Although attracting new players is an essential component of sales success, repeat business is equally – if not more – important. And the key to getting customers to return time and again is ensuring their experience meets (or better yet, exceeds) their expectations. Here are three great steps to enhance the guest experience and, in turn, increase sales effectiveness:

1. Train on Customer Service. Every employee -- from the cart mechanic to the back office manager -- needs to understand the non-negotiable elements of the company’s customer service philosophy. This ranges from greeting customers with a smile and handshake to answering the phone by the third ring or walking guests to a destination instead of pointing. Teach staff members the rules, quiz them regularly, and reward them for doing it right.
2. Foster a Pride of Place. Candy wrappers on the floor. Maintenance tools in plain view. Bathrooms in disarray. These are just a few of the sights that can sour a customer’s impression of your facility. Encourage employees to take responsibility for messes, whether they caused them or not.
3. Reward Sales Engagement. To create repeat behavior, single out employees for praise in front of peers. Offer the best workers an extra discount in the pro shop, or, perhaps, give an iPod to the top email address collector in a given month. Employees must understand that top service, a spotless facility and increased traffic separate an organization from the pack. It benefits everyone’s wallet and boosts personal pride and performance.

There's more than one way to succeed at marketing your course on the Internet. Some facilities use email blasts, which contain information sent directly to the inboxes of their loyal customers. Other clubs boost revenue with strategic, limited-time sales that they offer at different times throughout the year. And many operators have seen success by simply adding an online store to their Web site.

Autumn Ridge Golf Club in Valders, Wisconsin, combined all three approaches and realized a substantial boost in business during the unlikeliest of times. In the middle of winter, management sent out a one-day special to 8,000 customers in its database, offering customers the opportunity to buy eight tee times and receive four additional for free. This offer resulted in $32,000 in sales of prepaid golf.

Sweetening the deal for Autumn Ridge was the way the promotion yielded more profit than originally meets the eye. Among those prepaid rounds, director of operations Chad Harrington reported an eventual redemption rate of approximately 80 percent. Meanwhile, 60 percent of those rounds were redeemed in the shoulder season, when the course's rates were at their lowest.

On the surface, the discount seemed like 33 percent off; however, when it was complete, the effective discount amounted to only 13 percent. Harrington believes that's not too much to sacrifice, considering the revenue boost the facility experienced.

Eagle Creek Golf Club, a daily fee facility located in Orlando, Florida, has seen a dramatic increase (tenfold, to be exact) in sales leads for special events through its Web site in 2012. General manager David Evangelista says that significant spike was due, in large part, to following these three guidelines:

• Placing an inquiry form at the top of each page: By keeping their inquiry form at the top of the page, potential Eagle Creek customers are more apt to fill it out since they don't have to scroll down the page to get to it.
• Selling the "dream": Instead of focusing on prices, Eagle Creek promotes the services, benefits and amenities of its facility, withholding rate information until customers complete an inquiry form. Once they're confident Eagle Creek has what it takes to make their event special, customers often find a way to make the financials work.
• Setting up customized auto-responses: Rather than waiting for a salesperson to process their request and get back with them at a later date, customers can receive instant feedback and all of the resources they need to make a decision – pricing, catering menus and the like – on the club's Web site. This streamlines the process for the customers and club alike.

By following these lead generation tactics, Eagle Creek has grown its online leads for banquet and wedding bookings from three to five each month in 2011 to an average of 40 to 50 each month in 2012. Not all of these leads translate to bookings, but they have contributed to a significant boost in revenue.

Electronic marketing your course to college students can pay off big in increased rounds and revenue.

If you're not e-mail marketing to college students, perhaps you should be. Today's college students are one of the earliest generations that have had five to nine years of Internet, e-mail, Web, Instant Messaging, wireless and other digital experiences woven into their lives.

Most college kids are parent-supported-with plenty of discretionary income-which makes this group very attractive for e-mail marketing. Here are some compelling statistics:

• College students have $122 billion in on-campus spending power.
• The average student's family has an annual income of more than $89,000.
• Almost 75 percent of students maintain jobs while attending college, earning an average of $645 a month.

More important than what college students spend today is the fact they are the consumers of tomorrow. Building relationships now could pay off in a big way down the road, as well as produce current sales and revenue.

For example, in Austin, Texas, there are more than 50,000 students at the University of Texas alone, and more than 100,000 total college students in the Austin area. That population rivals some cities.

