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Irrational Recruiting Decisions Made by Recruits (and College Coaches)Monday, May 14th, 2012

It’s the thing that drives recruiters absolutely crazy when it comes to understanding how teenage athletes make their final decisions.

Most of the time, they make irrational final decisions.

This past year it seems like I’ve seen more examples than ever of that in our ongoing work with college coaches.  Here are some of the constants I see in this generation of recruits when it comes to how they are choosing the school that they would describe as “the right fit” for them:

They are deciding based upon their emotions. That includes both male and female prospects, Coach.  How they feel – and how their parents feel – about you and your program seem to consistently seem outweigh the logic and facts behind your program.

They aren’t taking a long term view of their college experience. Make no mistake, they start thinking about it right after they make their decision (hence all the de-commits and second looks) but as they are making their final decision (the first one, anyway) they are, in large part, considering what feels right at that very moment.  I’ve said it many times before: They choose with their hearts, and justify that decision with their head.

They are conscious of the highs and lows in recruiting. If you skip talking to them for a few weeks, expect them to be looking elsewhere for options.  If you’re consistently talking to them?  You earn big points.  And so it goes…up and down, over the course of recruiting.  And they are remembering who is giving them those highs (and lows) and factoring that in to their final decision.

They are relying on others to help them make their decisions. Primarily their parents, followed closely by their high school and club coaches.  Our research shows that they will often go against what their own gut is telling them and side with these highly influencial outside decision makers.  It doesn’t make sense, but that’s what is happening.

They will often turn to irrelevant statistics to justify their actions. You’ve seen it before:  You hit it off with the prospect, mom and dad love you, she’s a perfect fit for your program, but then at then end she chooses the school that finished two spots ahead of you in the U.S. News rankings for their major.  Will those extra two spots on the list make her happier in the long run?  Of course not.  But right now, it makes her feel like she made a smarter decision.

We could add more to that list, of course.  Or we could end it here and just agree that this generation is a tough one to recruit, and resign ourselves to just rolling the dice and hoping to get lucky every few years with a great recruiting class.

That’s not the smart approach, though.  Yet that’s the attitude of many college coaches: They lament the problem after correctly identifying it, and then don’t do anything to change their prospect’s irrational outlook despite knowing that they are taking that approach.  In other words, I see coaches reacting to their prospects’ irrational behavior during the recruiting process with their own irrational behavior.

Am I suggesting you fight irrational behavior with your own version of irrational behavior?  Yes.  I’m giving you permission to attract this next class or recruits using techniques that will help prompt your recruits to stop in their tracks and snap out of their irrational decision making process.  See if any of these ideas might work for your recruits:

  • Make your case with more passion than the other guy. If your prospects are using emotion to make their decision, we’ve seen plenty of cases where the coach who shows the same kind of passion and emotion connects the best with that athlete.  And the last time I checked, passion isn’t a budget related item that your competitor has more of (unless you let them).
  • Challenge them: Tell them that they are going about all this the completely wrong way.  Once you have their attention, make your case that they need to reconsider how they’re deciding on a program.  Get them to take a second look.  Compel them to continue the conversation with you…but start it off by contending that they are doing it wrong right now.  Get their attention!
  • Ask them, “Is that the smart way to do it?”  Maybe the answer is yes.  Or maybe it isn’t.  Asking that question and actually getting them to think about everything in a new light is one of the most productive challenges you can issue during the recruiting process.
  • Counter their illogical views with logical facts.  Again, the theme here is “do the opposite”.  It worked for George Costanza, it can work for you (if you aren’t a “Seinfeld” fan, that won’t mean much too you).  If they are all about the feelings, and you can’t seem to connect with them, stop them in their tracks with facts that go against their emotions.
  • Always include the parents and coaches.  Clue them in on what you’re talking to the prospect about, and why it’s important that your point of view should be seriously considered.
  • Exude a confidence – even if you’re not feeling like you have any! – that tells them they’d be CRAZY not to choose you.  No explanation needed, Coach.  The only thing I’ll tell you is that your prospect and their family are looking at you closely, and trying to figure out if you really believe what you’re selling.

Don’t fret about a prospect acting irrationally, Coach.  Develop a strategy around it to ensure that they’ll pick you and your program!

We’re beginning our planning sessions with new clients for this next recruiting class.  Want to talk to us about working one-on-one with you and your staff to develop a rock-solid recruiting plan?  Contact Dan Tudor directly at dan@dantudor.com so we can set up a time to discuss how we do it, and why it works.

     

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    5 Ways to Make Your Recruiting Surplus ScarceMonday, April 16th, 2012

    Sounds contradictory, right?

    How do you have a “scarce” surplus?

