Recently at Turf Equipment University, Steve Keating, the Manager of Selling Skills for the Toro Company, gave a presentation called, "Selling Your Needs to Your Members". It really was a great talk about how you compete for capital dollars at your club. The reality is at most clubs there are capital dollars available, but the big question is how you get more of them? I can't tell you how many times I have spoken to a Superintendent or Technician, who was voicing his frustration about not being able to replace a piece of equipment that was long overdue to be retired, but the clubhouse was getting new carpeting, painting and their kitchen redone.
To steal a line from one of our other presenters, Sabrina Bladon from AdFarm, "You talk agronomics and they want economics"! So how do you speak their language? I know the Superintendents, who have been the most successful, have long term facts and figures about their repair and maintenance expenses. Sometimes people forget how many man hours get tied into that figure. In addition, what tracking system do you use for your fleet and the big white board in the shop does not count. From the Toro side, we have myTurf to track your fleet. I have multiple clubs using the wireless hour meters on their mixed fleet to keep records current. I also have some using Trims and a few others an old school notebook.
Well, talking numbers is one part of the equation, as the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words; Even better a walk through meeting at the shop! One of my favorite stats to make a comparison is that a non-turf person can relate to hours on a machine to miles on their car. One of the stats I have learned throughout the years is that 75 miles equates to 1 hour on a piece of equipment (Believe I got this from Jim Nedin). So, if you think about running a car at full throttle with multiple operators and extreme conditions, it is a little easier to relate to. Helping the decision makers to fully understand the age and condition of your equipment is so key.
Sadly, just talking about the improved ability to be better at providing a quality product, is not always the best approach. One of the other angles that hits home is safety. The reality of today is you need to protect your club and yourself legally. While everyone wants to provide a safe work place, the fact is sometimes your equipment is not helping in that effort.
To come back to Steve Keating's presentation, know who you are selling to. Is your greens chairman a financial planner (numbers guy) or a lawyer (safety and legal impact). Hopefully, you have a professional salesperson who you trust and can help you to put together a plan for success.
In the end, the more preparation you put into your sales presentation to you owner or board members, the odds go up to win the battle of the capital dollars.
WJC
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Saturday, March 8, 2014
For The Record
John Tyrrell & Pat McStravick, lawyers from Hollstein/Keating/Cattell/Johnson & Goldstein, were presenters at last weeks Turf Equipment University. When they walked in with an oversized brief case, I knew we were in for a presentation heavy on the facts. They had brought a 50+ page report for each attendee of lawsuits involving golf clubs. With cases that ranged from cart accidents to the clubs responsibility regarding ponds, it was a lot of excellent information!
While most of us are still waiting out the snow melt, do you know if you & your club are covered?( and I don't mean by snow) Some questions to think about while you keep waiting for the snow to clear:
-Do you have a record of all your training events?
-Do you have all your safety features connected on your equipment?
-Do you have a written program for safety checks throughout your course?
-How clear is your signage on your course?
Everyone is behind schedule this year and instead of taking anything else out on the course and getting it stuck, why not take this extra time to protect you and your club? Contact the clubs insurance agent and see if they can help you or even find out if you can have lunch with the club's lawyer. Maybe get something in writing on what they would need to know from you in the case of an accident. The biggest thing that I took away from John & Pat's talk was the better your records, the better chance you have in protecting yourself and your club. The interesting thing is how it leads to a better prepared staff and a safer work environment too!
WJC
While most of us are still waiting out the snow melt, do you know if you & your club are covered?( and I don't mean by snow) Some questions to think about while you keep waiting for the snow to clear:
-Do you have a record of all your training events?
-Do you have all your safety features connected on your equipment?
-Do you have a written program for safety checks throughout your course?
-How clear is your signage on your course?
Everyone is behind schedule this year and instead of taking anything else out on the course and getting it stuck, why not take this extra time to protect you and your club? Contact the clubs insurance agent and see if they can help you or even find out if you can have lunch with the club's lawyer. Maybe get something in writing on what they would need to know from you in the case of an accident. The biggest thing that I took away from John & Pat's talk was the better your records, the better chance you have in protecting yourself and your club. The interesting thing is how it leads to a better prepared staff and a safer work environment too!
WJC
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Love It When A Plan Comes Together!
