When we talk about the core values of being a PGA Golf Professional, the first things that always come to mind are our abilities to teach and play the game. Those obviously are abilities that distinguish us from solely being managers of whatever we are managing.
From there, we can go down the list of that famous PGA poster we all either own or have seen at one time. As the poster proclaims, we are Tournament Directors, Fundraisers, Expert Merchandisers, Team Captains, Masters of Ceremonies, Rules Authorities, Handicappers and many more things we should be proud of. It is a great poster and a great marketing piece.
Ironically, our skills in marketing are not directly listed on the poster. We certainly are marketers and I’m happy both the PGA of America and our Section are helping to market our abilities to the golf world. I think we can do a better job or marketing ourselves, though. Sure, it is great that someone out there is doing it for us, but we need to take control of our own destiny. The hard part is, this generally goes against our nature. Tooting our own horn just doesn’t come easy for us. It isn’t how we were brought up in golf. As golfers, especially those influenced by PGA Professionals, we just aren’t good at pointing the spotlight on ourselves. Tactfully and humbly, though, we need to do it.
We need to understand there is nothing wrong with proudly wearing and displaying our PGA logo. It isn’t bragging. PGA membership is something earned and to be proud of. We are the most skilled and educated association in golf, perhaps in the entire world! Our customers should be able to see just from the way we present and carry ourselves that we are the person that can take care of whatever they may need. We are the experts on all things golf and anything going on our facilities. I can say from experience, when I wear my PGA coat crest people are interested. Who am I? What do I do? Do you play the Tour? These are all great questions, and what great exposure for our brand, the Association and of course our PGA member.
Like our customers, our bosses and owners must also be made aware of our value. We tend to diligently and quietly do what we are supposed to do. This does not always work. Sometimes people just don’t notice what you are doing, especially if you are so efficient and prepared that you make your job look easy.
It’s time to prepare a marketing plan for you. Both the PGA of America and the Southern California Section can help. There are templates available for reports you can present to your supervisor showing what you have done and are doing. Contact our Section PGA Employment Consultant Ken Ferrell, or our Section staff, to help you with this. Teachers, this is important for you too. It is very powerful when you can show how much revenue you generate for the facility where you teach.
Along with marketing ourselves, we better be able to market our facilities. There may have been a time when the best marketing job you could do was to have a friendly person behind the counter and provide smooth, fast greens. That time has passed, if it were ever truly the case. With the pace communication technology is changing, what worked six months ago may be on its lasts legs. The social networking site MySpace was the biggest thing not too long ago. It wasn’t going anywhere right? Now MySpace has been supplanted by Facebook and Twitter. We need to keep up. Being able to market is a great and valuable skill.
A few months ago a Section education seminar on Marketing was cancelled because nobody signed up. Ouch! I think we need to do a better job getting the word out on the importance of marketing in our industry. A mentor of mine told me, “Nothing ever happens in this world until somebody buys something.” That was great advice. The way to get people to buy something is through marketing. You have to let people know you have something to sell.
We will be having more marketing seminars in the future. Hopefully, and if we do a better job marketing them, I’ll see you there.
