5 Realities of Working as a Golf Sales Rep

Written By: Jay Baker

Golf sales representatives are the unsung heroes of the retail industry. Part customer service, part informative source, and part equipment-crack pusher for the gear heads; golf reps can be the difference between a slow quarter and the golf’s next big thing.

While the job as a sales rep is a sought after position in the golf industry, it doesn’t always offer the glamorous insider lifestyle that some suggest it does.

There are two types of sales reps: independent and corporate. The independent reps usually carry several different lines and either work with a distributor or directly with the manufacturer. These reps are essentially independent contractors that are paid commission and are 1099’d at the end of the year.

The corporate rep is employed by the manufacturer and earns a salary. Both can be lucrative careers depending on the line or lines that the sales rep carries.

Unfortunately, both have to put up with more manure than Biff Tannen.

5. You Are Going to Deal with Terrible Golfers

As a sales rep, every end-user is going to think of you as the person who holds the magic elixir that can unlock his inner Eldrick. Whether the rep works for a driver company, putter company, training aid company, or a liquor company, the consumer believes that the rep holds the secret to shaving 6 strokes.

Demo days become mecca for all golf gear heads. It’s a chance to consult with the reps and find the remedy for your ailment.

For the sales rep, the demo day might as well be a hole in the head.  For every twenty tire-kickers, there might be one guy willing to try the product who is actually interested in buying.

He will proceed to over-estimate his swing speed by a minimum of 20 mph while explaining that he’s hitting it too high right now.

Better go with the 7.5.

After he pumps 4 consecutive drives so far right that he has to vote for Pat Buchanan in 2016, he turns and looks at the sales rep like the driver is broken.

The sales rep really wants to tell the customer that no matter how many turns and clicks they make with that torque wrench, no slot is going to bring that ball back into this hemisphere. He needs a lesson and quite possibly Jesus.

But let’s say we find the one guy who gets fit and is ready to buy. He is just as likely to leave driving range to go buy the driver down the street at PGA Tour Superstore or off of eBay.  “So what?” he says, “I’m still buying XYZ company’s driver.” Yeah but that sales rep or demo rep that helped you get fit doesn’t benefit if you go buy down the street, and neither does the golf course that is holding the demo.

I have actually heard of customers flat out telling the sales reps at demo days they like the product and are going to buy it somewhere else. That’s their right and their prerogative but it completely screws the rep, even the corporate ones, because they have sales numbers they need to hit for bonuses.

Does the sales rep complain? Absolutely not because…

4. The Customer Is Always Right, And So Is The Retailer

This means that the golf sales rep is always wrong. In fact, sales rep might as well have “Scape Goat” under his name on the business card. Retailers will throw him under the bus faster than a scolded dog crossing traffic. Sales reps that deal with special or custom orders will eventually have something go wrong, and regardless of fault, they will take the blame.

Head Pros, B&M GMs, or whoever is the buyer for a particular retail establishment has to save face in front of their customer. Let’s face it, the customer can never be wrong. Management has no problem making the rep a fall guy (or girl) when it comes to assessing blame. The good reps will always cover for the account. The great reps may even reach out to the customer directly to help mend bridges.

For example, let’s say Mr. Havercamp places an order for a new driver from XYZ Company. The new assistant in the shop forgets to order said driver from the rep.  He’s an apathetic assistant that doesn’t have an interest in the shop business; he’s the victim in this story.

2 weeks later (more like 2 days later), Mr. Havercamp gets antsy about receiving the new driver so he checks in with Chip, my name for the new assistant. Chip realizing his error tells Mrs. Havercamp that XYZ’s sales rep is a no good lazy bum who forgot to place the order.

These days, thanks to online portals, the buyers rarely even contact most reps to place orders, but Mr. Havercamp doesn’t know that so now he thinks XYZ rep is a no good lazy bum.  Meanwhile, XYZ sales rep is covering the assistant pro’s tush by placing a rush order on the driver with overnight shipping. Let’s hope the rep has a good relationship with someone in assembly otherwise Mr. Havercamp isn’t going to have that driver in time for the MGA championship he is never going to win anyway.

It goes both ways.

There are a lot of good pros and GMs out there that will fess up and tell the rep it is their fault before they ask for help. The great ones will even be square with the customer and admit that they screwed up the custom order or that they forgot to order the product. Everybody makes mistakes; it’s how we respond to the mistakes that define us.

Just blame your sales rep; he can always blame his company.

3. The Sales Rep Can Never Blame His Company

Okay so a lied, while the customer and retailer are always right, the company is never wrong. This means that the sales rep is getting it from both ends. The quickest way to get legal involved is to take a stance against your company in front of the customer. If you’re an independent rep, they’ll just drop you like Jay Cutler drops the football.  And yes, I am a jaded fantasy owner.

A good sales rep will become buddy-buddy with his or her internal customer service rep to ensure a good working relationship with corporate. That goes for independent reps as well. If a rep falls out of good grace with his inside contact, it will eventually strain the relationship with his accounts.

A sales reps’ back is already against the wall because golf companies have policies that most good business people would consider insane.

Policy quirks can affect business. While the reps might talk about their displeasure with these policies face to face with their accounts, it’s a fool’s folly to run it up the flagpole with the account present or copied on an email. Corporate will not salute.

Some companies are quirkier than others and some of those policies can create a divide between the company and sales rep. The Approval process for custom logos, pricing, credits, and order processing are just a few examples where the sales rep might get beat up in the field.