This past week we hosted Turf Equipment University at The Ace Conference Center in Lafayette Hill, PA. One thing our company is very proud of and often talks about is the commitment to education. If someone ever filmed behind the scenes at TEU and all that led up to TEU, it would show without a doubt this commitment. What started back in the planning stages early last fall, ended with two different events in two states within two weeks. It was some project....
For me, I was the leader for the Superintendent track. Knowing TEU is not about all turf talk, this year's theme focused mainly on personal and professional improvement. I really could not have been luckier with how each speaker's theme rolled into the next. We were so fortunate that some all- stars took the time to come in!
Our day started with Darin Bevard, Regional Director of the Mid-Atlantic for the USGA Green section. The morning had a strong turf talk flavor, but really it was more about what support is available to make your job easier. Darin was followed by Chase Rogan, Mid-Atlantic Field Staff for the GCSAA, to talk about what resources they have available to their members. Bill Brown of Turf Republic was to follow. To me, Bill is a great speaker, because he is truly passionate about technology and how it can be used to maintain turf. The great question is how many of those in attendance will have an drone and a GoPro camera in their arsenal this upcoming year. In the always tough spot (right before lunch) was Doctor Mike Fidanza. Doctor Mike is one of the true good guys in the Turf business! If you are having a bad day, hopefully you run into Doctor Mike, because his positive personality is contagious.
After an incredible lunch, we got a reality check from Todd Miller, founder of Golf Safety.
I was blown away about what might happen if OSHA makes a stop by your shop! His voice of experience, as a former Superintendent, and an expert in safety regulations, makes him an invaluable resource. If you have an old shop and are looking to build your case for an upgrade or just want to make sure that you are providing a safe work environment, I would urge you to check out Golf Safety! Todd was followed by John Tyrrell & Pat McStravick of the law firm of Hollestein/Keating/Cattell/Johnson/Goldstein. John and Pat represent professional sports teams and sports and recreation business owners. They had an in depth research presentation about what your club is responsible for in the case of an accident, as well as how you need to keep records and be vigilant about your safety precautions. Our last speaker of the day was Steve Keating, of the Toro Company. Steve is the Manager of Selling Skills for Toro. His topic was 360 Degree Leadership. Steve has a Word Press site called, Leadership Today, and is one of the best speakers on the topic. If you ever have an opportunity to see him speak, I would urge you to do it!
As day two kicked off, Sabrina Bladon of AdFarm, was gracious enough to make the trip down from Canada and continue the focus on leadership and branding. She hit some great points and afterwards a few of the attendees said her talk made them really think about their approach.
The final class of TEU was Steve Keating talking about how to sell your needs to your club. Steve's focus was on how to be professional and get you point across as well or better than other departments in your club that are competing for the same capital dollars. One of my customers said to me that he could have listened to Steve for two days!
I cannot say thank you enough to all the presenters for their time and effort to make our event a success!
Doctor Mike addresses the Superintendent Track
Opening Session of TEU
Sabrina Bladon addressing the Superintendent Track
WJC
For me, I was the leader for the Superintendent track. Knowing TEU is not about all turf talk, this year's theme focused mainly on personal and professional improvement. I really could not have been luckier with how each speaker's theme rolled into the next. We were so fortunate that some all- stars took the time to come in!
Our day started with Darin Bevard, Regional Director of the Mid-Atlantic for the USGA Green section. The morning had a strong turf talk flavor, but really it was more about what support is available to make your job easier. Darin was followed by Chase Rogan, Mid-Atlantic Field Staff for the GCSAA, to talk about what resources they have available to their members. Bill Brown of Turf Republic was to follow. To me, Bill is a great speaker, because he is truly passionate about technology and how it can be used to maintain turf. The great question is how many of those in attendance will have an drone and a GoPro camera in their arsenal this upcoming year. In the always tough spot (right before lunch) was Doctor Mike Fidanza. Doctor Mike is one of the true good guys in the Turf business! If you are having a bad day, hopefully you run into Doctor Mike, because his positive personality is contagious.
After an incredible lunch, we got a reality check from Todd Miller, founder of Golf Safety.
