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Steve Graves President, Creative Golf Marketing Steve Graves is President and Founder of Creative Golf Marketing. Creative Golf Marketing has been named "Membership Marketing Firm of the Year" for 13 consecutive years (2000-2012) by The BoardRoom Magazine! As the President of Creative Golf Marketing, Graves has rendered over 900 consultations and membership marketing initiatives for private club facilities. These consultations and marketing initiatives focused primarily on increasing the Club’s
revenues, marketability, efficiency and long-term financial stability. Mr. Graves is an author within many golf industry publications and has been recognized as a dynamic speaker within the private Club industry. He has been a speaker at dozens of CMAA continuing education sessions offered by CMAA chapters from across the country. He was a featured speaker at the following World Conferences: 2005 CMAA World Conference in New Orleans, 2006 CMAA World Conference in Hawaii, 2006 Canadian Society of Club Managers Conference, 2007 CMAA World Conference in Anaheim, 2008 CMAA World Conference in Orlando and the 2010 World Conference in San Diego. Additionally, Mr. Graves was a featured speaker at the 2009 Club Managers Association of Europe Scottish Region Conference held at St. Andrews in April, 2009. Graves was a Class A member of the PGA of America from 1981 – 1998. As a member of the PGA of America, Steve served as a faculty member and instructor for the Education Department where he taught over thirty-five (35) seminars and business schools. Additionally, reacting to requests and concerns from Club officials regarding Member attrition and new Member recruitment issues, Graves has founded the Private Club Network. The Private Club Network represents a value added benefit for the members of private clubs, which comprise the Private Club Network. Members have the opportunity to play approximately 200 private courses from around the country for cart fees only. The Private Club Network was honored as the "New Product of the Year" from The BoardRoom Magazine for 2002! Graves is a 1978 graduate of Oklahoma State University with a B.S. Degree in Personnel Management and was a member of the Oklahoma State University Golf Team from 1974 to 1978.
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The vast majority of private clubs today are not offering the proper attention to the issues of membership retention and membership recruitment.
It is time for private clubs to abandon the “that’s the way we have always done it” attitude as their fundamental strategy with regard to membership retention and membership recruitment!
It is time to “kill two birds with one stone” and dedicate the appropriate expertise and efforts to BOTH retaining current members and recruiting new members.
The Trends of…
• “Feel the heat”…“See the light” • Don’t waste a good crisis! • Change has no consistency! • Board of Directors are not convinced that
“their club” is broken
Change (or lack there of)
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The Trends of…
Private Club Identity
• Lost its identity, relevance and cache • What are you known for? • Golf course, course architect? • Clubs have evolved (for the good?) • Once were aspirational • The very best of everything • Waiting lists
The Trends of…
Perception of “How are we doing?”
• By the Board of Directors? • By the members of the club? • By the community? • By prospective members?
Theory versus Reality
The Trends of…
Club Finances
• Expense problem…NO! • Revenue problem…YES! • Cutting budgets, raising dues
lowering initiation fees • “Less people paying more”
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The Trends of…
The War of Two Worlds
• The world inside the private club industry • The world outside the private club
industry • Who speeds up or who slows down? • The future member versus the current/
past member • For whom do we market?
• A realistic initiation fee structure PEOPLE PAYING FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF BELONGING TO YOUR CLUB!
The Trends of…
Club Discipline A dedication to being disciplined with regard to the two critical FUNDAMENTALS of successful private clubs: • Stable/low dues
MORE PEOPLE PAYING LESS!
Resources to Fund Private Clubs
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The Trends of…
Initiation Fees
• An element of “financial” qualifying • Debt retirement • Capital improvements • Depreciation • The “forgotten” fundamental
The Trends of…
Dues
• Monthly versus Annual • Capital Dues – (acceptable)
• More people paying less or Less people paying more
The Trends of…
Credit Cards
• Never should have an accounts receivable list!
• Guests – How do they pay? • Initiation fees – Why not? • WAYMISDFMTGYMM? • 21st century for gosh sakes!
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The Trends of…
Membership Retention
Three reasons people leave a club: 1. Expense (perceived value versus usage) 2. Time (outside influences) 3. Lack of connection
The Trends of…
The Application Process and
The Resignation Process
They BOTH used to be meaningful to BOTH the club, the applicant AND the resigning member.
The Trends of…
Resignations
• Notice to the club 90…120…180 days • “Irrevocable”
• Resigning is a serious decision • Exit interviews
• Worthwhile or worthless?
