Let me tell you how we helped one of our MSPs absolutely nail prospecting at a golf tournament back in February. They walked away with 25 qualified leads from their specific niche, all for about a thousand bucks in sponsorship fees. It's a killer bang-for-buck event, especially now that it's golf season again (Spring/Summer 2025).
Here’s exactly how we did it, step-by-step, so you can replicate this success:
Step 1: Find the Right Gig & Lock It In
First things first, know your niche. Our guy likes working with HVAC companies. So, don't just go to any golf tournament. Find the state-level business association specifically for your target niche.
Give them a call or check their website. See when their next golf tournament is – they often happen twice a year.
Then, sponsor one of the holes. For our MSP, it cost about a thousand bucks. Get that locked in.
Step 2: Get Your Gear Ready (Keep it Simple!)
You don't need some massive, complicated setup. Think portable and easy:
A little 10x10 pop-out tent – the kind you get from Costco works great.
A basic fold-out table.
Your branded tablecloth – gotta look sharp.
A small cooler packed with cold drinks. We used Red Bulls, and the golfers definitely appreciated a cold one out on the course.
Plenty of business cards.
Tech is Key: This part is crucial. You need your laptop AND a portable monitor. Why? Because you're going to have your Cyber Score landing page up and ready. I recommend this one because it's cheap, battery powered, and comes with a stand.
Power Up! Remember, you might be way out on the 16th hole with no power outlets. A portable battery pack that can reliably run BOTH the laptop and the monitor for at least 6, maybe 7 hours is NON-NEGOTIABLE. Test this setup before event day!
Optional Fun: You can have a little draw for a prize – we gave away a drone. It adds a bit of fun, but the main focus is the Cyber Score interaction. If you are going to give away a prize, make it something the attendees would actually want. Not just your branded swag. No one wants to market for you. They want stuff for themselves. The drone worked because the HVAC companies wanted it to take footage of their job sites. It was a gift they actually wanted 💡
Step 3: Work the Hole (This is the Core Play)
Plan for the event to last about six hours on the course itself. We started setup bright and early around 6 or 7 AM because tee time was 8 AM, and it went till about 1:30 PM before lunch happened.
Okay, here’s the flow for each group of golfers (usually foursomes) that comes by:
Greet 'em & Offer Drinks: Be friendly, "Hey guys, how's it going? Grab a cold Red Bull!" Start some casual chit-chat.
Hit 'em with the Icebreaker: This needs to be relevant to their business. Since they were HVAC companies, we asked: "Hey, you guys using ServiceTitan to run your business?" Find out what the key software is in your niche and ask about that. It gets them talking immediately.
Pivot to the Hook: Once they're chatting about their business/software, steer it gently towards technology. Then, drop the line: "Hey, let's do something fun. Let's check your Cyber Score." I find that line works a ton. It sounds like "credit score," it's intriguing, not scary.
Run the Cyber Score: They're usually relaxed, drinking their Red Bull, they'll often say, "Sure, let's do it." Type their company domain name into Cyber Score right there on the portable monitor. It pops up their score in like 30 seconds. Easy.
Review & Educate (Quickly!): Don't just show the score, look through it with them. Point out things like Dark Web Breaches or Email Impersonation issues. If they have breaches (and many do!), explain it simply: "Hey, did you guys know about this? ... No? ... Basically, these are criminal gangs breaking into other big websites... stealing email and password combos. Looks like a couple of your employees might be on this list from a past breach."
Give Actionable Advice (Right Now!): This builds instant value. Tell them: "Look, all you gotta do is tell those employees to change their passwords. And while you're at it, you might wanna start using a password manager and definitely turn on MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication)." Simple, helpful stuff they can actually use.
Step 4: Qualify Them
The Cyber Score review opens the door perfectly. Now you ask the key qualifying question: "So, who's helping you guys with IT right now?" This tells you immediately if they have an MSP, handle it internally, etc.
Based on their answer, you can lead the conversation from there.
You've basically got their contact info already from the Cyber Score entry (company name/domain). Confirm who the best person to talk to is if needed.
Hand out your business card.
Step 5: The Wrap-Up (No Pressure)
If they seem interested in talking more about IT and security based on the Cyber Score and your chat, great! Make a note, tell them you'll follow up.
If they're not interested, that's totally fine. Just be cool: "Alright guys, good luck on the rest of your round!" and let them move on. No hard sell needed.
If you're doing that prize draw, make sure you get their entry.
Step 6: Follow Up & Count Your Wins
After the tournament, gather all the info from your Cyber Score runs and any notes you took.
You should have a solid list of leads. Remember, we got 25 qualified leads from this one event – people who were interested because we showed them something relevant (their score) and talked about it.
Get started on your follow-up process quickly!
Visualize: What it looks like at the event
This is what the start of the morning looks like. Be prepared to wake up at 5am so you can be ready for the 8am or 9am "shotgun start." Shotgun starts just mean that groups of golfers start at the same time at all 18 holes and then play the whole loop until they have played all the holes. Instead of everyone starting at Hole 1.
Bring some energy and come ready with some icebreakers. Start with some nimble chit chat. Ask them about their businesses. Then relate it to what you do. Acknowledge, compliment, ask.
No need to over complicate the setup. Table, table cloth, laptop, portable monitor with battery back like this one.
And this is what you are there for. Use your icebreakers. "Hey do you want to do something fun and check your Cyber Score?" Then show them their Score, walk them through some quick fixes, get their contact info. Rinse and repeat.
The Bottom Line:
Seriously, think about it. How often are you getting 25 qualified leads, in your niche, from about six hours of work and a ~$1k investment? That's fantastic ROI. So, find those state-level association tournaments for your niche, sponsor a hole, bring your simple setup with the Cyber Score ready to go, and use this playbook. You're gonna crush it bringing in new leads this season. Good luck!