I was blown away about what might happen if OSHA makes a stop by your shop! His voice of experience, as a former Superintendent, and an expert in safety regulations, makes him an invaluable resource. If you have an old shop and are looking to build your case for an upgrade or just want to make sure that you are providing a safe work environment, I would urge you to check out Golf Safety! Todd was followed by John Tyrrell & Pat McStravick of the law firm of Hollestein/Keating/Cattell/Johnson/Goldstein. John and Pat represent professional sports teams and sports and recreation business owners. They had an in depth research presentation about what your club is responsible for in the case of an accident, as well as how you need to keep records and be vigilant about your safety precautions. Our last speaker of the day was Steve Keating, of the Toro Company. Steve is the Manager of Selling Skills for Toro. His topic was 360 Degree Leadership. Steve has a Word Press site called, Leadership Today, and is one of the best speakers on the topic. If you ever have an opportunity to see him speak, I would urge you to do it!
As day two kicked off, Sabrina Bladon of AdFarm, was gracious enough to make the trip down from Canada and continue the focus on leadership and branding. She hit some great points and afterwards a few of the attendees said her talk made them really think about their approach.
The final class of TEU was Steve Keating talking about how to sell your needs to your club. Steve's focus was on how to be professional and get you point across as well or better than other departments in your club that are competing for the same capital dollars. One of my customers said to me that he could have listened to Steve for two days!
I cannot say thank you enough to all the presenters for their time and effort to make our event a success!
Doctor Mike addresses the Superintendent Track
Opening Session of TEU
Sabrina Bladon addressing the Superintendent Track
WJC
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Under Cover
To clear the snow off your greens, or not, seems to be the question on most Superintendents minds right now here in the Mid-Atlantic. The discussions about how long has the turf been under cover and is there an ice layer are the main concerns. As with any turf management processes, there are always different points of view. For some, the fear of mechanical damage is a concern . The other edge of the sword is whether there is damage from being under snow. So what do you do?
The old school answer of spreading Milorganite, is probably a thing of the past, with the concerns of too much nitrogen. Currently, the use of colored topdressing, is the most prevelent answer. Today, I heard one I had never heard before, sunflower seeds.
So the problem is one that has not been an issue for years. With another polar vortex in the long range forecast, it will be an interesting couple of weeks.
WJC
The old school answer of spreading Milorganite, is probably a thing of the past, with the concerns of too much nitrogen. Currently, the use of colored topdressing, is the most prevelent answer. Today, I heard one I had never heard before, sunflower seeds.
So the problem is one that has not been an issue for years. With another polar vortex in the long range forecast, it will be an interesting couple of weeks.
WJC
Saturday, February 15, 2014
S-NO-W
Here in the Mid-Atlantic,we are just about to get another few inches of snow this morning,after a week where some areas got over 20 inches! To say people have had enough is an understatement. While we are all focused on snow clean up and school closings, I can't help but start to worry about how this is going to effect the golf industry. It seemed the second half of 2013 was better for some of the clubs that had been on the financial bubble. Over the past bunch of winters, while play is minimal, there is still income to help pay the bills. Occassionally, there is a super warm weekend, where clubs have had packed courses. This winter, you have no golf, no people coming in to eat and bills to pay, so things might get interesting. I know I have written about it before, that the golf industry in this area was once considered an 8 month season, but that slowly changed. The weather has been milder over the winters for the most part. Sadly, I think this is something to keep and eye on as this winter plays out.
One other side effect, of this winter of discontent, is how it will impact all the new bermuda grass. More and more facilities have been using bermuda grass,in many areas here in the Mid-Atlantic,including driving range tees, and some fairway applications. Hopefully, as spring finally arrives and temperatures start to rise, we will not see any effect from such a brutal winter!
WJC
One other side effect, of this winter of discontent, is how it will impact all the new bermuda grass. More and more facilities have been using bermuda grass,in many areas here in the Mid-Atlantic,including driving range tees, and some fairway applications. Hopefully, as spring finally arrives and temperatures start to rise, we will not see any effect from such a brutal winter!
WJC
Saturday, February 8, 2014
GIS 2014
The Golf Industry Show 2014 is now in the record books. While some guys had to return to Philadelphia earlier than planned to try and do some emergency cleanup from the ice storm, the majority of attendees I spoke with were really enjoying Orlando. Now to put it in perspective, we have had an AWFUL winter here in the Mid-Atlantic and to be in Florida for a record high temp for February is something that we might not want to gloat to our wives at home about!
