Do you know who they are? Identifying your top 20

Photo by Samantha Gades on Unsplash

Every business has them. These are the folks who like the operation, the people, and the feeling they receive each time they step foot through the door. They like the business, believe in it, therefore entrusting their buying decisions with this organization. As I said, every business has them, they are the best customers, largest spenders, the top 20%. At the golf property, the top 20% might be the people who bring the most guests, spend the most money throughout the property, or love the shop staff so much they go overboard with buying merchandise each and every month. The top customers are more than important, they are critical to the business. They provide unquestioned loyalty, tremendous spending power, appearing frequently to play, eat or just hang out looking for their next great acquisition.

Certainly your property has them, the men and women who take care of the club because the club takes care of them. Do you know who they are? Does the team not only know them by name, but know their favorite things, as the song says? The best customers of any business should be treated with extraordinary care and attention. They are not like everyone else, and therefore should not be treated just like another golfer approaching the first tee. They are vital to the business and should be recognized for their extraordinary value. This highfives postoffers five things you can do to support your top 20%:

1)      Identify them: knowing the identity of your top spenders is a vital detail for your success puzzle. The top 20% of your fan basecan carry the revenue load on many a day. They spend more and do it without your team needing to push.

2)      Provide special value opportunities: from exclusive holiday shopping nights to pre-announcements of new product arrivals, there are ways to reward your top customers as you also work to grow your business.

3)      Create an inventory mix just for your top customers: as you plan your next buying program, offer a purchasing option to each of your top spenders. Allow them to book their own goods as you create your plan. Offer each an added value to book and buy up front. Seek out the specific ideas that offer the most value.

4)      Develop 2 or 3 special vendor events: these might include club vendors, shoe or apparel vendors. Each vendor to bring in people, demos and/or samples. Although you may want to offer these events to all of your golfers, you may provide your top spenders a 2- or 3-hour exclusive window before your other golfers can arrive.

5)      It’s okay to be unfair: Your top customers do more than just spend a lot of money. They have loyalty to you and your property, they are a great sounding board for new ideas, and they will help you promote what you want to promote. Going over and above for those that take care of you and your business is just a very smart thing to do.

It is essential to know every one of your top spenders. They are game changers for your business. If the actual 80/20 rule applies, where 20% of your customers account for 80% of your revenue, you can see the amazing position held by these top 20%. While this may sound unrealistic, it is also possible. The service strategy for these golfers should be sharper and provide a focus different from how you operate the balance of the day. Your team should know these customers, know what they like, and be very aware of when they are on property. From personal shopping practices, to having key members of your team play with these folks, there are things you can do to reward them for their loyalty. They became loyal because they like your people and the feelings they feel when they arrive onto the property. Therefore, do not be different but be better at what created that loyalty. Also, remember to ask each of them the questions that will provide the answers you need to keep things fresh, interesting, and just the way they like it. Guessing, like hoping, is not a proper solution to providing your best to your best. 

Jack Dillon writes the highfives post. Jack is a speaker, a merchant and communications expert. Now part of Career Dividends, Jack is ready to help you build a better golf shop and a better team. Jack has just written his first book: Jump the Line: 101 Lessons for Professional Success offers real life lessons on building excellence into every day. Contact Jack at 407-973-6136 or email him at: jackd@careerdividends.com. Jack lives in Orlando and on Zoom.