And guess where a lot of them will live after they graduate and start working at Dell, AMD, Motorola? Guess who will influence future corporate tournaments and events?

Many students grew up living online in perhaps the most advertising-saturated time. They're a very savvy generation when it comes to advertising in general and online advertising in particular.

Here are some key factors to bear in mind when planning an e-mail marketing campaign to target this group:

• They're bombarded with advertising and have been since birth.
• They can smell untruth, deceit and hype a mile away.
• They avoid the morning like the plague. Gear your communications and promotions for the afternoons and evenings.

Taking all this into account, some recommendations for e-mail marketing to college students are:

1. Be completely honest and forthright in communications. Your promotions need to be value-based and straightforward. Don't create confusing "buy one round and get a second 1/2 cart for free" promotions. Instead use promotions such as "students play for $19 in the afternoons," which are probably your slower times especially in the summer. And guess what, they eat and drink. They'll order two burgers and have five sodas without blinking an eye.
2. Provide something of value that helps sell why they should golf, especially at your course. It could be a report that shows that 78 percent of corporate executives play golf on a regular basis, or a report that stresses the importance of golf with high-paying careers in sales or other corporate positions. Send an e-mail with that report with an offer to join your player development program.
3. Take the time to speak with students and find out what's on their minds. Then figure out how to incorporate what you do with that knowledge.

Birthdays are a great time to generate revenue for your facility. It is surprising how few companies use the occasion to send an e-mail or letter to acknowledge birthdays. One benefit of e-mail marketing is its ability to cost-effectively deliver information to targeted customers and prospects. Here are some ideas to make your customers' birthdays a branding, loyalty and revenue-generating event.

Quick answer: a lot. Knowing a customer's birthday is especially important if your product or service can be considered gift material - which golf and golf merchandise is. Many companies go all out when marketing for gift-giving holidays. A birthday is a personal gift-giving, gift-receiving holiday, and e-mail is the perfect channel for targeted messages to take advantage of the opportunity.

Make providing a birth date voluntary. Tell customers what is in it for them (such as a free round of golf or a sleeve of balls when they play during their birth month). Your best customers should have no problem giving you that information.

Send the e-mail a few weeks before the customer's birthday. Remind them to view your e-commerce or similar module and forward gift ideas to people who are shopping for them. Think about it: If you get 100 customers to view your e-commerce module and they send gift ideas to ten of their friends, you will receive exposure to 1,000 new potential customers. Now that's powerful.

This is part two of your one-two birthday punch. On or around the big day, send a second e-mail acknowledging the occasion. E-mail messages that perform the obligatory, "Happy Birthday from everyone her at [course name]" are nice sentiments, but you can go beyond them to address your bottom-line goals. Offer gift-appropriate items (a golfing package including shirt, balls and higher-end merchandise) or a free round of golf. You will generate customer loyalty and appreciation. Additionally, most golfers are not going to play by themselves. They will bring friends and most likely will have food and drinks to celebrate the special occasion.

Use a professional e-mail marketing tool, and do not send from your personal e-mail account. Your e-mails need not be elaborate, but they do need to be engaging, like any other marketing message.

Birthdays can easily leverage the power of marketing and increase your return on investment from one of your most valuable assets - your existing customers. Give it a try and let me know how you do.

1. Dine and Nine. A perennial favorite, you can charge $30 for dinner and nine holes of golf after 5 p.m. (Obviously, rates and times can vary depending on your facility.) To maximize success, focus on making it a family affair. Perhaps juniors age 12 and under play free with a paying adult.
2. Wine and Nine. This promotion is especially popular with women. Offer instruction, nine holes and a wine tasting with appetizers. One facility operator charged $40 and had 40 women participate for 10 weeks. That translates to $16,000 the course wasn't collecting before.
3. When Leagues Pay. Consider requiring league participants to pay each week after their round rather than having the group pay at the beginning of the season or before the round. Sure, it takes a little more work, but think about it: if you have 30 to 60 people finishing at the same time, you can create a sense of community, all the while selling additional drinks and snacks.
4. Wireless Access. It's becoming the norm at most hotels and restaurants, so why not offer wireless Internet access at your facility? You can set it up for less than $200, and it provides a good reason for folks to eat and conduct business at your club. Just go to OfficeMax or a similar store and purchase a wireless router, then configure it with your existing Internet service account.
5. Practice Lunch. To attract a local lunch crowd, offer a complimentary bucket of range balls with the purchase of a meal. Your restaurant offers something no other eatery can: golf.
6. Targeted Communication. For years, restaurants have faxed lunch specials to the offices of local businesses. Why not use the power of e-mail to send your weekly lunch specials to people in your database. To capture names and addresses, create comment card or table-tent for customers to fill out while they're at your facility.