Arriving on Tuesday for the annual Toro business meeting, the week began on a high note. Much of the meeting was discussions about Toro's 100th anniversary. Starting with a video of customers and their feelings and experiences with Toro that was really well done. The high light for me being Matt Shaffer of Merion Golf Club saying 'I have the best Toro Salesman in the world". With lots of grief to come from other Reps, it is really tough to put into words how much Matt's words were appreciated!
The trade show on Tuesday was really busy. I would say there was a lot of buzz in our booth regarding the new automatic transmission Workman HDX and the new Toro Infinity irrigation head.
To me you know a new product has a bright future when the comments are "it makes so much sense, why hasn't someone done this yet?".
The Pennsylvania Allied room on Wednesday night was a great time as always! It was really good to see some people that I have not caught up with in a while. Add in few other receptions and it was a full week of great events.
Now on the social media angle, I was really impressed with Aquatrols use of hosting Golf Course Industry Magazine & Turf Republic's Tweet Up event on Wednesday. Many people commented on the traffic by their booth. It is still in it infancy but the use of social media is absolutely going to play a bigger and bigger roll in the Turf business in the future.
Hope everyone had a safe trip home!
WJC
Arriving on Tuesday for the annual Toro business meeting, the week began on a high note. Much of the meeting was discussions about Toro's 100th anniversary. Starting with a video of customers and their feelings and experiences with Toro that was really well done. The high light for me being Matt Shaffer of Merion Golf Club saying 'I have the best Toro Salesman in the world". With lots of grief to come from other Reps, it is really tough to put into words how much Matt's words were appreciated!
The trade show on Tuesday was really busy. I would say there was a lot of buzz in our booth regarding the new automatic transmission Workman HDX and the new Toro Infinity irrigation head.
To me you know a new product has a bright future when the comments are "it makes so much sense, why hasn't someone done this yet?".
The Pennsylvania Allied room on Wednesday night was a great time as always! It was really good to see some people that I have not caught up with in a while. Add in few other receptions and it was a full week of great events.
Now on the social media angle, I was really impressed with Aquatrols use of hosting Golf Course Industry Magazine & Turf Republic's Tweet Up event on Wednesday. Many people commented on the traffic by their booth. It is still in it infancy but the use of social media is absolutely going to play a bigger and bigger roll in the Turf business in the future.
Hope everyone had a safe trip home!
 |
| The Toro Company 100th Anniversary hat that was being given away in the booth |
WJC
Saturday, February 1, 2014
You are So Lucky!
For most of us heading to the Golf Industry Show here in the North Eastern US, and for the most part, anywhere but the deep south, you get the same reaction when people hear you are going to Florida, "You are so Lucky!". When you can get to 80 degree weather and morning temps have been in the single digits here in Philly, I am up for going anywhere warm! The sad part is the majority of your time, this upcoming week, is spent inside a convention center or a hotel, unless you are one of the smart ones and have a golf event set up.
So what is the National all about (Yes, that what it will always be to me...)? I know for me, it is a chance to see some of Toro's new equipment and an opportunity to pick the brains of some of the Marketing Managers and Engineers. It is a chance to see what my competition has new and to see if someone has come up with a game changer. Really, the highlight of the week, is probably the Pennsylvania Allied room. It is where you get to see a lot of people you might not have seen for a while and end up usually with some good laughs.
The thing that most interests me this year is to see the impact of social media. More and more people in the golf industry are starting to get involved.It will be cool to see how it keeps growing, especially the events that are tied specifically to social media at this GIS.
Hope to see you in Orlando!
WJC
So what is the National all about (Yes, that what it will always be to me...)? I know for me, it is a chance to see some of Toro's new equipment and an opportunity to pick the brains of some of the Marketing Managers and Engineers. It is a chance to see what my competition has new and to see if someone has come up with a game changer. Really, the highlight of the week, is probably the Pennsylvania Allied room. It is where you get to see a lot of people you might not have seen for a while and end up usually with some good laughs.
The thing that most interests me this year is to see the impact of social media. More and more people in the golf industry are starting to get involved.It will be cool to see how it keeps growing, especially the events that are tied specifically to social media at this GIS.
Hope to see you in Orlando!
WJC
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