Business Golf Etiquette: Use Corporate Golf to Advance Your Career

Playing golf with a potential client or company is an excellent way to gauge compatibility and see the qualities of those you might potentially work with and present yourself in a unique setting. The number of contacts you can make in a golf club has tremendous potential. But what if your golf experience is playing miniature golf at the local Putt Putt and you have no idea how to translate that to a business setting? Here are some tips to get you started.

Prepare for a round of golf like you are preparing for a meeting, but when you are playing golf, you cannot reference your notes or pie charts like in a regular business meeting. Have clearly in mind your goals, are you getting to know a prospective client? Are you quoting stats and figures? While periods of silence may happen, someone is likely preparing for their turn and concentrating, so keep your sales pitch to short thoughts that can be interspersed throughout the day. Getting to know your client is likely a better option, learn enough about them so that you know their needs and get them to trust you, and perhaps you can get down to serious business talk at lunch at the club afterwards.

Don't unnecessarily offend someone by not knowing the rules of golf. A corporate outing is likely to have experienced golf players, meaning people who know all the rules of golf and its numerous ways of offending a fellow player. To avoid unknowingly doing something rude or that makes you look foolish, take a mini-golf lesson from a pro at the local golf pro or a business golf expert to learn the rules in advance to avoid embarrassment. It is okay to be a sub-par player or admit being new to golf, but doing something against the rules or offensive just shows that you either did not bother to learn the rules, you forgot the rules, or you do not care about the rules - all of which can easily be applied to your attitude towards their business. You might be very talented at your career, but forgetting basic etiquette rules looks like you do not care or you cannot come up to speed in a new environment - a bad message when attempting to gain a client or a new position. Everyone says on an interview that they are a quick learner and adapt well to new challenges - but this is a chance to show them some good traits like being able to laugh at oneself, getting along well with others, and that you learn quickly. This is also a good time to assess golf apparel so that you fit in and do not look like an idiot. Women may want to decide if a short skirt or golf Capri's are a better option for them in this setting. Even if you do not normally wear it, consider sunscreen on your face for this outing so that you are not beet red for any after golf activities.

Think about how many people to have play at once. Think about the personalities and ability level for small groupings of two or four players. Tell your partners who will be in the grouping and do not mix people of very low handicaps with a beginner to not unduly irritate or embarrass the respective players. Contact your partners a few days before and let them know who will be in your grouping. It is better to know in advance any personality conflicts that will make for an unpleasant outing and ruin your chances of making any career advances in the process. It will be a long period of time to stand around and talk, have a few stories in mind to fill the gaps and know when to keep silent because someone is concentrating.

Book a tee time and arrange for carts and or caddies and tips in advance so you do not have to pay in front of the clients.

Golf has come to be a sport of interest to young and old and can be a great asset to your career.