Engage--Ask for Volunteers

Engagement is focus for all large and small corporations. Not just engagement from employees, but also from customers.

A great example is my golf club, Sycamore Hills Golf Club in Fort Wayne, Indiana. We're a Top 100 ranked, Jack Nicklaus Signature Course. We recently had the opportunity to host the National Ladies Team USGA Championship. A huge undertaking.

I was moved at the opening event (the night before the competition begin) as I heard from the hundreds of volunteers (many were members of the Club) as to how excited they were, how beautiful the course was and what a great opportunity it was to host the event.

That's engagement. Because, all of the members (including myself), pay to be part of the Club, in essence we paid for the opportunity to volunteer at a non-profit event and we're all fired up about it!

As I was talking with the passion-filled volunteers, it occurred to me what would have happened if this indeed had been a for-profit event in which the members were not asked (or needed) to volunteer. I think the enthusiasm and buy-in would have been dramatically reduced.

Apply it to our for-profit businesses. The more we engage our customers or clients, the more they'll enjoy their ownership experience. How can you find ways to engage your customers so they will in turn, be more engaged with your brand?


Barry LaBov
LaBov and Beyond
www.labov.com