where you will have a glorious view of the course, which as you may know is ranked by SCOREGolf Magazine as the best in the area.
“Next, let’s go down to the pro shop and meet our head profes- sional, Dave Truman. Not only can Dave custom fit your clubs, and keep you in the latest fashions but he is also regarded as one of the best teaching pros in Canada and has all the latest digital equipment.
“Have you ever tried your swing on a FlightScope machine?”
“No,” responds Mr. Wood.
“Well, being a good player I think that’s something you would really enjoy and I have heard several members say it has rapidly improved their game.
“You also mentioned that you like to hit balls, so let’s take a quick look at the range. We recently added a large turf section and several target greens. We also upgraded our range balls to Proline balls so you can practice as if you were on the actual course.”
You can follow this same process for each key benefit. It makes sense to write out your script, map out your route, and even video yourself doing the presentation so you can tweak and improve it, just like a great actor. End the tour back at the clubhouse, where you will try to close the deal.
40 Golf Business Canada