It has been a while since I last played golf.  Last week I played in a charity golf tournament; it was terrific to get back on a beautiful course for a worthy cause and meet and play with new friends.

One of the players hit a great drive on the 18th hole that split the fairway. He followed that shot with a superb iron shot to the green and knocked it within six feet of the hole. Flushed with the anticipation of a birdie and finishing strong, he lined up his putt,  stroked it and knocked it four feet by the hole. He casually walked up and without stopping and focusing, put the ball past the hole again. His face turned red and a string of expletives poured out of his mouth. He had hoped to finish strong with a birdie but ended up with a bogey and was embarrassed, not by his golf game, but by his anger and allowing his emotions to get the best of himself.

Many golfers have experienced that agonizing moment when important matches have been lost by the release of negative emotions.

Reflecting back over the golf tournament, I considered how many lessons from the game of golf can be applied to business.  My father fell in love with the game of golf when I was in elementary school and my brothers and I took up the game shortly after he did. He would tell us, “One day you will discover there are many lessons you can take from golf and apply to business and how you can use the game to learn about people as well as reveal your character to others.” 

How we approach others in business is critical; how we read the business opportunity is vital; how we shape our strategy is important, but if we can’t apply the finesse to connect effectively with people, all the brilliant efforts that preceded the close of a deal are futile – much like missing the putts on the 18th hole!

Golf’s big money winners follow some fundamental rules for success in the game. Surprisingly, those rules also apply to business.

  • Never use a putter until the ball is on the green. Amateurs sometimes try to roll their ball from off the green with the putter. This strategy rarely works. Business owners, executives and sales people who apply a closing technique before the customer is ready (a connection is made and trust has been established) will rarely get the chance to conclude the sale.
  • Study the roll of every green. You and your staff need to carefully survey the prospect’s emotional landscape. It’s better to read the customer’s or prospect’s intentions, motivations and emotions than to analyze and dissect the logical content of their statements.
  • Never use force. Pros putt with an easy, effortless, pendulum-like swing. Like the golf pro, professionals in business do not force a close or situation on a customer or prospect.
  • Keep your eyes directly over the ball. When your head is not directly above the ball, it is much harder to line up the putter. Golf pros visualize the path the ball will take from the putter to the hole before they strike the ball. Similarly, top business professionals keep their eyes squarely focused on the customer’s position in relation to closing a deal.
  • Don’t rush. If the putt has too much speed, the ball will bounce right over the hole. A fast-talking employee bent on pitching the features of your service or product has little chance of turning an open-minded prospect into a customer. Top business professionals are able to select the right pace that is comfortable for everyone.

Many people in business get too anxious when it comes to closing deals. Top business professionals follow a process, and unlike, the abovementioned player, they don’t allow their emotions to override that process. They confidently focus on the course of action that results in everyone’s progress.

Bobby Jones, the great golf statesman, said, “The real way to enjoy playing golf is to take pleasure not in the score, but in the execution of the strokes.” How true this is to business as well.  Business, as well as golf, is ultimately about relationships with others. In business the goal should be to create rewarding and satisfactory relationships with employees, customers, suppliers and everyone associated with that business. Yes, profit is the goal of a business, but that profit should be the result or fruit of creating those solid relationships with others.   

When it comes to golf or business, play well with others!

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