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Technological Evolutions an
Industry, Game-Changer
spent on the course and not in the office.
Cheating, it should go without saying, has
the greatest negative impact.
“I don’t care what the business deal is, you
don’t want to be around a cheater,” Butowsky
says. “Do you say something? Of course not.
You can forgive, but you don’t forget.”
There really isn’t any upside to doing it, and
if it happens, it could seed the other person’s
mind with negative feelings.
“You don’t want to be doing things on
the golf course that might raise questions,”
Butowsky says. “I’ve seen people drink five
or six beers on the golf course while they’re
trying to do business. People don’t want to
do business with people who drink too much.
Even if one person is drinking too much,
you still shouldn’t drink, too. Your goal is to
do business with somebody. You don’t want
someone questioning in their head how much
you drink, when you drink and why you’re
drinking.
“Then it leads to more questions like, ‘Do
I want them managing money or handling
business affairs?’ ”
Storer offers an addendum.
“Be careful smoking cigars on the golf
course, too,” he says. “I’ve seen it so many
times, ‘Hey let’s have a cigar.’ It’s simply
about having common sense and business
sense. What if you don’t smoke? You have to
always be thinking, too, what’s important to
your client.”
Friendly or small stakes betting is
acceptable, just as long as it doesn’t get out
of hand or become too competitive. That
could be taken as being overly-aggressive and
downright annoying.
“I could care less if I win or lose on the golf
course,” Butowsky says. “In business I have
a different personality, especially if you’re
playing golf for business and not competition.
You can kind of look like a fool. None of us are
playing on the PGA T
our.”
Butowsky added one caveat: Being too good
might send mixed messages to a potential
client, the perception being that an excellent
golf game may translate into too much time
w w w. v s g a . o r g
WHEN TO TALK BUSINESS
When’s the right time to bring up business?
Some experts suggest waiting at least a few
holes to broach the subject, while other critics
say save it for later during the post-round
drinks and snacks. Storer believes it’s all about
understanding personality styles. After all, the
purpose of a golf outing is to get to know one
another. Start with innocuous conversation.
Build rapport.
Butowsky agrees that knowing a business
partner’s tendencies trumps all. Some may be
alpha personalities while others present a vibe
that says, ‘Not now.’ Just don’t be predictable
or force such talk. It’s all about being able to
read the c Օ̰