    Marketing guru and best selling author Seth Godin outlines a great example that many of us who are old enough to remember rotary dial telephones and having to get up to turn the knob on the television when we wanted to change the channel:

    When I was a kid at summer camp, a letter was as precious as gold (or perhaps candy). If you got five letters in a week, you were rich. Most of the time, we stood by the mailroom, plaintively waiting to see if there was some sort of message from the outside world–only to walk away disappointed.

    Back home, missing a TV show was out of the question. If you didn’t see this episode of Mannix or Batman, it was likely you’d never get a chance, ever again.

    Information, entertainment and communication was scarce way back when I was a kid walking in the snow uphill both ways to school everyday.  It was scarce.  And, therefore, quite valuable.

    Today, scarcity has been replaced by surplus.  Godin observes:

    A new generation, one that grew up with a data surplus, is coming along. To this generation, it’s no big deal to miss a tweet or ten, to delete a blog from your reader or to not return a text or even a voice mail. The new standard for a vacation email is, “When I get back, I’m going to delete all the email in my box, so if it’s important, please re-send it next week.”

    This is what always happens when something goes from scarce to surplus. First we bathe in it, then we waste it.

    So the trick, then, is to turn the tables on this generation.  Most coaches who skip past this article, or who are convinced that just overwhelming a recruit with “more” is the key to earning the relationship, are going to add to the surplus of information that a recruit is subjected to…information that routinely sounds the same as the other coaches’ communication, with the same sales message that this generation has long since learned to ignore.

    “Surplus”, by the way, doesn’t necessarily refer to the number of emails or letters that you send.  True, you can go overboard and completely bury a prospect in so much messaging that he or she will simply choose to ignore it.  But I am also speaking of the type of messaging that is in surplus today…long, information-heavy letters and emails that jumps too quickly to selling a program instead of building a relationship.  That’s the kind of surplus no coach should aim to accumulate.

    What is scarce in the world of recruiting messaging?  Here are five of the ten most common opportunity areas, in no particular order of importance, that we’ve identified for our clients heading into this next recruiting cycle:

    1. It’s rare to find a coach who makes a claim about their program, and then backs it up with facts. Most coaches have the “facts” part down cold, without a doubt.  What we find missing is coaches that will make a bold claim, and then back up that headline with interesting facts that they can personalize to the recruit.
    2. It’s rare to find a coach that will connect the dots in a line of reasoning and give their prospects an answer to their primary question, “What’s In It for Me?” For some of you who have had us walk you through this aspect of your recruit’s needs during the recruiting process, you know that this question should be front and center in your mind as you communicate with your prospect.  As you plan your recruiting strategy for the class that you are currently messaging, here’s the big question: Do you clearly tell them what’s in it for them personally at your school if they choose to compete for you?  If the answer is anything but a resounding “yes!” then go back and re-work the wording in your recruiting letters and emails.
    3. It’s rare to find a coach who uses Facebook and Twitter for anything more than just another place to post results and news releases. The greatest revolution in communication – social media websites – have been turned into another avenue to post statistics and news.  And, your recruits don’t like it.  Most of us use social media to interact and deepen relationships with those that are close to us, so are you surprised when you don’t get a lot of traction on your team’s Facebook site from the prospects you’re wanting to engage?  You shouldn’t be.  They aren’t there to read results, they are there to interact with you and get a behind the scenes look at what your program is really like.  Instead of posting your next set of results, hand a Flip cam to some of your team and tell them to do a two food review of the fast food place you’re eating at on the road after the game.  I promise you’ll get more interaction from that sloppy, unedited video of your recruit’s future teammates than you will be telling them which of your graduating Seniors just made second team all-conference.
    4. It’s rare for a coach to explain why a prospect should pay their own way and come for an unofficial visit to campus. Our research is showing that most prospects will make an investment in time and money to a campus that isn’t their dream school only if there is a clear and personalized reason that they should do it.  Start off your invitation with the words, “I really want you to come here on an unofficial visit because I want to…” and then tell them what you have in store for them: Meet the team to figure out if you like them, let you talk to your business school Dean one-on-one, or sit down face to face with the recruit and their parents to walk them through the offer you want to make them.  They need a reason to come, Coach.  Gone are the days (for the most part) when families awash in disposable cash from their third home equity line of credit would jet across the country to see if a particular campus was to their liking; today, you need to give them a tangible reason with a pretty solid potential pay-off.  That’s very, very rare these days.
    5. Ask for the sale. (You knew that was coming, didn’t you?)  More and more coaches are amazed at how this simple idea gets results, but the vast majority still balk at the idea of making a strong plea like this earlier than they are used to doing.  Here’s a compromise: Ask for a “soft commitment” from your prospect that will tell you whether or not the time might be right to ask them to come play for you.  Click here for an outline of the idea.

