April Fools Day only falls on a Tuesday every seven years, so I need to take advantage of the spirit 
of the occasion when I can.
Today is that day.
Want to be foolish in your recruiting? Settle in for a quick rundown on this April Fools Day and get my best tips for recruiting like a fool today as well as the other 364 days in your recruiting year:
- Just copy the old letters sitting in your filing cabinets. Some may call them worn-out and ineffective. I call them "timeless yet misunderstood classics". Go ahead and send them out again, Coach. It’s easier than creating all that time consuming new stuff that speaks to this generation of recruits, right?
- Keep your questionnaire long, and use extra small fonts. Some prospect wants to play for you? Let’s see if they have what it takes to gut it out and fill out that questionnaire of yours, Coach. Let’s separate the stars from the wannabees (or at least those that have extra fine-point mechanical pencils from those that don’t). If they can’t find an extra 30 minutes in their day to fill out a form longer than most you will find at your local DMV office, do you really want to coach them in college? Of course not.
- Call week after week whether you have something new to say or not. Today’s teen loves talking to adults on the phone. You’ve probably noticed that with most of your phone calls to them, right? It’s impossible to get them to shut up…they just talk, talk, talk. So it’s important to call even if you ask the same questions week after week…I recommend topics like "so, how’s it going?" or "what’s the latest with your boyfriend?" or "How’s your team doing?" Kids count on repetition. The important thing is to call…don’t worry so much about what you talk about.
- Have your seniors host your prospects when they visit campus. Sure, Freshman are closer to your prospect’s age and would relate better to them. But do you really want to baby them? Of course not. Pair them up with an experienced Senior athlete on your team. See if they can keep up when your Senior team captain takes your visiting prospect over to that frat party during their visit. That’ll leave an impression.
- At the end of the recruiting process, cut off all contact with your prospect. You know why, right coach? That’s right…you want to "give them their space" so they can "make the best decision for them." And that’s the right call: They love it when you don’t contact them. And, they like the challenge of figuring out what you’re thinking while they choose between you and the other thirteen colleges that have contacted them. It’s a rite of passage for today’s teenage student-athlete.
- DO NOT Ask for the Sale. Give them their space. Keep them guessing. Make them call you. I mean, afterall, you’re the one who’s offering them the chance to play college sports and maybe even pay for their education. Besides, you don’t want to "pressure" them, right? And what would you do if you couldn’t lie awake in bed at night wondering when your prospects will call or e-mail you? At least you weren’t a "pushy salesman". Besides, if you asked them to commit to your program, they might get the idea that you want them to play for you (and nothing’s worse than a cocky teenager that thinks you can’t live without them).
Oh, one more thing. Don’t attend one of our workshops for coaches, or bring in SFC for one of our On-Campus Seminars. And whatever you do, do not become a SFC Premium Member. All that extra training and information might make your head hurt.
Happy April Fools Day, Coach. We’ll do this again in 2014 when April 1st falls on a Tuesday. SFC will still be here, giving you the training you need to be a better recruiter.
The question is, will you still be making some of these foolish recruiting mistakes?