Ping could be the quirkiest golf company out there. Ping’s reps are corporate employees so they pretty much have to roll with whatever HQ decides.  Don’t get me wrong, most of the reps wear the company hat with a smile but the policies don’t always make sense for the retailers or end customers.

I once asked a Ping rep what pricing was on a certain product and he couldn’t tell me.  It wasn’t that he didn’t know, but rather that he literally couldn’t tell me because I wasn’t an authorized account holder.

We aren’t talking about wholesale pricing either, I was inquiring about a retail custom order. I understand if Ping doesn’t want its reps to share wholesale information with competitors, but not being able to quote retail prices? That’s like Chipotle trying to do business with locked doors.

I know what you’re thinking, “But they’re protecting their customer, the retailer. How could any sales rep be angry with that?” Not so fast my College Game Day friend. I’ll use Ping again because it’s the low hanging fruit.

It is well known in golf retail that Ping will anonymously send out secret shoppers to spy on the retailers as well as the local reps.

Is there an account not excluding Ping product from a sale or promotion? Pull that account.

Is “Dirty Dick’s Golf” offering a discount on custom orders? Pull that account.

A customer didn’t give up their first-born child for the G35 pre-order? Pull that… this last one isn’t real, but you get the idea.

“But isn’t illegal, it’s price fixing?” Yes it is price fixing and yes it is illegal but the government chooses not to police it. The US Supreme Court has specifically told retailers that Ping can pull your account if you do not cooperate with their price fixing schemes.

Bottom line is, the company shouldn’t be questioned and the rep has to stay on script, even if that means fewer sales. Whether a rep has a base salary or works on commission, lower sales is a problem because…

2. The Pay Isn’t Much

Yes, I did say that a sales rep could earn a solid paycheck, but that’s relative to the golf industry and there’s not much money in golf. Most people get involved in the golf industry because they love the sport. I know I did. Most people get out of the golf industry because they can’t achieve their goals on a golf salary.  I know I did.

Still, if a sales rep is willing to bust his ass and he or she has a solid product lineup, good money can be made. Independent reps will carry several lines to make the most of each trip they make to a respective account. They can get anywhere from 3 to 10% commission on sales.  Everything is negotiable and there is no norm. Commission rates might vary based on re-orders, new sales, or big box accounts. Unless you have multiple lines as an independent rep, 10% won’t cut it.

Even the corporate employee reps for companies like Callaway, Titleist, Ping, and Taylormade will get bonuses based on performance levels and sales figures. All included, a corporate sales rep’s salary can get well into six figures, but these are the high-end outliers. The corporate jobs are the most coveted jobs in golf. They’re also few and far between

Most reps are squeezing to get by and it’s tough because gas isn’t getting any cheaper. Most of these guys drive over 30,000 miles per year visiting accounts. Gone are the good ol’days of expense accounts and company vehicles. You have to get out there and always be closing.

In addition to the tough hours and minimal pay, job security is zilch. The best way for a company to shed some excess baggage is to trim the sales force. It seems counterintuitive but that is the reality. You see this happen every time a company is acquired; especially if they have independent reps. The easiest way to cut 10% from expenses is to layoff the reps.

To keep his job, a golf sales rep has to be successful and even that can be out of his control…

1. Success Depends on the retailers

Most sales reps would like to think that once he has sold to the retailer, his job is done. However, the good reps will help ensure sales execution at a retail level. This means having car stock to show the client, product knowledge visits to train the retail staff, displays to engage the consumer, and plenty of freebies for customers and staff. Retailers need help. Not every business is a gold mine like Mike’s Golf:

Several companies will provide their reps with car stock. Depending on the particular product they are representing there might even be samples or demos for retailers to try.  Some independent reps might have to buy the car stock up front or at the end of the year at a discounted price. The corporate reps will sell off their car stock at the end of the season to accounts looking for a deal.

Product knowledge sessions, or PK as the reps call them, allow reps to get in front of the retail staff to inform them about new product or proprietary technology that might be useful when selling a product on the floor.

PK can be tougher in the big box stores because the reps usually have to come in early on a Sunday morning, or whenever the manager calls a the monthly store meeting, and then they have about five minutes to jam as much information as possible into an $8 per hour employee.

Oh, did I mention there are four other reps there doing the same thing? Sales reps PK visits are a lot like going to truck stop spa, it’s quick, convenient, and concludes with someone getting screwed, most likely the customers.

A good PK can’t overcome employee bias. The staff might not care, or they may not like your company. This even happens with larger companies that golf shops are expected to carry; especially if the manager has an issue with a particular company.

The staff will guide their customers to the products they want them to buy. This is why it’s always good for sales reps to have those freebies handy. Nothing earns staff loyalty like a free box of balls, glove, or hat…except for spiffing.

It has several names but when a retail staff member gets monetary payment from a sales rep, it is known as SPIF or spiffing. The practice is mostly dead these days in golf retail. Bigger retailers now have explicit policies against spiffing. As a consumer, it’s pretty easy to spot. You go in looking at Callaway and Titleist but the staff member keeps telling you about how hot the new Warrior driver is.

Companies and reps have ways to get around no spiffing policies. They might institute a sales contest with the permission of the retailer. Instead of payment, the winning employee would get product from the company.

Another way to get around spiffing for equipment companies is to put someone on staff. You can give them product or discounts as long as they play (and push) the product. The more business that the account does for the manufacturer, the more free goodies it will get through the staff program.

The ultimate reality is that being a golf sales rep often means being an overworked under-paid and under-appreciated babysitter, psychologist and occasional whipping boy…who just happens to give away plenty of free golf stuff.

Make sure to get your handout.