Free Online Articles Directory
Home Page  Bob Devitz |
|||||
 |
 
Bob Devitz - ArticlesBob Devitz is the President and CEO of Legendary Golf Management and is an expert in the operations and marketing of Private Clubs. Bob has over 25 years of experience in the industry, primarily in senior management roles with ClubCorp, an industry leading “for profit” company. Bob has an MBA from The Florida State University, a BSBA with a specialization in marketing from The University of Florida, and is a member of the PGA of America. Having worked with hundreds of Private Clubs during his career, Bob brings a results driven, bottom line approach to the Club Industry.
Why Job Descriptions Are Worthless and Position Agreements Are Priceless!A very important differentiation from one management company to other golf clubs, resorts, and management companies is the approach to employee accountability. Most of these businesses simply give their employees a job description. And while a job description is better than nothing, it falls far short in detailing the specific actions and desired results the business expects the employee to comply with and achieve. Follow The LeaderRemember playing Follow the Leader? It's a game I played on occasion as a kid at parties or sometimes after school. The format as I recall began with choosing a “leader” or "head of the line" and then everyone lined up behind the leader. The leader then moved around and everyone had to mimic the leader's actions. Any players who did not do what the leader did were out of the game. In speaking with Clubs week after week and hearing what they've been doing, it seems like this silly kids fun game.. Are You Performance Driven?am amazed at the number of clubs and resorts I speak with who fall far short of creating expectations and accountabilities in their businesses for their key management personnel. Business is about producing a “bottom line” in accordance with the experience your members and guests want and are willing to pay for. And yet when I ask about specific goals and staff compensation, I find that in almost all cases, the staff is operating under what I term an “entitlement system” for compensation. It's a Forfeit!Every week I speak with many clubs and read articles on blogs and in online and traditional golf industry publications that are decidedly defeatist in nature. I hear a litany of excuses including the economy, the weather, the competition, their budget, and anything else they can think of to rationalize the state of the industry and the poor performance of their own properties. It's a lot easier to throw in the towel and say that since so many are doing poorly, it's ok for us to be ... Who Do You Know Who?There is no better source for a new lead for membership at your Club than a referral from a new or current Member. I talk to several Clubs each week and always ask about a member referral program only to find that the Clubs, though desperately in need of new members, do not have a member referral plan in place. Used effectively, you will generate the majority of your leads and new members from your new and current Members. How should this be accomplished? Read on! Is Your Club being victimized by Lead Loss?Ever wonder why sales aren't happening more quickly? Ever wonder why even though inquiries are coming in about membership or other services your Club offers....sales do not follow? Ever wonder why guests of members often express interest in your Club but wind up having their outing or meeting at another Club? Your Club could be a victim of one or more of The 7 Deadly Sins of Lead Loss! Refundable Initiation Fees! Why?Every week I speak to Private Clubs experiencing problems with membership. To gain an understanding of their situation I ask a series of questions that include the Initiation Fee required to join the Club. The majority of time, there is a provision for the return of a portion or in some cases all of the Initiation Fee that is required. I then ask the business reason behind the Initiation Fee structure that is in place and I typically get a response like... Whats My Line?I was channel surfing the other night when I ran across a rerun of a game show that had a successful 17 year run from 1950 to 1967. The show's name is “What's My Line?” and although the format of the show does not apply to the golf industry in any way, it got me thinking about the importance of the “right lines” in your business. What Are You Doing?2009 is underway. A new president and Congress are in place and facing a difficult challenge as our country and its economy are hurting. Unemployment is at a 17 year high, the stock market continues to struggle, foreclosures continue to rise, and large companies continue to have their hand out for government assistance. The hospitality industry is feeling the impact more severely than many others as people have less discretionary income and have to cut back. Help, I Need More Members!I hear this refrain from Private Country Clubs all over the Country. With a falling stock market, unemployment at all time highs, and more homes in foreclosure than at any time in history, Private Clubs are experiencing record high attrition and are finding it increasingly difficult to find new Members. Yet, I am amazed at what I hear after a few questions to club managers and the lack of action being taken to do something tangible to gain a better result.
|
 |
|||
|
Article Categories
|
|
||||
|
|
|||||