    I firmly believe that we are entering an age when recruiting messaging will be harder and harder to break through all of the noise that bombards today’s teenage athlete, both from other coaches as well as mass media advertising.  If you are a coach who is settling for being a part of the surplus, your challenges will continue to grow as the years go by.

    The alternative?  Become a program who’s message is impossible to ignore.  To achieve that means taking some risks, sitting down and mapping-out a better plan, and quite possibly taking your letters and emails currently being used and starting completely over.

    It’s more work, but being “scarce” will have it’s rewards.  Trust me.

    Wouldn’t it be great if there was a magical place that crammed all of the very best recruiting ideas into your head in one fast-paced weekend?  A place where you got to listen to other coaches, athletic directors, marketing experts, organizational pros and Dan?  That recruiting nirvana exists: The National Collegiate Recruiting Conference!  It’s coming up soon and you can find out more – and register to reserve your seat – by clicking here.  Don’t miss it!

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    Are You Proving That You Care More Than Other Coaches?Monday, March 19th, 2012

    What’s your answer to that question, Coach? 

    Because more and more, what you do during the next few weeks is going to determine whether or not you get those prospects.

    Late Winter and early Spring, for many coaches, is sit-by-the-phone-and-sweat-it-out time.  For many coaches who aren’t able to offer full scholarships, your financial aid and admissions department are working their magic to try and put together packages that will lure your prized prospects to campus in the Fall.  And, even if you’re a high level Division I coach who signed his or her recruiting class months ago, there is a time period late in your recruits’ decision cycle where this question applies at some point:

    Your teenage prospects and their parents are trying to figure out if - and how much – you care.

    Respected business marketing guru Seth Godin makes the same point when it comes to what we look for as adults:

    “We’re hyper alert to the appearance of caring. We want to do business with people who appear to care, who appear to bring care and passion and dedication to their work. If the work expresses caring, if you consistently and professionally deliver on that expression, we’re sold.

    The truth is that it’s what we perceive that matters, not what you bring to the table. If you care but your work doesn’t show it, you’ve failed. If you care so much that you’re unable to bring quality, efficiency and discernment to your work, we’ll walk away from it.

    And the irony? The best, most reliable way to appear to care when it matters–is to care.”

    It’s probably hard to argue against this line of thinking.  The vast array of our research shows that prospects are looking for who cares the most from start to finish.  Especially when they’re on campus, followed closely by how coaches treat them at the end of the process.

    So really, we’re faced with a simple yet challenging question:  How do coaches show their prospects they care more than their competition this time of year?

    After reviewing some case studies of the clients and athletic departments that we serve and help get those prospects that they have at the top of their list, here are four basic strategies that we see working on a consistent basis:

    1. Keep them updated as the process unfolds. We find that a lot of coaches make the fatal mistake of not communicating regularly with their recruits during this nerve-racking time of year.  You’re waiting for information along with your prospect, and so you…wait.  And that’s o.k., but you need to give your recruits an update on what’s going on.  Even if the update for the week tells them “nothing new to report, but I’m calling over to the admissions department every day and I’ll keep you updated.”  I can’t stress this key point enough…it’s a must-do, Coach.
    2. Give them examples of how you’re working behind the scenes to help get them the best possible package. We actually recommended this to one of our newer clients a day or two ago in dealing with a prospect he was trying to wrap-up after a campus visit this past weekend.  The more that you can use this time to demonstrate how you are doing some heavy-lifting behind the scenes for them goes a long way towards getting them to perceive that you care more.  Remember, what we perceive is even more important than what we are doing in many instances (actually caring and working hard behind the scenes is important too, of course!)
    3. Use the time to get to know the parents. Sometimes, the recruiting process is so rushed that you never really take the time to get the parents on your side (if you’ve had us on campus for our two or three day recruiting workshop, you’ve seen the research on why that’s a no-no). While you are waiting for answers from the other side of campus, make a concerted effort to contact your prospects parents and ask them questions about their son or daughter.  Answer their questions that they haven’t had a chance to ask you.  Go over what you’re seeing as your plan for the athlete.  Spending time with the parents is critical to setting yourself apart from other coaches who don’t have a deep relationship with family members other than their prospect.
    4. Ask them what objections haven’t been answered yet.  Just because your prospect is still talking to you this late in the process doesn’t mean they are ready to say ”yes” once you decide what kind of scholarship you can offer or your financial aid department finally gets them their final numbers.  Take this time to ask them these two questions: “Give me one or two big questions about our program or school that you’re still trying to fugure out?”, and “If there was one thing about our campus or my program that you could change, what would it be?”  Those two questions just might open up a new conversation about an objection that’s still on the table…one that just might prevent them from saying yes to you in the end.

