We need to be cautious, but it seems we are finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel. We are starting to go out again and will soon be back at work and even playing golf. So what now? If one thing was clear when all this began, it is that nothing will ever be quite the same again.

In general, we started 2020 with very good sales figures and forecasts and then suddenly racked up almost two months without income due to the forced closure (in the middle of high season), plus many cancellations for the months ahead. Now we are returning to business in a very different reality. And… how do we face this situation? What do we do to mitigate the damage in an uncertain scenario?

First, we must bear in mind that our results do not depend on us alone. Golf is a very particular sector. Although we are talking about sports facilities, a large part of revenue depends on tourism activity, and therefore on hotels, airlines and, at the moment, on the mobility policies of different countries. These will determine our room for manoeuvre. So in most cases, simply opening our club’s doors will not be enough to win customers.

We need to take action with a strategic, orderly plan.

Before starting our plan, the first thing is an internal analysis: the first quarter (or almost a quarter) was very good for many golf courses, so let’s take stock of what we earned “over and above”, what we have failed to earn and the costs we have borne. The balance will almost certainly be negative, but probably somewhat less so than we think. This perspective will make us face the situation differently in order to redefine our new objectives.

To mitigate the consequences of this unexpected situation, we could think of a simple equation: spend less and sell more. But we should not take it literally if what we want is good results beyond the short term.

By spending less we should understand optimising, not carelessly cutting budgets that are already very tight at most courses.

There are no magic formulas when it comes to sales, but there are some points we must keep very much in mind right now if we want to achieve efficient sales:

• Forecast: setting new, achievable sales targets will serve as a guide, and we will be able to measure whether we are reaching them or whether, on the contrary, we need to take other actions.

• Information: we must adapt our actions to how the market evolves. Keeping up with the policies of source and destination countries will tell us which customers we can and cannot receive, and also how competitors are acting and where we stand in relation to them.

• Value proposition and target audience: the situation may force us to redesign part of our offering and/or target other market segments.

• Protect the price: especially if we are going to have less inventory to sell due to capacity regulations, plus extra costs to guarantee a safe service. Better to create added value.

• Medium- and long-term vision: the current scenario makes booking for next season more appealing, so it is a good time to incentivise bookings and pursue our objectives.

• Communicate to build trust: on the one hand, convey to customers all the efforts we are making so that our club is a safe place where they can enjoy their game. On the other, make booking easy and offer guarantees for changing bookings or, ultimately, cancelling without penalty.
• New ways of promoting: for a while, sales visits and professional events will give way to other formulas: phone contact, online promotion and digital meetings will be our tools to nurture and expand our network of partners and customers and gain visibility.

In short, we need to sell more, yes. But sell better: investing in sales will let us gain visibility, adapt our offering to what the market needs, stay in touch with partners and analyse data so we can act. With all this, we will reap rewards. If the pie is smaller now, only those who get to it first will get a slice (or the best slices).

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