WE LIVE IN A WORLD IN WHICH THE CUSTOMER IS IN CONTROL AND IS BECOMING MORE DEMANDING EVERY DAY. That's why it's more important than ever to differentiate. If you're looking for ways to set your business apart from the masses, consider these tips:

PAY ATTENTION TO THE SMALL STUFF. Use pyramids and trays for stacking range balls and don't forget tees on the range. On each cart, provide cart towels, tees and divot tools. Instead of the marshal driving around complaining at slow golfers to speed up, instruct the marshal to give slow golfers free pond ball with the condition that they don't look for their lost balls - just play a new one.

GO THE EXTRA MILE WITH AMENITIES. Set up a small service bar in the pro shop with free coffee and, perhaps, an honor system for breakfast tacos. In the afternoon, put out cookies. Provide each beverage cart with sunscreen and bug spray, and instruct your staff to offer them for free. Take it up a notch, and offer iced towels in the summer, maybe even scented iced towels.

AVOID "NICKEL-AND-DIMING" CUSTOMERS. If a customer is paying $50 or more for a round of golf, he or she doesn't want to be charged 50 cents for tees. Nor do they expect to pay $3 for a small bucket of range balls. Instead, offer them for tree - or build the fee into the price.

MAKE IT PERSONAL. You already know the customer's name from the reservation, so use it. Create daily cart labels. Make the effort to greet customers by name when checking them in. Train your staff to know members or regular customers by name. Create a picture directory that your staff can reference. (Maybe even put it on your Web site under a member's only section.)

OFFER GOLF COURSE BUCKS. Take a tip from Vegas: use logo casino chips as golf course bucks. When checking in customers, offer them an additional $20, $50 or $100 of golf course bucks on their credit card at a discount. This is great for business entertaining. After all, who routinely carries enough cash to buy beverages, lunch and snacks before, during and after a round of golf? Keep customers from reaching in their wallets - it's easier to spend casino chips than cash.

BE PERSISTENT. How many times have you tried similar ideas to only have them a few weeks? Pick one of these ideas and stick with it for at least six weeks. Then, add another. As a manager or owner, you're responsible for the success of any program that's implemented. Make sure it's happening. Monitor progress. Take opportunities to instruct your staff real-time. And, above all else, hold people accountable.

Looking for a way to boost your membership base without breaking the bank on a high-price media and membership blitz? Ask your other members for help.

That's right, the simple act of asking current members for the contact information of a friend or someone that they have a person relationship with can, if executed effectively, have a profound impact on a club's membership portfolio and, by extension, its profit base.

Wondering why referrals are so attractive as prospective members? Easy: They're already qualified. Friends are typically cut from the same cloth, so they share similar interests, status, hobbies and lifestyle. And, chances are they're already familiar with your club from their friend's experience. From a sales perspective, it doesn't get much easier than that.

Of course, the trick is enticing members to turn you on to their friends and colleagues, and that requires persuasion. Consider waiving a member's dues for a month. If that doesn't work, think about giving them something fun - perhaps a night on the town or a buddy trip to Cancun or Vegas. Sure, it might cost the club a few thousand dollars, but given that the average lifetime value of a member to a club is $63,000, doesn't the investment seem worth it?

Think about it. Would that member talk about how much fun they'd have in Mexico if his friend joined? Of course. Now would he or she talk to their friend about the $300 they could save in a monthly membership due if they joined? Not likely.

The other key referral success - outside of actually asking for names, which is given - is to avoid overkill. Members can tolerate two referral campaigns per year: once in the spring and again in the fall. Print signs and banners and post them around the club. Create newsletters and flyers, and send them to your members. Add pages and registration forms to your club Web site.

It's also a good idea to train your staff to ask for referrals. Get everyone who has contact with current members accustomed to asking a crucial question: "Did you know about our referral campaign?" If the answer is yes, they can follow with a statement like, "Great. Who are you going to take to Cancun this year?" If the answer is no, counter with, "Who would you like to take to Cancun this year?" And, by all means, make sure the staff members write down any leads.