    This isn’t an exhaustive list, of course, but each one of these basic strategies have proven to work in the past.  Why?  Because as your recruit is trying to figure out how to “break the tie” between you and the other programs recruiting them, what you do over the next few weeks is going to help them do that (by the way, if you want a great way to set-up a tie-breaker to your advantage for your next recruiting class, click here)

    Use this time of year to prove that you care more than the other guys.  It may be even more important to your prospect – and your prospect’s parents – than everything else you’ve done to this point!

    If you’re looking for more creative ideas to take into your next recruiting battle, you absolutely have to be at our next National Collegiate Recruiting Conference!  There’s still time to sign-up, so click here for all the details!  You won’t be disappointed.

     

     

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    Why Your Recruiting Message Needs More Verbs, Less AdjectivesMonday, March 12th, 2012

    When it comes to revising the way your current batch of recruiting letters and emails sound, there’s an easy formula that you should follow to ensure they get read by your prospects.

    It’s all about what word choices you use to drive the conversation in those messages.  And while many coaches might immediately run to more descriptive adjectives to add to their letter and email copy (“we’ve got a really beautiful new facility!”), I’m going to recommend a different approach:

    Verbs.

    Verbs are action, while adjectives are descriptive.  Action beats descriptions every time in the mind of your prospects.

    You can even look to the hallowed halls of Harvard, where business school applications that contain verbs stand-out compared to those that try to use adjectives to describe the accomplishments of those applying (Dee Leopold is one of the people who judge the incoming essays and applications to the business school at Harvard, and says the best recommendations have lots of verbs, pointing out that reference letters that state “She did this” beat those that try to use adjectives to describe applicants).

    Roger Dooley, a marketing expert that specializes in how the brain receives sales messages, explains why verbs are so effective this way:

    “There are multiple reasons to choose verbs over adjectives.  First, adjectives on their own don’t say all that much and are easy to throw in without real justification.  Describing someone as “dedicated, focused, and creative” is a quick way to satisfy the need for a favorable comment and get the recommendation on its way.

    Similarly, a product could be, “economical, long-lasting, and easy to use.”  In both cases, though, the reader has nothing to go on other than the word of the writer, who is almost certainly biased in favor of creating a good impression.  Vague positive characteristics will get filtered out as puffery.

    Action verbs force the writer to get specific – “created a series of ads,” “led a team of engineers,” “worked through a holiday,” and so on require actual examples of the behaviors or characteristics in question.  A product might “outlast other brands by 10,000 hours,” or “cut maintenance costs by 25%.”  These specifics will increase the credibility of the copy, in addition to providing more information that when the adjective-driven shortcut is taken.

    The take-away from all of this is pretty straight forward when it comes to crafting better recruiting messages for your prospects:

    • Focus on present day action within your program.
    • Create a feeling of present-tense action in your letters and emails, and try to include the idea that your prospect can (and should) be a part of that action that is happening.
    • If you use adjectives, use them sparingly.
    • Dooley points out the verbs force you, the writer, to get specific.  What should you be specific about?  I’d suggest focusing on the personality of your team, the vision for your program, why they’ll love your team once they get to know them, and – most importantly – your plan for the prospect if they choose your program.

    The best place to start?  Well, you can have us help create that message, of course.  But if you want to tackle that project yourself, I’d recommend taking your current letters and emails and looking to eliminate most of the adjectives, while adding action-oriented verbs to your copy.  Convert the context of whatever you happen to be talking about in those messages to present-tense verbs that denote energy, movement and momentum.

    Verbs give your prospects the feeling of positive energy within your program, and do a much better job of selling your program to your recruits while giving them clear ideas as to why they should want to be a part of your program.

    Getting ready to revamp your recruiting attack for this new class?  Let the experts at Tudor Collegiate Strategies help!  We work with programs at all levels around the country, giving them research-based strategies and custom designed recruiting communication that gets results.  Click here for more information to see if our one-on-one help would make a difference for your program.

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    The Importance of Selling Your Vision to Your RecruitsMonday, March 12th, 2012

    by Mandy Green, University of South Dakota

    Coaching your team and developing leadership starts with having a vision statement, then developing a plan to achieve it.  That’s the starting point for every business that wants to be successful, and it’s a must for college coaches who want to build a successful program.

    A vision statement answers the questions “What will our program look like 5 to 10 years from now?”

    A vision is more than a destination.  It is an inspiration, a motivator, and a rallying point for a team.  Results matter, but they are often the by-products of an effectively created and communicated vision.

    Dan Tudor, the founder of Tudor Collegiate Strategies, talks a lot about how recruits don’t care about your past or your present, they only care about how they fit into your future.