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The Trends of…
Membership Retention • Connection is the TRUE SECRET to
membership retention and membership recruitment.
• Connection comes in two, specific, forms/elements: • Connection between members
themselves! • Connection between members
and staff!
The Trends of…
Membership Retention • 6-8% has become 8…10…12% • Justify my membership
• “How many rounds of golf do I play?”
• Justify my marriage • “How much sex have I had lately?”
The Trends of…
Reciprocity • The benefit of a few OR • The benefit of ALL Members • Private Club Network
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The Trends of…
Private Club Network
• Member benefit • Exposure on your terms • Revenue source
“Private Club Network is truly a creative and unique service which benefits not just the individual member, but also the Club and private club industry as a whole. This service should have a place at your private club.”
Jim Singerling CEO, CMAA
The Trends of…
Membership Classifications • Family only? • Single • Individual • Limited golf • Social • Weekday • Corporate • Dining
The Trends of…
The Next Generation of Members
• Disinterested consumer • Their world versus the club world! • Aspirational? • Different family unit (programming)
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The Trends of…
The Membership Director
• The “solution” to what? • Membership retention versus
membership recruitment • The club’s “personal trainer” • Membership engaged or disengaged
The Trends of…
The Membership Director
• A “personal trainer” for the members • An “architect” for the members
*Goals *Encouragement *Plans *Tools *Evaluation *Feedback
But, the members MUST do the work!
The Trends of…
Club Discipline It is time for open and honest dialogue with the entire membership about their specific role in a strong and stable membership position.
Positive discussions about the fact that no one is to “blame” for the current membership position of the Club.
Positive discussions about what CAN happen at the Club with positive, vibrant membership growth.
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The Trends of…
Membership Marketing
“Past performance is not an indication of future performance.”
OR IS IT?!
Members have been conditioned! “Do nothing…members join”
The Trends of…
Membership Marketing
QUIT SELLING MEMBERSHIPS!
Encourage members to invite friends to be a part of the club family.
When you have “connection,” a financial transaction occurs.
The Trends of…
“Selling Memberships”
• The phrase is in and of itself a problem • Membership Director • Slashing initiation fees • Mailing lists • E-mail blasts • Postcards
GIMMICKS DO NOT WORK
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The Trends of…
The Decision Maker (Women!)
• The “secret to success!!” • “Small decisions”
and “Big decisions”
The Trends of…
Membership Marketing and
Membership Referral
Set your membership up for success!
The Trends of…
Membership Referral
• MBIO (mandated by bylaws) • MBIOTMD? • Membership referral creates
connection!
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The Trends of…
Membership Referral • “We can’t get our members to
participate.” • “I don’t know anyone to invite.” • “That’s the job of the Membership
Director/General Manager/ Membership Committee.”
• “We can’t command an initiation fee.”
The Trends of…
Membership Referral
Successful people (members) do not like failure!
Private clubs have set their members up for failure!
The Trends of…
Membership Marketing If you are going to use “MBIO” then you must assist your members with the proper tools to properly represent themselves and the Club.
If you give your members an exciting and beneficial message (“win-win”), they will be much more likely to successfully present the “opportunity” to a friend, over and over again.
BUT, let them fail just ONCE and they will be unlikely to attempt to sponsor a member again!
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The Trends of…
Membership Marketing
• Emphasis, effort and action • No “easy” buttons • Sophisticated and complex
PROCESS!
The Trends of…
Membership Marketing
Implementation • Must have support of the board,
management team and staff • Create an event! • What is the proper delivery system?
The Trends of…
Membership Marketing
• Pavlov’s dog • Greed is good! • Behavior can be modified!
“Do something…members join”
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The Trends of… Designing the Perfect Marketing Initiative
• Don’t design an initiative that makes YOU happy • Decisions can’t be made on emotion and ego • What are you trying to accomplish? • Members must be given the proper tools to make the
process enjoyable and successful; an adequate reward process is a must! DON’T BE CHEAP!
• Pay attention to trends, not crisis and emotion
The Trends of… Membership Marketing
Timing • Urgency: Must have a start and end date • Open-ended marketing initiative often fail
Packaging • Maintain the standard and quality of your club • Members will be proud and take ownership if
packaged properly • Message must be simple, concise and
understandable
The Trends of… Club Governance/Success
• Board of Directors (Amateurs) • Membership Committee (Amateurs) • General Manager (Professionals) • Membership Base (Amateurs)
Execution of short and long-term strategic plan.
There is only one professional involved!
It is time to take control!