Finally - and perhaps most importantly - share with your members the way you plan to treat their referral. Let the member know that you'll send a letter to the referral and follow up with a call to invite them to experience the club for a day. After the introductory experience, mention that you plan to send a thank-you note and place another call to see how they liked the club and its amenities. At that point, you'll politely communicate the benefits of membership. Not intrusive, just informative.

Granted, not every referral will be converted to a member. But if you employ a systematic, low-pressure approach to prospecting and solicitation, you might be surprised how many new names you eventually enter into your member database.

There may not be more devout disciple of web-based business than Alan Stalcup. Considering that he's witnessed some clubs increase revenue by as much as $40,000 per month, there's little wonder why the founder and president of Austin, Texas-based CourseTrends preaches the gospel of Internet golf marketing.

To get more from your online presence, Stalcup urges course operators to utilize these tools:

• Gift certificates. Offer 450, $100 and $250 certificates. According to Stalcup, customers tend to think $25 isn't enough and $250 is too much, so they typically buy the $100 certificate.
• Gift packages. Bundling golf with merchandise (a shirt, hat or towel) or weekday rounds of golf (three rounds valued at $120 sold for $90) can generate business during the off-peak times.
• Tournament items. You don't have the item in inventory, so ordering in bulk can save money. Plus, you can charge more for a tournament hat. Some course operators are hosting 10,000 tournament rounds annually and generating an extra $10 to $20 per player from tournament items. Over time, those numbers add up.
• Unique products. Promote the distinct products your club offers. Avoid selling equipment because the big retailers can under-price you.
• Event deposits. Encourage members to utilize the Web site to pay dues, while directing prospective customers to your online banquet-booking feature. Although local golfers may resist, promote your online tee time or tournament booking service. - D.H.

When it comes to e-mail marketing, attention is the key to success. In fact, you have just 48 hours or less to get your e-mails read before they're totally disregarded. That's why it's imperative that your subject lines provide some punch.

1. BY NOON THIS WEDNESDAY, PUT THE SWING BACK IN YOUR GOLF GAME. This e-mail encourages recipients to take action - soon. The Wednesday deadline captures attention and, hopefully, moves golfers to visit your course.
2. FIVE REASONS TO REGISTER THIS WEEK. If the person who receives this note has any interest at all in registering for the event, he or she will probably open this e-mail to learn why they should do it this week rather than waiting until a later time. Of course, there must be some type of payoff, such as a special offer.
3. IF YOU'RE NOT BOOKED WITH APPOINTMENTS TOMORROW, YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO SKIP THIS. The immediacy of this subject line is hard to overlook, particularly if the recipient isn't booked with appointments the next day.
4. STOP DILLY-DALLYING! IT'S (INSERT SPECIAL DATE HERE), FOR PETE'S SAKE. This "last-chance" subject line is designed to strike fear in the heart of anyone who hasn't yet made plans for whatever important event or holiday happens to be forthcoming. It's ideal for Mother's Day, Father's Day and Christmas.
5. SECRET SALE FOR E-CLUB CUSTOMERS ONLY. Customers who value being part of an exclusive "club" migrate toward these types of e-mails, as they invite these special shoppers to receive a secret deal. Subject lines that say "e-mail exclusive" are also effective because they imply that customers can't get the deal anywhere but their inbox.
6. ONE-DAY-SALE - DECEMBER 23RD ONLY! Save on a golf membership. This same-day e-mail clearly is designed to inspire immediate action. If you're working to meet monthly revenue goals, try an approach like this to generate a few sales.
7. SCORE BASEBALL TICKETS - AND SNEAK A PEEK AT OUR FALL RATES. This subject line offers two enticements: baseball tickets if the recipient is lucky and the chance to preview your club's new fall rates.
8. ARE YOU TODAY'S WINNER? PLAY NOW. This subject line suggests that the person who receives it is only a click away from knowing if they won. Few people can resist the temptation to click on the link, a fact that makes this a particularly compelling subject line.

Regardless of how provocative it proves to be, no subject line is powerful enough to make a sale every time. But one thing is more certain: If customers always discard your electronic correspondence because the subject line failed to capture their attention, your chance at e-mail marketing success is nonexistent.