    Coaches who consistently sign the recruits they want have mastered really good communication and a great selling message on how the program’s future expectations, goals, and aspirations will meet the recruit’s needs and help him or her achieve their goals.

    Communication of a vision is the difficult process of inspiring your recruits to see the future reality which you see, and are committed to make happen for them. Communicating your vision will help recruits focus their energies to see that their real needs might best be met through your program.

    So, how do you do it?  Communicating your vision is talking about the future, evoking images and responses in the mind about what it is going to be like for them over the next 4 years while at your college.  Communicate your vision so people can feel it, see it, and feel it.

    When communicating and selling your vision to recruits remember the following:

    1. Clearly articulate the vision of your organization.
    2. Be enthusiastic toward your vision, and let others see your passion for that vision.
    3. Repeatedly share the vision in various ways.

    Concentrate on the “what’s-in-it-for-them” and the what’s-in-it-for-you will usually take care of itself.

    Mandy Green is the head women’s soccer coach at the University of South Dakota, and a leading organizational expert in the world of college athletics.  Coach Green will be speaking at the upcoming National Collegiate Recruiting Conference on the topics of how to organize your recruiting and coaching life.  Click here to get information on attending this one-of-a-kind event for college coaches!

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    Creating Your Own Prospect Loyalty ProgramMonday, February 20th, 2012

    Want an interesting view on creating momentum for your program, and the prospects that you are recruiting?

    Think about this:

    A car wash ran a loyalty program.  Similar to the one that Subway used to run for people like Jared, who loved their sandwiches.

    For every car wash you paid for, you got one stamp on your card. If you completed eight washes, you got one free wash.

    Another set of customers also joined that very same loyalty program. But they didn’t have eight blocks to fill on their card. They had ten blocks to fill. But there was a difference. The second set of customers had two stamps already filled for them in advance.

    You see what’s happening with this strategy, don’t you?

    Both sets of customers have to fill in the exact same number of stamps to get the free car wash…eight washes. So, which group followed through with the program designed by the car wash’s marketing company? You’re right, the second group. In fact 34% of the second group got to their free car wash vs. just 19% of the first group.

    So, why did this happen?

    By placing the first two stamps in the book for the customer.  It automatically creates momentum, and gives the customer a feeling like they’ve already started down the road towards their free reward car wash.  It also breeds loyalty.  After all, the car wash actually “gave” them the first two stamps for free, right?

    Here’s where I’m taking this with college coaches aiming to beat their competition for the best recruits in the months to come:

    You need a loyalty program that creates momentum. Don’t worry, it won’t involve free sandwiches or building a car wash on campus.  But it will involve some original thinking and a basic understanding of human nature – and why you can easily take advantage of it to improve your position with your next recruiting class.

    Why do you need “momentum”?  Simple.  Our research and strategies that we recommend to coaches are focused around some key ideas that we see as being key to any successful recruiting class:  Start early, be consistent, and keep the process moving forward.

    When you think about it, the team that can start that process first and keep it moving ahead of everyone else is going to have an advantage in the recruiting process.  That’s the momentum aspect of all this.  And when you do it first, and do it with some passion and originality, you’ll build loyalty along the way.

    So, how do you start with this idea?  Here are a couple of ways we’ve seen work with our growing list of programs and coaches that we get to work with on an ongoing basis:

    • Start early so that you can be first. Like Ricky Bobby said in the move “Talladega Nights” (or was it is good-for-nothing father Reese?), “If you ain’t first, you’re last”.  And while I never thought I’d actually use that quote for any practical purpose, it holds a lot of truth with this concept.  When we get on campus and talk to athletes who just went through the recruiting process, it’s amazing how many times their first choice was the school who recruited them first.  It is important to today’s teenage recruit, which should make it important to you.  It’s an easy way to build loyalty.
    • Start the process mid-stream. You can’t put the first two stamps in your prospect’s recruiting book for them, but you can start the process at place that makes it seem like you’re farther along in the process than your competition.  For example, if other coaches are starting with the same stale recruiting letter and a questionnaire, why don’t you send a personalized email that says something like “I’ll bet other coaches sent you a long, boring questionnaire to fill out…but I want to get a little more serious with you.  Can you give me a call before this weekend?”  If you were a prospect who was getting contact from ten programs, and one of them sent you that message, who would you think is more serious about you?  Yes, it’s starting the process in mid-stream, but who says you can’t go back later and have them fill out the questionnaire?  That’s just one example of one idea…you can come up with your own that fits your style.  The point is, you don’t have to start at the beginning – and when you don’t, it creates the feel of momentum.
    • Reward their loyalty. Going back to that last example, if you have a prospect or parent who takes you up on that offer and gives you a call, make a point of making a big deal out of it.  Let them know they’re the first to call back, and that means a lot to you…it shows you that they’re really serious about taking a look at what you might be able to offer them.  Or, email them the same thing.  Reward their loyalty, Coach.  It doesn’t take long, but it’s a big deal for your prospects.

