Another element was that promotional activities at the club were assigned specific goals, and indices were developed to track prospective customer awareness, inquiries, and trials. Data gathering was one of the first areas of the existing marketing program to be reviewed. The club carefully constructed a sales call sheet and turned sales agents into knowledge gatherers to improve the quality of prospective customer data. Marketers began asking open-ended questions to tap visitors' underlying thoughts for a more accurate view of their intentions. Customers do not always respond truthfully to salespeople.
People sometimes say what they think salespeople want to hear for the sake of a graceful exit.
Agents are more efficient with questions such as whether prospects presently belong to a club, live in the area, are considering joining a private club within the next three months, or would like a tour of the club. Many wrongly believed they had to be a resident to join. It also became evident that many would prefer to pay initiation fees in monthly installments, even if it meant receiving a lower percentage of that fee upon resigning from the club. Ads were designed to promote its family-orientation, affordability, and larger capacity, and to counter the impression that the club was stuffy. Prospects were offered gifts like free putters and free rounds of golf.