Ed Heil
I'll own the framing upfront: this is going to make some people uncomfortable. Good. The dynamic the title of this blog describes could make some membership directors a tad uncomfortable as well. Not because it’s untrue, but because it's so obvious that it's a little embarrassing we don't talk about it more.
Over the years, here's what membership directors have told me, almost universally, about the membership application process. The husband had the idea. He's been playing golf with his buddies, he's been eyeing the club down the road, and by the time he mentions it to his wife, he's already filled out the application in his head. Heck, he might have already gone out to do a tour and meet with the Membership Director. He just needs to get her there, and she’s not there.
She's wondering whether she'll actually meet people she likes. Whether her kids will feel at home. Whether this place is going to feel like theirs, or will it be just his. And she's doing the math on the initiation fee and thinking about what else that money could mean for their family. These aren't objections you overcome with an explanation of why Donald Ross designed golf courses are magnificent. They're the questions of someone whose opinion has not yet been considered.
To be clear, this is not unusual or specific to the private club industry. In fact, this is a well-documented pattern in consumer behavior. In the vast majority of major household purchases, women are the primary decision-makers. The private club industry knows this intuitively. Membership directors will tell you in about thirty seconds. And yet most club websites are built entirely for the person who already said yes.
He’s Halfway to Membership
When he lands on your website, he sees the golf course and he can picture himself on the first tee on a Saturday morning. He reads "18-hole championship golf course designed by [architect]" and it confirms what he already believed. This is the real thing. He sees the patio, imagines a cold drink after a round, and closes the laptop feeling good about his decision.
He’s good with all of it. He doesn't need more convincing.
Her Perspective of the Club
She sees the same image of an empty golf course, reads the heartless copy and does a quick calculation: this is going to cost us a lot of money so my husband can play golf. She clicks through the family programming page and finds a paragraph about a pool and a stock photo. She looks for faces she recognizes, couples that look like them, families that look like theirs and doesn't find many, if any. She checks the membership page, but doesn’t see what it costs. She figures it’s more than she’s comfortable spending and closes the tab.
He’s ready to schedule the tour. She says not so fast. As they say, the sale is lost before the salesperson ever picks up the phone.
Focus on the Person Still Deciding
"18-hole championship golf course designed by [architect]" is a credential. It tells her nothing about what her life looks like at your club. "A place where everyone in your family - including the ones who've never picked up a club - can fall in love with the game" is an invitation. Those are different things and they land differently.
Go through every headline on your website and ask honestly: is this written for someone who's already bought in, or for someone who's still deciding? In most cases, you'll find the answer is the same throughout.
Put People in Your Photos
Beautiful empty spaces don't answer the question she's actually asking: Will I belong here? Families on the pool deck, kids playing in the water, couples at a Friday night dinner. Women from the 9-hole league (yes, show that). These images do something architecture photography will never do. They signal that people like her are already there and they're happy. She's pattern-matching when she scrolls your website. You need to give her something to match against. Additionally, the clubs that get this right have better photography and they're intentional about who is in the frame.
Testimonial Videos Help
A short testimonial video from a member who joined with reservations and became a fixture at the club can move a prospect further down the path than a page of marketing copy. Especially when it's a woman talking about what she was worried about before she joined and what actually happened. We're all more persuaded by people who shared our doubts than by people who never did. The club that gives her that story is the club she calls back.
Fear from the Absence of Information
She's going to do the math and you know that. Clubs that avoid the cost conversation are leaving her alone with her spreadsheet and plenty of real doubts. As goes the popular phrase, “in the absence of information, people make up their own story and it’s usually not good.” You don't have to justify the initiation fee (nor can you), but you can help her understand what it will mean to her family. Time spent together and creating lifelong friends. You can help her see the relationships that form, grow and endure in places like this. And you can show how her children can thrive through the many sports and activities available.
The clubs that take the member acquisition process seriously are building their websites, structuring their tours, and crafting their follow-up communication with her in mind. They are the clubs converting "he's interested" into "we joined." Clubs that don't are building pretty websites for people who have already said yes and are wondering why the pipeline is drying up. She's the one still on the fence. Your website should be talking to her.