    Simple idea, big potential pay-off.

    If you’re a program that’s looking to differentiate themselves from your competition, this is an easy – and very effective – way to do it.  The same principles that work with us as adults to earn our loyalty to Subway, Starbucks or our local grocery store can build loyalty between you and your teenage recruit.

    If you’re serious about learning more about advanced recruiting techniques, we want to invite you to join our team of experts and other college coaches at the National Collegiate Recruiting Conference this Summer.  If you want to dominate recruiting, you need to be there.  Click here for the details.

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    Creative Topics to Get Your Prospects TalkingMonday, January 16th, 2012

    So there I was, facing an audience of college students on the campus of one of our clients.  I was part of a panel that had been invited to talk about careers in the sports world, and it was a great opportunity to be reminded about how to talk to this generation of student-athlete.

    After the panel gave their individual speeches, we broke-up into different parts of the hall we were gathered in so these college-age kids could come and ask individual questions.

    What followed was a lesson in talking to individuals who haven’t grown-up withly some of the same communication skills that you and I did.  And finding that “sweet spot” in connecting with a prospect you’re recruiting could make all the difference in whether or not they serious consider you and your program.

    Here are my six observations from my interactions, and lessons for you as a college recruiter needing to “connect” with these kids in order to put together your next great recruiting class:

    • They don’t want to start the conversation. Several of the students hovered around me like shy puppy dogs, to the point where I actually had to make eye contact and ask them a question to get the conversation started.  As a recruiter, you should expect to have to do the same thing.  One of the key pieces of data that we’ve uncovered from the athlete research focus groups as a part of our On-Campus Workshops is that most of today’s teenage recruits don’t know what they are supposed to ask you, or how they are supposed to ask it.  The result?  Without your help, they may never take the lead and talk to you about you and your program.
    • Ask them about themselves. What I find works the best is when you ask a very specific question about one segment of their lives.  Your initial questions can’t be too broad…they need to be easy enough for them to answer to get them comfortable talking to you.  And, we find the best kind of questions initially should not be about declaring who their top school is, or anything that pressures them to give you early information about what they’re thinking.  Instead, ask questions about their approach to the process, what kind of place they’d see as the perfect fit, and other questions that focus on them.
    • Try to make them laugh (or at least smile). If you can use humor to break the ice, great…do it.  But even if you don’t feel like you’re a natural born comedian, at least smile.  Smile big, and right at them.  If you can get them to smile back, you’re on your way to connecting with them.
    • Get their opinion about specific issues. In a recruiting situation, if you ask them, “So, what did you think of our campus when you visited?” you’re going to get a wishy-washy, vague answer.  For most kids of this generation, that is too big of a question…one that they may not have had time to form an opinion about.  However, if you ask them, “So, when you were inside the dorm room, did it seem like a place where you could see yourself enjoying?”  That’s a much better question because it gives your prospect a chance to zero in on a specific opinion.  In my conversations with the students I had just talked to, I quickly found that the smaller, more “specific” questions, got the best and most detailed responses.
    • Don’t linger when it seem like the conversation should end. There were several times when I had more advice to give them, but could tell from their body language that it was time to end the conversation.  So I did.  For the kids in this generation, when they are done talking they are not shy about wanting to call it quits.  You know how you sometimes drag out a recruiting phone call to half and hour or more, and you are doing all the talking?  My advice is to stop.  You’ve lost your prospect’s interest in that call, and it’s time to stop talking.
    • Follow-up quickly. After the event, I went back to my hotel room and emailed those attendees that gave me their email address.  I told them that I enjoyed their conversations, appreciated their interest in what they had to say, and told them to get back to me with any questions they had.  Lo and behold, they found their voices!  I was bombarded with contact from them, which was a good reminder about another aspect of this generation that you should keep in mind: They want to know that you are interested in hearing from them.  The best way to do that is to immediately reach out after you talk to them, and open the door for more communication.

    On the surface, these are all pretty simple lessons.  However, what I find is that coaches develop a communication system with their prospects that is far more complicated than it needs to be.

    When you reach the point of one-on-one communications, keep these simple rules handy.  They work, and will let you enjoy much more productive conversations with your prospects.

    Communicating with this generation of prospects is the theme for this year’s National Collegiate Recruiting Conference, a one-of-a-kind gathering of coaches and athletic directors with one goal: Make every attendee a DOMINANT recruiter!  Want to be a part of it?  Find out all the details – and inside information on a great early registration discount – by clicking here.

