This summer, while searching for my next career move, I had the opportunity to play quite a bit of golf. Mostly, I showed up at various public courses in the area as a single. I didn't realize at the time how valuable this approach would be. Although no job offers resulted, it was a perfect way to increase my social network. I met executive coaches, university professors and numerous other professionals. But unlike most executive networking groups I attend, where you also meet great people, golfing for business afforded me the opportunity to build the relationship at a completely different level.
Many business deals have been consummated on the golf course. I tend believe that the business relationship solidified to enable the deal to succeed. Used properly, golf unleashes tremendous business and social networking potential.
There are 2 basic categories of play; Social - You play with your friends/country club members for fun, championships and/or prize money; and Business – you are on the course with associates, colleagues, customers or even complete strangers with the intent to enhance or build new relationships.
In business golf, the goal is to build a relationship. It's that simple. Scot Duke, Founder & CEO of the Business Golf Country Club (http://bizgolfcc.com ), an online community of golfers, approaches the business golf round in 3 basic steps;
- Stay to the Plan – which is building relationships and trust
- Separate the Golf from the Business – This is not the time for power point slides or your resume !
- Be Patient – Relationships take time. In the end, maybe you don't win the business. But then again, maybe s/he will refer you out to someone else.
Here are some useful tips for a building a social network using business golf;
- Always carry business cards. Keep them in your bag for a proper exchange at the end of the round.
- Act professional and in control – Slam the ground in anger when playing with your buddies. People will get to know you on the golf course more from your actions, than your words. How you handle stress, impossible situations, and if you are honorable and trustworthy will all come from your actions on the course.
- Do not give unsolicited advice on your partners golf game
- Remember, your mission is to have your partner walk away saying, “that was a very enjoyable round of golf”. Do everything in your power to make this happen.
- Follow up with a note, email or call, simply to say thank you for the nice round
Check out the Business Golf Country Club at http://www.bizgolfcc.com where you'll find a wealth of useful information. Also, you can also click here for an interesting little video.
What do you think? Do you have any favorite business golf stories?
\Mike
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