Golf Clubs Shouldn’t Ignore Social Technology Online2 min read

Golf Business Monitor’s, Miklós Breitner, looks at how golf clubs can leverage social technology to their, and their members’, benefit…

I was really happy to read Frank Vain’s (president of McMahon Group) article about increasing usage of technology (in many instances social technology) in private golf clubs to improve connectivity, reduce operating costs and increase revenue (not to forget new member sales as well) [things that could apply to other types of clubs too].

Every day, an increasing number of connected consumers (yes, private golf club members as well!!) are taking to social networks to ask for help or express sentiment (social posts, blogs & reviews) related to business- or product-related experiences. The reality is that social media is the new normal and will only continue to grow.

In addition to this smart phone and mobile application usage does not belong solely to the under 45 age group and will also only continue to grow over the coming years.

Online banking, online booking and online shopping are now part of our daily life. So those who think ‘if we use social and other new technologies in our sales and CRM activities it will alienate golf club members’, then I must say: they are wrong.

In a recent survey of The Economist Intelligence Unit, 60% of the surveyed North American executives (not from the golf industry) said they will invest in 2013 and in the following years in socila media and technology.

Companies should view social technologies not as another tool to utilise, but as an enabler of organisational transformation as well. Those who don’t recognise this will fail to identify the specific organisational problems social technologies can solve. I think it is important to facilitate collaboration among employees.

Needless to say companies/golf clubs must define their objectives, select technology and then consider what kind of organisational change supports the new objectives.

Therefore private golf club managers (and other golf club managers as well) should think about the following 3 major challenges: Customer experience, Conversation management and Collaboration with clients (suppliers as well),golf club members, and golf club workers.

Since July 2012 I have looked at several solutions and ideas that can help golf club managers and owners to reach their business goals and objectives. Here are some of them:

• Mobile applications
• Golf social networking sites
• Dynamic pricing
• Social CRM

These ideas and concepts could be used within a company/golf club as well. We should inspire our workforce to innovate and collaborate more productively. This way we can create tangible business value.

Probably the biggest challenge of social technology implementations is how we can build them into the corporate culture.

How have you incorporated social technology into your golf club/business? Leave your thoughts and ideas in the comments box below.