Do You Need a Sales Director? How Capstone Grows Sales Leads

Private clubs looking to grow their memberships may be looking for expertise in the form of a membership sales director joining the club’s staff. If you are a club looking for leadership in sales with a data-driven strategy that is proven to growing and converting sales leads, increasing tours and ultimately selling more memberships, an in-house membership sales director likely is not the best choice for your club.

Capstone Hospitality fills the role of a membership sales director, going above and beyond what clubs can expect from their own staff member. With a highly trained Capstone sales director seamlessly integrated into your club who has access to Capstone’s Lead Generation Center, plus in-depth industry know-how, watch your membership sales increase and develop a long-term, customized strategy for success. 

Three private clubs who have opted to work with Capstone Hospitality rather than hire an on-staff sales director are James River Country Club in Newport News, VA, Hawks Ridge Golf Club outside of Atlanta, GA and Pensacola Country Club in Pensacola, FL. With Capstone’s sales expertise, they’ve discovered the myriad of benefits of working with a team of experts rather than depending on one staff member.

The Pitfalls of Hiring a Sales Director

Depending on one staff member to navigate the load of sales lead management can lead to unintended consequences. One is relying on a single person who may not have the breadth of knowledge or experience required in a changing marketplace. Another might be having an overworked sales director who gets burnt out or is distracted by other responsibilities. 

Jennifer Oliff, General Manager of Hawks Ridge Golf Club, found Capstone Hospitality when she was looking to replace their membership director and found the position more difficult to fill than she expected. “Our on-staff director just wasn’t producing the tours or sales that we were looking for and we felt Capstone would be able to help us out,” she explained. 

Contrary to what you might think, sales directors can be limited in their ability to fully devote their time and energy to selling memberships. Often their responsibilities span into other areas, including administrative tasks, member services and more. Juggling these other roles can distract them from nurturing relationships with potential members, keeping tabs on current leads generators and collecting important data on selling strategies.

Conrad Lickel, General Manager of James River Country Club, appreciates how Capstone’s sales directors are able to remain entirely focused on selling memberships and taking the time to generate sales leads, noting their “much greater impact through a deliberate approach to membership growth.”

Clubs need to know that those in charge of increasing membership know how to generate sales leads, continuously improve their craft, and are devoting all of their time and attention to the goals of the club.

Capstone Hospitality Knows Private Membership Clubs

With the understanding of why an in-house sales director isn’t always the right fit for private membership clubs learning how to generate sales leads, let’s examine the three ways Capstone takes the place of a sales staff member and is able to do more.

1. Capstone is Entirely Focused on Increasing Membership Strategies

While a sales director may be pushed and pulled into several directions, the sales directors at Capstone have one job and one job only: grow your club’s membership. Often that can include implementing new initiation fees or starting a waitlist, Capstone’s knowledgeable executive team has a pulse on the best strategies to generate sales leads and uses all of our time and resources to push your club’s membership numbers forward.

On working with Capstone, James River’s Lickel noted that “Instead of one person, we get a company with a wide range of skills specializing in membership growth, membership retention, social media awareness and general marketing.” He’s seen firsthand that with Capstone’s sales associates fully focused on membership, the club’s staff is able to work in their own areas rather than having to jump in and provide assistance to sales activities. 

In a similar vein, Hawks Ridge’s Oliff mentioned how essential having one point of contact for all sales related inquiries has been for their lead management: “For the club staff, it's helpful to know exactly who to direct inquiries to and those inquiries don't get lost in the shuffle.”

Clubs see remarkable results, with membership numbers improving past the results previous directors could typically get them. James Story, General Manager of Pensacola Country Club noted, “Previously membership numbers were flat 40 in 40 out, with very little growth. Over our first contract period, Capstone grew the membership by a net of 160 new members.”

2. Take Advantage of Resources Only Capstone Can Provide

When a sales director joins your staff, they only have their firsthand experience to go off of when it comes to implementing membership strategies. Capstone sales directors, on the other hand, have received rigorous training developed by working nationally with clubs of all sizes. 

With data at their fingertips, assistance from the Lead Generation Center at headquarters and Capstone’s proprietary CRM system, our sales associates are supported by an entire suite of resources – and so is your club. 

“I like that we can bounce ideas off of Capstone and they give us recommendations on things they've seen be successful at other clubs,” noted Oliff.

Story also appreciated the approach that Capstone brings, ensuring high retention of members: “[Capstone’s] proactive, knowledgeable & professional approach is a proven formula for sustained membership growth. Our retention rate has increased to 93-95% over the past three years.”

From membership marketing to insights into competitive market analysis, Capstone Hospitality brings a wealth of knowledge that benefits your membership sales. 

3. Capstone Seamlessly Integrates Into Your Club

Hiring a sales director means taking a big bet on the talents of one individual. If they aren’t a good fit with your club, lack the knowledge of your membership base or market or move on to a new job, you could be in trouble left looking for what is next. 

Capstone sales directors bring all of their resources and knowledge to your club where they seamlessly integrate. Lickel noted that in his experience, the Capstone sales directors “are able to assimilate sales techniques to pretty much any venue in any location.”

Grow Golf Club Membership with Capstone Hospitality

When asked whether they would recommend other clubs work with Capstone Hospitality over hiring an on-staff membership sales director, both Oliff and Lickel answered yes.

“Our membership sales since moving to Capstone are up tremendously,” Oliff explained. “We've also seen an increase in prospect tours, which helps to generate interest and exposure to the club. We've found that the cost of having an in-house membership director versus hiring Capstone was about equal, so it was a no-brainer for us.”

“Private clubs are a dues-driven business model and should invest in their primary financial driving force with an organization specializing in membership/marketing,” believes Lickell.

Story said “Yes, their proven track record makes the choice a proactive step to growing and sustaining membership.”

Any private membership clubs looking for a true partner in increasing membership strategies and learning to generate sales leads should consider what Capstone Hospitality could do for you. Take action today to grow your memberships and implement the most advanced sales strategies.