Panning for riches among guests if imperative to the survival of most golf facilities, now and in the future. To strike more gold while prospecting, try these steps:

• IDENTIFY YOUR PROSPECTS. If you operate a private facility, how many non-members play your course in any given year - 1,000? Perhaps it's a lot more than that when you factor in corporate outings and tournament play. Regardless of the number, the bigger question is what are you doing to capture their relevant data?
  Sure, it can be awkward to ask a guest for his or her contact information, but now's the time to make it a new policy. Tell your members that in order for their guests to enjoy the experience they expect, you'll need to collect a few pieces of information (name, e-mail address, mailing address, and the like) to conduct periodic guest surveys.
  If you own a public or semi-private course that sells an annual pass or membership, ask yourself how many non-members play at your facility each year. Chances are it's in the five-digit range. To capture key data from these prospects, have your staff ask each person during check-in if they'd like a free round of golf on their birthday simply for filling out an information request form. Experience shows that approximately 90 percent of players will jump at the offer.
  
• SELL THE DREAM. Far too many operators attempt to sell the "economics" of joining their club by using such come-ons as, "You'll break even on the investment after four rounds of golf each month." Countless others only offer membership specials, which cheapen the membership experience.
  Instead, owners should sell the facility, the service and the experience of membership. Promote the fact that members can play whenever they like without the hassle of having to reach into their pocket for cash or a credit card. Sell prospects the concept of playing six or 9 holes before they go to work in the morning or on their way home in the afternoon. Highlight the lifelong relationships that members will make at the club and, by all means, emphasize the fact that it's a haven where their children can play and enjoy the company of other kids.
  
• CAMPAIGN THREE TIMES EACH YEAR. Unlike politicians, who only have to campaign every two or four years, course owners should pound the pavement for supporters at least three times annually: in the spring, fall and a third time depending on their season. The third campaign should be an introductory membership, such as a six-month program in the off-season. (See breakout box below for a list of campaigns.)
  
• RENT OR PURCHASE A CUSTOMER LIST. If you don't have a house list, you'll need to purchase a mailing list or rent an e-mail list. It's not as effective as a house list; however, it will produce results.

CAMPAIGNING FOR MEMBERS

Wondering what type of acquisition method will work best for you? Here are three strategies, ranked by cost effectiveness:

1. HOUSE E-MAIL LIST. Target all non-members who have played your course. Use a professionally written sales letter that appeals to the desire to play more golf. Include a specific call to action for filling out your registration form. This will create a hot lead.
2. HOUSE MAILING LIST. Through your point-of-sale or other databases, identify the players with mailing addresses and sort by playing frequency. Send a professionally written sales letter to the top 1,000 players, again with a call to action to join.

One thing to keep in mind is that you'll get more shelf-life with a mailed letter, which means you can include more information about the program and how to join. If done correctly, you should hit your membership targets within 1,000 prospects. If not, expand the range.

1. YOUR STAFF. This can be the most effective method if implemented correctly. Require your staff to ask one question to every person who walks in the door: "Are you familiar with our XYZ membership program?" Regardless of the guest's answer, respond the same way: "Great, let me get your contact information and send you some more information."

YOU HAVE A GOOD PRODUCT, PROVIDE A GOOD SERVICE and people are playing golf, just not as frequently as they once did. What to do?

For starters, try these strategies:

1. CONDUCT A MONTHLY RAFFLE. Many people aren't vacationing or buying extras, but they'd love a chance to win something fun like a plasma television, laptop, family vacation or golf trip. They're all on sale these days. Heck, you can pick up a weekend trip to Vegas, a 42-inch plasma or a PC for around $500.
   Once you get your prize, set an entry minimum and maximum per raffle, and charge $10 for the tickets. Run the raffle through your online store and use your e-mail database to promote it. Get 200 entries and you'll clear $1,500. Do it monthly and you'll make $18,000. It doesn't make you rich, but isn't insignificant either. If you have some success, go bigger.
2. CREATE AN INDOOR DRIVING RANGE. Wii games are the rage among kids (and many adults), so set up a virtual driving range in your pro shop. While this concept is ideal for courses in northern locales that have harsh winters and facilities that don't have a driving range. It can work at any venue, particularly during inclement weather. The goal is to get folks to your facility. Keep them there and they'll spend money.
3. GIVE AWAY GOLF CLINICS. You can stand around inside the pro shop and hope people come in, or you can spend 30 minutes outside and attract new players to your facility. The cost is minimal, but the potential return can pay dividends for years to come.
4. OFFER FREE Wi-Fi SERVICE. Chances are you already have Internet service, so why not make it available to your guests? All it costs is $60 for a wireless router. Get a group to eat and work over lunch and it pays for itself. Make your facility a place to catch up on work or have a business meeting before or after golf and you can increase the amount of time - and money - customers spend at your facility.