Golf w/prospects in mkt hrs send bad sig?

Mar 7, 2007 7:42 pm

I was invited by a client to go golfing with him and two of his friends in the morning in a few weeks.  I accepted.  Do you think golfing during market hours would be percieved as bad by prospects?

Thanks!

Mar 7, 2007 8:06 pm

No, not at all, have your PDA and cellphone active.

Mar 7, 2007 8:09 pm

[quote=gad12]

I was invited by a client to go golfing with him and
two of his friends in the morning in a few weeks.  I
accepted.  Do you think golfing during market hours would be
percieved as bad by prospects?

Thanks!

[/quote]

Most Prospects don't even know what market hours are. And if they did, a client meeting is more important than anything that can be accomplished during market hours.
Mar 7, 2007 8:16 pm

[quote=Broker7]No, not at all, have your PDA and cellphone active.[/quote]

If the client is even half-serious about golf he will quite possibly be annoyed if you use a celphone while you’re out playing.  It’s bad form.

Mar 7, 2007 8:23 pm

My client’s pagers and cellphones always goes off while on the links.  I’ve been asked to execute trades on the teebox

Mar 7, 2007 9:00 pm

I think that it should, but I don't think that it does.

For one thing, most people are so egocentric that they will think that any time you are spending with them is time well spent. They don't often think about what else you ought to be doing.

Also, if you have some sort of doo dad or whatzit on your belt with which you can pretend you are staying on top of matters back at the office, then there's that wow factor that can work in your favor.

Also also, it depends on the type of business you do. If you are a managed money asset gatherer then what happens in the market today doesn't make any diff.

One of my favorite MF wholesaler and I were golfing at the Doral and the market closed and all the brokers were scrambling to see how the market closed, he sat there on the golf cart and said "I don't care where the market closes today, I care where it will close ten years from now!" (unfortunately, he was working for Alliance Capital at the time). 

Mar 7, 2007 10:01 pm

[quote=Broker7]My client's pagers and cellphones always goes off while on the links.  I've been asked to execute trades on the teebox[/quote]

That's why I have an assistant!

Mar 7, 2007 10:36 pm

[quote=Whomitmayconcer]

I think that it should, but I don’t think that it does.

For one thing, most people are so egocentric that they will think that any time you are spending with them is time well spent. They don't often think about what else you ought to be doing. [/quote]

Which is one of the great mysteries of investment management. Why clients insist on distracting the manager away from his job.

Mar 7, 2007 10:38 pm

[quote=AllREIT] [quote=Whomitmayconcer]

I think that it should, but I don't think that it does.

For one thing, most people are so egocentric that they will think that any time you are spending with them is time well spent. They don't often think about what else you ought to be doing. [/quote]

Which is one of the great mysteries of investment management. Why clients insist on distracting the manager away from his job.

[/quote]

Same reason your wife wants to talk to you while you are watching the game on television

Mar 7, 2007 10:41 pm

At some point it  becomes something like, to liberally paraphrase the Chinese philosopher, Chuang Tzu, " Am I a planner who dreams she is a golfer or a golfer who dreams she is a planner?" If your beloved clients are not golfers, consider turning them and their friends into such through educational events at the public range or private club.

Mar 7, 2007 10:44 pm

All of this golf talk has gotten me teed off.

Not to rain on anyone's course, but, I'd never use an fa who was so much in to golf.  I don't golf.  If they want to go bowling, now, that's a whole new ballgame! 

Mar 8, 2007 1:02 am

Yeah…as an FA I would prefer the demographics of a bowler to a golfer. Bowlers are so much more budget concious, golfers generally have too much free time and money. It is amazing how many bowlers and golfers you will find partaking in their sport during “business hours”  Come on 4luv, garage sale the bowling ball…see you on the driving range!

Mar 18, 2007 6:48 am

 You shouldn't do it.  Politely tell your client you do not play golf during market hours.  They will respect this, and probably expect this.  With daylight savings time, you should be about to meet them on the back 9, and give them a market wrap of the days activities.  Don't start golfing during market hours.  At some point, that round will cost you dearly.  I learned that the $50,000 hard way.

 My damn feet hurt, and no i don't door knock during market hours either.

 ED

Mar 18, 2007 5:05 pm

Go golfing--tee off early--have lunch--go back to the office.  After 14 years in the business I guess I'm really in trouble because I love to golf, bowl (2 nights a week), fly and fish.  I've gone through 3 marriages in the name of fun--but God I love it. Did it really hurt my business, maybe some.  Ed, your at Jones--if you won a trip and was out of the office a week how do you think that is on your business?  That's why we have an assistant and those losers sitting in St Louis to take orders when we are out of the office.  Going Indy in < 45 days as a team so we can continue to take time off to keep the stress levels down.  My quote below I think sez it all!

Mar 19, 2007 1:16 am

Put up wet.

My motto is "Life's too long to be doin' sh*t you don't like!"

Mar 19, 2007 1:40 am

If your client’s going to bring two of his friends along and introduce you as the guy who handles his money make it a weekly practice! Oh yeah, the friends should be different every week or this guy should be doing at least 20% of your goal on a monthly basis!