Group Coordinator Best Practices

Below are years of experience of lessons learned from working with many Group Coordinators (GC). Review and application of these best practices will go a long way to enhance your overall UGUIDE experience.

• Tip #1 - If you are first time UGUIDE group just know that there will be a learning curve to get familiar with our system. It will take getting the first season under your belt to fully understand how everything flows.
• Trick #1 - This is a big one. Don't be the bank unless you want to. Many GC's make the mistake of thinking a "yes" is a commitment for a person to join your group. It is not. It only means they are interested. Back up their yes with getting them to make a deposit on the individual PAY link, as soon as possible, and then you will have a "commitment" when the deposit is made.
• Tactic #1 - My role is to make your role easier. As the GC, you play a role and have a responsibility. I am the point person for you but you are the point person for all in your group.
• Tip #2 - Many assume that UGUIDE is like a full service retailer and/or outfitter. We are not. We operate much more in line with a cooperative where roles and responsibilities are spread evenly on the participants in this process. Namely the hunters, landowners and UGUIDE. A better description of the UGUIDE hunting network and system is a self-service outfitter cooperative. Please keep that in mind and it will make more sense why we do the things we do. Another way of looking at this is this is a good way to keep costs down.
• Tactic #2 - Communicate, Communicate, Communicate - Most issues are attributed to poor communication between GC's and their group members. This can be alleviated by making sure to forward communications I send to you and even sending your own as you custom manage the group as you see fit. All that is required from each group member is a signed liability waiver, photo ID and payment. All relatively simple and not very time consuming to complete. The issues arise when the deadlines and deliverables are not communicated to the group members well in advance of the deadlines.
• Tip #3 - You establish deadlines in advance of my deadlines. For instance, the Sept 15 deadline for getting in all payments and liability waivers is my deadline. It is a hard deadline. You would be wise to set deadlines in advance of my deadline like Sept. 1st for example.
• Trick #2 - I send out any changes to rates, etc the week before the season opens. The intention of this is so that when you and you group are at camp hunting you will have the info you need to discuss options for the future years hunt and if you want to rebook your hunt (for which you have a first right of refusal on) or discuss other camp options. Once the hunting party disbands and heads back to their respective home towns it is MUCH harder to facilitate that decision. With that window being 14 days it is certainly a best practice to discuss it onsite when you are all together, breaking bread, on the last day of the hunt.
• Get proficient with the tools I have built that are available to you such as: the Quote and Booking Tool, Individual Pay Link, all applicable discounts and the rebooking process steps. Learn how to email the quotes to your group and also key links on the site like the individual pay link or the links to the liability waiver.