Real-Life Communication
You are a custom golf clubmaker. Your customers are people who don't
want a store-bought set of golf clubs that come in one standard size. They're
looking for customized golf clubs designed especially for their size and playing
ability.
You spend hours with your customers, learning all about their
golf game. For example, the golf clubs you design for a pro who can hit the
ball harder will be different from the clubs you design for a beginner. You
also take a person's height and weight into account.
The job is very
challenging. Every golfer is different. But the challenges are worth it when
customers tell you that they have never hit the ball better.
Here is
some information you need to know when making custom golf clubs:
- When a person is hitting the ball, the shaft (the long, slender part of
the club used to swing) should begin to bend at the top of their swing (just
before they actually move the club downward to hit the ball).
- The bending of the shaft should peak at about the middle of the downswing.
- Just before hitting the golf ball, the club head (the hitting area of
the club) will actually trail a bit behind the shaft. If the golf club isn't
made right, the club head may actually still be trailing behind the shaft
when the person hits the ball. In other words, the person is hitting the ball
with the shaft and not the club head.
- On the other hand, if the shaft is too flexible, the club head will actually
swing forward too much and be too far ahead of the shaft at the moment that
the person hits the ball. The golf club resembles a bow at that point.
- In a properly made golf club, the club head will lead the shaft just slightly
at the moment that the ball is hit.
Early one Monday morning, a gentleman strolls
into your shop. He tells you he is going on a vacation to Hawaii next week.
He would love to have a brand new set of custom-made golf clubs with him when
he hits the golf courses at Honolulu and Waikiki.
You explain that
it takes several weeks to custom design a set of golf clubs. The man interrupts
you in the middle of your explanation about how you choose the shaft length.
He wants the golf clubs to take on his vacation.
You show him your
schedule for the week. You point out that you can't drop everything else and
spend all your time with him. He continues to insist that anything you come
up with will be better than what he could buy in the store.
Finally,
his persistence wears you down. You agree to make the clubs, giving him a
20 percent discount since it is not your best work. You take his measurements
and schedule a time for him to return on Friday so he can pick up the golf
clubs. When he returns for the clubs, you say aloha and wish him a good vacation.
Three
weeks later, a sunburned man storms into your shop late one afternoon. It
is the same client. He points to the bag of golf clubs leaning against the
door. "These things are garbage!" he says.
He pulls a pile of scorecards
out of his shirt pocket and throws them on the counter. "Look at these scores,"
he hollers. "I played worse than I ever have. My buddies were laughing at
me the whole time."
Other customers are listening. Your first instinct
is to tell the man that it is his own fault, but you manage to restrain yourself.
Instead, you wait patiently while he complains. This gives him a chance to
let off steam.
When he begins to wind down, you step in. "Let's see
if we can work together to solve the problem," you say.
"The problem
is the clubs are no good," he begins. You cut him off, and ask several specific
questions about the types of problems he had with the clubs. From his description,
you're pretty sure that a few minor adjustments will fix everything. You ask
him to hit a few balls with the clubs while you watch.
"You already
did that," the man exclaims. "It didn't help."
Biting your tongue,
you say that you might have missed something. Reluctantly, the man agrees.
What
are the three key problems you'll be watching for? (Hint: use the information
given above.) Remember to explain it clearly without any jargon -- obviously
this man doesn't know much about golf!