Farmington CC continues to develop and implement progressive, and tasteful, approaches to first identifying new candidates for membership, and then following through to bring them into the fold.
Sales is often something that doesn’t come naturally to those in club management—and in fact is often viewed as distasteful and the antithesis of being a service-oriented professional who isn’t inclined to “hard sell” or “close the deal” with the pushiness often felt to be a required part of “getting to yes.”
But there’s no denying that sales has become a more important part of every club manager’s duties in today’s environment, both for maintaining daily revenues from existing operations, and for attracting the new members required to ensure a property’s long-range future.
And ample evidence now abounds that many club managers have become quite proficient in their ability to effectively handle sales responsibilities without compromising their civility or cheapening their club’s image.
Perhaps the best example of this comes from Farmington Country Club, Charlottesville, Va., which has a sterling reputation and rich history that has been carefully preserved and enhanced under a staff directed by General Manager, Philip Kiester. There are few places as genteel as Charlottesville, and few clubs that have to do less to sell themselves than Farmington CC.
THE GOAL:Develop tasteful and effective ways befitting the culture of Farmington Country Club for attracting new membership prospects, showcasing what the club offers, and securing commitments.THE PLAN: Market to club-related “community affinity groups” to develop deeper and more-targeted prospect pools; use elegant wine dinners to help “close the deal” in low-pressure fashion.
THE PAYOFF: Continued strength of membership inquiries and a high success rate of conversion. |
But rather that rest on its laurels in the membership development arena, the club continues to develop and implement progressive, and tasteful, approaches to first identifying new candidates for membership, and then following through in high-class fashion to bring them into the fold.
Landing the “Whales”
One of Farmington’s most successful new programs for keeping its pipeline of prospects well-primed, reports Membership Director Tom Zimmermann, has involved concerted efforts to establish contact with various “affinity groups,” such as those related to schools, businesses or other large organizations or groups that exist within the club’s market.
“The saying goes that it takes almost as much effort to catch a minnow as a whale—so why not try to land a whale?” Zimmermann asks when describing the program. “Identifying and finding creative ways to reach out to the various ‘affinity groups’ in the community can be a productive way to grow your club’s membership.
“Remember, a private club is based on personal relationships and shared affinities,” he adds, “so it is important to know your members’ affiliations. [By identifying] members in your club who have a large social network of people, chances are quite good that many of these people will fit your club’s typical membership profile.”
In Farmington’s case, that led, among other efforts, to taking full advantage of the fact that one of its members was President and CEO of the University of Virginia Alumni Association, with approximately 40,000 members, and that another sat on the Board of a local retirement community with nearly 500 members.
To tap into the first potential pool of prospects, Zimmermann worked with the member involved with the U-Va. Alumni Association to send an e-mail to all of that group’s members, inviting them to a reception at the club, hosted by Farmington’s Membership Committee, that was held before a Cavaliers home football game. Members of that committee, along with other members of the Board and key committees, were in attendance to act as hosts, give tours and answer any questions about the club and its activities.
In 2010, Zimmermann reports, reaching out to affinity groups in this way yielded 200 membership inquiries, and led to 22 new non-resident members joining Farmington. The efforts proved so successful, he adds, that more such events, and similar approaches to other groups, are planned for this year.
“Plying” Them Painlessly
To help get new member prospects that have been identified through these and other efforts to make the decision to join, Farmington has also created and implemented uniquely refined methods for finalizing the transaction.
The club’s self-described “Close the Deal” recipe is as elegant as it is easy to follow. Here are the steps outlined by Zimmermann for how to complete the final stage in a way that won’t cause anyone to complain about being pressured:
- Identify your top group of prospects, and their proposers.
- Send out an invitation on behalf of the Membership Committee (“Creative e-mail invitations worked best for us,” Zimmermann notes.)
- Have your Executive Chef showcase his or her special talents by creating memorable food and wine pairings, featuring five to six wines.
- Keep the “presentation” part minimal, with ample time in between courses that allow attendees to get acquainted. Create a fun, relaxed atmosphere.
- Offer complimentary childcare.
- Pay special attention to seating arrangements.
- “Rinse and repeat” in six months, with another group of prospects.
“Does this work? You betcha!” says Zimmermann. “In our experience, close to 75 percent of the prospective members who attend [the dinner] submit their nomination form to the club within a couple of months after the event.”
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