Building Your Fanbase With Early Wins | with Ted Eleftheriou
Episode 16: Building Your Fanbase with Early Wins
Welcome to the Brand to Fan Show, where we explore the world of fandom and its impact on brand building. This conversation dives into the intersection of sports, business, and fandom with Ted Eleftheriou, a Hollywood veteran turned golf professional and industry expert.
Join me to uncover Ted's insights and experiences that have shaped his approach to igniting a love for the game and cultivating fans in the golf industry.
Guiding Customers to Success and Reflecting Their Needs
During our conversation, we discover the importance of guiding customers towards success early on, breaking down fear barriers by incrementally providing little wins along their journey. Ted emphasizes the need for companies to reflect their customers' needs and goals, creating experiences and outcomes that genuinely resonate with their audience. This customer-centric approach is vital for building a solid brand and fostering a loyal fan base.
Employee Development and the Power of Exceptional Service
We delve into the impact of employees on cultivating fans and the significance of investing in their development. Ted shares inspiring stories that showcase the power of exceptional service in fostering emotional connections and building customer loyalty. By empowering employees and fostering positive company culture, businesses can create a memorable experience that keeps fans returning for more.
The Future of Golf and Sharing Stories of Fandom
As we explore the future of golf, we touch upon the changing landscape of the sport and its potential outcomes, particularly for younger generations. Ted shares insights on making golf more appealing and enjoyable, allowing players to express their personal style while on the course. We also discuss the importance of empowering and sharing stories of fandom to attract new players and create a vibrant golfing community.
The Guest: Ted Eleftheriou
Ted Eleftheriou is a Professional Golfers' Association of America member and works for the National Golf Foundation (NGF) as Vice President of Player Development and Engagement. He has emerged and is recognized as a leading player and business development expert, particularly in sports, with an emphasis on golf.
He travels the globe conducting informative, engaging, and impactful keynotes, seminars, and workshops on how to grow business and revenue. Since 2019, he's also been busy presenting on many video platforms. His best-known topics are leadership, marketing, and customer engagement.
In addition to speaking, he leads NGF’s Welcome2Golf initiative, which focuses on growing adult golfer participation by creating and training leaders in the golf industry.
Prior to NGF, some of Ted’s career highlights include: Director of Golf Program Development for the PGA of America; owner of two successful golf academies; opened and managed 41 Nike Golf Learning Centers throughout the United States; and worked in the film industry as a freelance producer.
WHERE TO FIND TED:
Learn about the National Golf Foundation
Preview Ted’s personal coaching at Unthinq
TL;DL (too long; didn’t listen)
My key takeaways from speaking with Ted Eleftheriou on Brand to Fan Show ep16
Start with the WHY your audience is interested, then willing to connect, then ready to invest.
Guide your customers by showing them success early on and incrementally giving them little wins, which elicit fun and break down fear barriers.
Look beyond the product and service you offer to identify the experience or outcome your customers are truly pursuing. Show up in a way that reflects back to their needs.
Understand that your goals for customers don’t necessarily align with their goals for which you happen to have a solution.
Don’t hide behind the technology and rely on the screens to provide the experience that all of your employees should mirror.
Hiring and developing employees is an investment in cultivating fans internally. It starts with the interview or hiring process, but doesn’t stop there.
In this Episode (Time Stamps):
[00:02:21] From Heavy Metal to Golf Industry Success.
[00:06:41] From Film to Golf: A Love Story
[00:09:36] "Beyond Golf Lessons: Discovering the Why Factor"
[00:17:25] "COVID-19 boosted golf but where are the players?"
[00:22:50] "Reaching and Teaching: Boosting Golf's Accessibility"
[00:25:33] "Cultural Barriers to Golf Participation Persist"
[00:28:46] "The Power of Storytelling: Creating Lasting Memories"
[00:31:17] "Starbucks Employee Goes Above and Beyond for Disabled Customer"
[00:35:30] Shortage of workers causing industry hiccups
[00:40:45] "The Power of Emotional Brand Connection"
What are you a fan of?
Ted believes that emotional connections play a huge role in creating fans. He said, "Not only do I love Starbucks, I'm a big BMW fan." He admits that his BMW car spends more time in the garage than on the road, but he still has a strong emotional attachment. Ted says, "I still park the car, and before I leave, I take one more last look at it. Yeah, it's mine, right?"
When it comes to technology, Ted is a big fan of Apple. He proudly shares, "I'm on my MacBook Pro right now, and I have all my iPhones." Although he acknowledges that other brands may serve the function, he loves Apple's culture, simplicity, and minimalistic design. Ted says, "They know what they stand for and where their market niche is."
For Ted, these three brands hold a special place in his heart. He believes that emotional connections are key to building a fan base, whether in the world of music or business. He says, "Until that emotional connection is made, I think you're not quite representing or gearing out to fans." In golf, Ted emphasizes the importance of creating that shot euphoria during the first lesson to connect emotionally with the sport.
Overall, Ted's love for Starbucks, BMW, and Apple showcases the power of emotional connections in building fandom.
What is your favorite piece of Fanwear you own?
"If you were to peek inside my closet, it's filled with an embarrassing number of t-shirts, many of which are coffee-related. But being a proud New Englander, I am an absolute fanatic when it comes to our local sports teams. Whether it's the Patriots, Bruins, or Celtics, you can count on me to support them through thick and thin. I have an extensive collection of number 12 jerseys and hats from the Tom Brady era. Tom broke my heart when he left the Patriots, but those items still hold a special place in my heart. Those are really important to me.”
Show Credits
Brand to Fan Show is produced by Teague FC and supported by FanWagn
Audio production by Bryan Griggs / Griggs Production
Producers: Kimberly Voorhis, Ashley Ruiz and Carrie Hellbusch
Video Editing by Garrett Teague
AI assistance from Pictory.AI and CastMagic
And I’m your host, Lauren Teague.