Is it possible to swing a deal as well as a club on the golf course?
A popular saying among golfers is 'Your worst day on the golf course is always better than your best day in the office'. Businessmen have long been known to swap ties for golf shirts and escape for a few holes. But do some people turn the course into their office and take business with them to the tee?
Inevitably, golfing partners may end up as clients or colleagues and vice versa. Networking is recognised as one of the most important factors in business.
A break from the sterile office environment is welcomed and can be more productive than an office-based meeting, says David, a Dubai-based sales manager.
"People actually turn off their dreaded BlackBerrys on the golf course and pay attention to the conversation," he says. "It also takes around four hours to play 18 holes, which gives you plenty of opportunities to discuss ideas and issues which may be forgotten about in the office."
Ian Peters, a businessman based in Dubai, agrees.
"In my opinion golf is one of the best ways to make contacts and forge business partnerships," he says. "The sort of people with whom I want to network will invariably be golfers, or have people in their organisation who are keen."
A round of golf is a useful way of getting to know potential clients, according to David. "During initial meetings it is always a question we ask, as it is a way of finding something in common with a client," he says. "A game of golf would be used to strengthen the personal relationship, and the more you have in common with a client the more chance you have of converting a deal."
Despite the business nature of conversations during golf these days, very few deals are actually finalised out on the course. David finds that much of the work leading up to a contract will be discussed on the golf course. "Most deals, though, will not actually be sealed there and then. Playing golf is just a way of getting closer to your client and gaining their trust."
Peters says it is impossible to say how many deals are sealed during the round. "All I know is that networking takes place," he says. "Deals will follow on the back of this – whether on the course or sometime afterwards."
The UAE boasts some of the world's finest golfing facilities, with lengthy waiting lists for membership. As David says, "Golf in the UAE is very expensive. Our memberships give people, who would not otherwise have the opportunity to do so, the chance to play world-class golf courses on a regular basis."
Peters also recognises this benefit. "The advantage of Dubai is that the courses here are all top-notch, and so the people you are trying to entice are often keen to play on the prestigious courses," he says.
Not everybody uses golf as a direct incentive to attract business. "We don't invite potential clients to play golf, or to our corporate days at events such as the Dubai Desert Classic," explains Rory Campbell, Managing Director of JohnsonDiversey Gulf. "We don't want it to be seen as a hook, to gain contracts – instead, we invite existing clients, to celebrate their partnership with us."
Golf is also used as a means to strengthen team spirit and encourage productivity. "We have several games a year between ourselves, and an annual staff weekend away," says Campbell. "I also include team members in competition invites from our customers."
David and his colleagues try to play at least once every few months, and attend a yearly company outing with both team members and clients. "It's a way for the company to say thanks to everybody," he says.
Whether for bonding with colleagues or networking for business contacts and deals, golf and business are inextricably linked.