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    Should You Use Assimilation or Differentiation with Your Next Prospect?Monday, December 19th, 2011

    All of us have the need to be included in a group.

    Your prospects are no different.

    It all goes back to our primary need for two basic psychological drives: Assimilation and differentiation.

    Assimilation is our basic longing to be included in a group, while differentiation is the pleasure we derive from being “set apart” as special.  Both are important for coaches to keep in mind as they are recruiting.

    So, let me ask you a question:

    How are you incorporating those two basic psychological principles in your recruiting strategy?

    Most coaches aren’t.  And those that are usually do so by mistake…getting great results, but not quite sure why.

    So, I wanted to share some of the reasons incorporating answers to your recruit’s basic psychological need to be included, or set apart, are so effective in getting them to take a serious look at you and your program.

    Here are three fairly common recruiting scenarios, and how this strategy can work to help overcome an obstacle you might be facing with a future prospect:

    • Designate their uniqueness by location. This works especially well if you’re dealing with prospects from out of state.  You can try to make them feel special by telling them that they are “one of only x number of players” you’re recruiting from that area, and that you are specifically wanting to take a serious look at them since they are from an area that you’ve targeted.  Sometimes, making them part of a special group you are targeting sets you apart from other programs that are just recruiting them as a regular prospect.
    • Use assimilation as a method to attract wishy-washy prospects to your campus. As you may have noticed, today’s teenage prospect (and their parents) are sometimes hesitant to commit to a campus visit if you and your program aren’t at the very top of your list.  An effective strategy we’ve seen work is to tell your recruit and their family that you need (not want, need) them to visit campus as soon as possible so that you can go over your plan for them, and – assuming it’s an athlete that you’ve decided you want in your program – talk about the offer you’re going to be making them.  Including them in a select group, and giving them a specific reason for needing to come to campus, is turning out to be a compelling draw for many recruits.  Consider it when you find yourself in the scenario I just described.
    • Ask for an early commitment so that your recruit becomes part of an exclusive group. We find that a lot of recruits are wary of committing early, especially to a program that hasn’t done well in the past, need an extra push at the end of the recruiting process.  Again, turning to those two proven psychological needs might provide you with the answer you’re looking for:  Try suggesting that you want them to be one of your recruits that gives you an early commitment so that they can be a part of a select group of your new athletes that you can start preparing early for their upcoming college career.  In other words, use the early commitment to place your prospect in an exclusive group that leads them to make a commitment, or explain why they aren’t ready.

    You can expand this concept into other areas of your recruiting, as well.  The main point here is that more coaches need to try to formulate a strategy to find a way to get your recruit into a group that they want to be in.  They have a need to be included, and feel like they belong.

    If you can find a way to do that, you’ll find that it’ll make a difference to the recruits you really want.

    Want more ideas on how to use the latest research and recruiting strategies to your advantage?  We’ve got lots of great resources for serious college coaches.  Click here to take a look at what we can do for you, Coach!

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    Your Recruiting Strategy: Horse Race or Beauty Pageant?Monday, December 12th, 2011

    One of our clients called a couple of weeks ago, and she was worried.

    A couple of her new recruits hadn’t responded to her first two emails and was wondering if we needed to highlight more of the things her Division I college had to offer their students and athletes.

    “I’m worried if we don’t out-shine a couple of our other competitors soon, we won’t be able to get her on campus this Spring”, said the coach.

    What I told her is what I want to tell you:

    Recruiting isn’t a beauty pageant, it’s a horse race.

    Here’s what I mean:

    A beauty pageant is all about picking who looks the best, and who presents themselves the most convincingly to the judges.  Now I’ll admit, there are some recruits who fall into this category…they’ll pick a program using the most basic criteria:  How new your facility is, how big of a conference you play in, or strictly based upon something that they want for themselves.

    The beauty pageant prospect is the toughest to land because they are making choices based on assumptions and stories that they’ve already defined for themselves:  The decision that they “deserve” to play in the best facility…what your conference will say to their friends and teammates back home…or some other off-the-wall criteria that they usually don’t reveal until they’ve already made their decision.

    In short, if you’re recruiting a prospect like you’re judging a beauty pageant – which many coaches choose to do – then you’ll going to experience a tough road when it comes to recruiting great athletes for your program:  Your results will be random, and while you will experience some incredible highs when your prospect decides your program is the most “beautiful” in their eyes, there will also be far more soul-crushing defeats when they decide they don’t like the way you look.

    If you’re interested in another way to approach recruiting, you should think about recruiting as a horse race.

    Why a “horse race”?  Because the more I observe recruiting at different levels, the coaches that take a horse racing approach usually have more consistent, more reliable results.

