How to capture today’s customer???

The internet has certainly made finding places to stay, eat, golf or explore so much easier.

In a matter of a few key strokes, potential customers are exposed to thousands of business’s looking to serve them.  In a matter of minutes they can take a look at your business, and quickly decide if what you have to offer suits them.  From putting together a golf event, booking a family vacation, a weekend get away, or simply looking for a place to eat!

It is all right here at their fingertips, now how do you capture them?  We will get to that at the end.

I have spent my entire life in Sales, and the old saying of every No gets you closer to a YES also applies to capturing your next customer!   Sales is a life of phone calls, knocking on doors, walking in doors!

You need to think of your potential customers the same way.  Not everyone will book a vacation at your resort, a group outing at your course, or bring in that group of 20 for dinner,  so every call or on line request is just getting you closer to that customer that books.

I have spoken to a few of our courses managers, resort owners and other business’s that are always busy.  I ask them what do they think the biggest reason is for their constant business.  They all have the same answer.  They answer every call when it comes in.  They respond to on line requests immediately even after hours.  Today’s technology has thrown out the 9-5 mentality.

When I asked them why they take that approach, they again all have said the same thing.  The customer will book with the first person they TALK TO up to 80% of the time!!!!!!   The customer already put you on a list to call from looking up things on line and now they want to make the plan!

It all makes perfect sense!  As a consumer, I will gladly hand over my money when a business makes it easy to do so!  I think most people will.   I tend to spend more money when I’m golfing if their is a active beverage cart working the course, or they have a grill set up at the turn.    I tend to book places to stay with the first place that picks up the phone.  I make tee times with the first course that has a time I am looking for.

So the simple answer on how to get and keep customers is answer your phone and on line requests.

It is hard to do, we are all busy, but you never know who is calling.  It could be a golf group, a family that needs 4 cabins, or a couple that will fall in love with your place and come back year after year!

Use Technology to your advantage, not the advantage of the next business they will call.  Call forwarding and Smart phones make it very easy!