How Your Country Club Membership Leads to Business

What do you do when you cannot get in the front door to reach your ideal prospects? You go around the building and try the side door or a window. As a specialized advisor in the 401k space, you know most companies already have an ongoing relationship with a plan provider. You need access to the people who have the power to say: “Let us look at alternatives.” This approach might be the side door or window you need.

Your area has a few country clubs. They are private golf clubs with initiation fees, monthly minimum spending requirements and hoops to jump through before they will accept you as a member. On the plus side, the membership likely consists of established business owners, medical professionals and senior executives. These people are either decision makers or connected to them. Can you get them on your side?

A bank president told me a story about an insurance agency they purchased. The agency founder was given good advice when he first moved to this new area. He was told: “Buy a Cadillac and join the most exclusive country club in the area.” When the guy became alarmed at the expense, he was told: “Perceptions matter. If you drive up to the best country club in a new Cadillac, people assume you are a successful insurance broker.”

Here is how he made the most of his golf club membership. He played a lot of golf! A couple of times a week he could assemble a foursome. Sometimes it was Chamber members. Other times it was his accountant and two of their clients. The one requirement was they had to be small- to medium-sized business owners.

They would play golf in the morning. He would buy lunch afterwards. During lunch he would ask each guest: “May I call next week and set up an appointment? I have some ideas I would like to share. I may be able to save you money.” The reason he got most of the appointments concerns a sense of obligation. His guests belonged to their own golf club, but not the most exclusive club. They only got the chance to play the best course in the area when someone invites them to be a guest. The agency owner bought lunch too! The guests were under such an obligation, it was difficult to say: “No, I won’t meet with you.” He got lots of appointments.

You can see how this idea could work for you.

Let’s get back to utilizing your country club membership. Let us start with the basics. If the club operates under traditional rules, you cannot approach fellow members for business. (You probably can, but you will become a pariah! Word will spread. People will avoid you.) You cannot show business papers in public areas.

You want to be the great guy who knows everyone, and everyone wants to know. Here are four ways to get started.

Become a regular at the bar and tip well. The bartender or the maître ‘d becomes your friend. They can point out the new members. They can also suggest those new members (who do not know anybody) should meet you, because you know everybody.
Start conversations at the bar. You know how to do it. The strategy is to get them to ask you what you do for a living instead of you leading with business.
Attend club social events. When the response card asks who you want to sit with, write “sit me with anybody.” You will meet lots of people. Start conversations on the buffet line.
Serve on a committee. This raises your visibility with committee members and club officers.

Your objective is to meet people and get them to like you. If you take an interest in them, they should take an interest in you. If you are an avid golfer, you probably belong to the country club already. Treat it as an opportunity, not as a retreat.

Bryce Sanders is president of Perceptive Business Solutions Inc. He provides HNW client acquisition training for the financial services industry. His book, “Captivating the Wealthy Investor” is available on Amazon.

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