    Here’s why successful recruiting resembles a horse race:

    • Everyone starts evenly right out of the gate.
    • There are always two or three horses that jump out into the lead right away, and take a position along the rail.  If you’re one of those top three, great.  If you aren’t, don’t panic.  Find your spot and settle in for the race (remember, it just started a few seconds ago!)
    • This is where things get interesting: Before they field makes the first turn, horses start dropping out.  Usually that’s because those “horses” don’t hear back from their recruits right away.  They haven’t filled-out their questionaire, or returned the first email.  Due to that lack of interest, they drop out of the race for that prospect.  My recommendation to you is to not be one of those drop-outs!
    • The longer you stay up with the leaders, the more you’ll be viewed as a serious consideration by your recruit.  As you enter the halfway point in your recruiting efforts, stay consistent and understand that there’s still a long way to go in the mind of your recruit.
    • What gets it done “down the stretch”?   Outlining the differences between your program and the others still in the race.  The more radical and unique the differences, the better your chances of jumping out into the lead.
    • Want to make sure you win at the finish line?  Stay connected and talk with your prospect regularly.  It is extremely important, Coach.  The worst thing we see a coach do is step back and leave the prospect alone to make their final decision.  Guide them down the stretch…that’s what they want.

    Beauty pageants are random, and produce subjective results that rarely make anyone but the winner happy.

    Horse races are about preparation, strategy and strength down the stretch.

    My main point: You can choose the strategy that fits you best, but what I see working most consistently with programs around the country is a strategy based on a long term approach that doesn’t necessitate immediate interest from high profile prospects, but instead relies upon a consistent, compelling and creative message that forces them to take serious look at you and your program.

    Looking for an in-depth discussion on recruiting strategy and techniques with fellow coaches and nationally recognized recruiting experts?  Join us at the upcoming National Collegiate Recruiting Conference.  It’s an amazing three day retreat that earns raves reviews from coaches around the country.  Join us!  Click here for all the details!

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    Why a Good “P.S.” Might Just Be What Your Recruiting Message NeedsMonday, December 5th, 2011

    Here’s the shocking truth about the letters and emails you’re writing:

    They might be missing their most effective ending.

    That ending?

    Your “P.S.”

    Adding a P.S. statement after your main text is one of the most effective selling techniques any coach, at any level, can start implementing as a part of their recruiting campaigns.  For our clients, we try to incorporate a “P.S.” into their message on a regular basis.  The reason is simple: It works.

    Why does it work?  There’s actually some science behind the explanation.

    We’re naturally “wired” to remember the last thing we read.  Whatever the message, we stand a much better chance of recalling the last part of what we were told.  Whether its a fictional story, a sales letter that you get in the mail, or a recruiting email read by your prospect, in each instance the thing we say last is remembered the most.

    So, if you’re looking to add some punch to your recruiting messages, here are the general rules you’ll want to follow:

    • Hint at what could be lost. “Fear of loss” is a powerful emotion.  Nobody want’s to lose something that could be their’s for the taking.  Your prospects, and their parents, are no different.  Hinting at a potential loss of attention, a future roster spot, or an invitation to visit campus can be a powerful motivator when it comes to responding to you.
    • Lay out what they might gain. An even stronger motivator is explaining, in a detailed “P.S.”, what the result of your desired action will be.  Give them one or two things that they will gain personally from responding to you as you’ve instructed.
    • Add some urgency. That could come in the form of a soft deadline of some kind, or at least a date that they need to respond to you by.  I am a huge believer in giving recruits direction when it comes to their response to you, and adding urgency is a proven way to do that.
    • Make it short and to the point. No more than two sentences, three short ones at the most.  But since it’s the last thing they’ll see – and remember – in your message, make it memorable!
    • Make it say “oh by the way”. Write it in a very conversational, oops-I-almost-forgot-to-tell-you way.  In fact, if you aren’t sending out very many, one of my favorite recommendations to the coaches we work with is a handwritten P.S. statement.  Talk about getting their attention in a memorable way!  Keep in mind, however, that doing this will draw their eyes immediately down to the bottom of your message.  So make sure it refers to something that you said earlier in your letter or email so that they’ll go back and re-read what they just skipped.

    For those of you who have read our two popular recruiting guides for more advanced college recruiters, you’ll remember that you learned all about the motivations behind why today’s recruit choose to either ignore or respond to particular messages.  Use that inside knowledge of how prospects’ minds tick when you’re putting together that last memorable P.S. statement.

    Think about the idea of the last thing we read being the thing we most remember: Now ask yourself, “What are my recruits thinking as they finish reading my email or letter?”

    Ready to have the staff at Tudor Collegiate Strategies come to your campus to work with your coaches?  Let us apply our unique approach and cutting-edge research to your specific situation on your campus…click here.

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