Dan Tudor

I’m not one for making New Years resolutions.  I’ve tried them before, but for whatever reason they don’t work out.

Actually, I’ll take that back.  I know why they resolutions seldom work out: There’s no plan behind them.  There might be good intentions, hopes and aspirations behind them, but seldom will you find a rock-solid plan behind most New Years resolutions.

Its the same thing with building persistence in your recruiting.  By "persistent" I mean regular, consistent, planned recruiting for each and every prospect on your list.  Just like a New Years resolution, you probably have every intention of being a persistent recruiter.  But just like all those barely-used treadmills that show up in your local classified ads every February, maintaining persistent recruiting habits are easy to push to the back of your "to do" list as a college coach.

Unless, that is, there’s a plan behind it.

That’s what I want to give you today: A real plan to develop consistent, winning recruiting habits this year.

But before we get to my five-step plan for building persistence in your recruiting, lets get one thing straight: Persistence is a state of mind; therefore, it can be cultivated and coached. 

You should also realize that persistence is the result of some concrete causes that you have complete control over as a recruiter and a college coach.  They include:

Having a definite purpose.  Write down a recruiting goal that you want to achieve.  Write down a monthly goal, and post it where you can see it.  Write down a yearly goal, and post it where you can see it.  You must write them down.  It helps you focus and keep that goal in mind.

Desire.  That’s an emotion that you can control.  So, what is your level of desire when it comes to recruiting?  On a scale of 1 to 10, where are you?  Be honest with yourself, and find ways to ramp-up your passion for this crucial aspect of your profession.

Be self-reliant.  That means you know how to do your job as a recruiter, and you’re good at it.  Moreover, you should take the steps to make yourself better at the art of recruiting.  Our whole mission here at Selling for Coaches is to give coaches the tools they can use to become self-reliant recruiting pros.  Don’t wait for someone else to teach you…take control of your career and get the training you need.

Having definite plans.  They don’t even have to be good plans or practical plans, but as long as they are organized they will prompt you to be persistent.  And that’s what we’re talking about here…developing persistence.

Accurate knowledge.  Want to make sure your plans are good and practical?  Acquire accurate knowledge from a proven source.  If you know that a plan is sound and is proven, recruiting gets a lot easier.  Continually "guessing" versus actually "knowing" cripples your ability to be persistent.  That’s why we developed the Total Recruiting Solution plan for coaches…it’s proven, it works, and it gives the coaches who use it a sense of "knowing" what to do next.  Knowledge put into action is powerful stuff.

Cooperation.  Getting on the same page with your staff, and working together with common recruiting goals, does incredible things for fostering an attitude of persistence.

Habit.  This is the secret weapon that many coaches still haven’t mastered.  Don’t like recruiting?  Have a fear of making that first phone call of the night?  Those fears can be cured by forced repetition of simple acts of scheduled, habitual recruiting.  Take your #1 least favorite recruiting task and try to do it at the start of every day, or at least at the same time every day.  Persistence is the direct result of habit, which you have the ability to control in your daily schedule.

So with those things in mind, Coach, here they are…the five ways to build persistence in your recruiting:

1. Have a definite recruiting goal fueled by a passion for making it happen.  Does this describe you?
2. A definite recruiting plan that is expressed in ongoing, tangile actions.  Is that the way you recruit?
3. A mind that blocks out all the negative thoughts that accompany most recruiting cycles.  Stuff like, "We could never sign a kid that good" or "We’ll probably lose her to that other school in our conference".  Get rid of that kind of thinking.  It will eat away at your confidence, and destroy your ability to be persistent.  Are you guilty of negative thinking from time to time?
4. A strong alliance with a fellow coach.  There is strength in numbers, especially when it comes to recruiting.  Do you have that?
5. The ability to look past the work and see the victory.  Yes, persistent recruiting takes work.  A lot of it.  But you need to find a way to focus on the prize at the end, and not the step-by-step process its going to take to get there.  Can you do that?

Some coaches are going to get done reading this and label it as "hokey" or just a bunch of psycho-babble.  They’ll do that because there isn’t some one-size-fits-all answer to it that "fixes" their persistence problem in one easy reading.

If you are of those coaches, take notice that persistence isn’t about finding some secret formula…it’s about coming to the realization that developing persistence is a step-by-step process that, over time, will pay big dividends to you as a college coach.

And, if you’re one of those coaches who still doesn’t get it, you’ll eventually get beat in the recruiting game by a coach who does.

We don’t know if they will help you build persistence, but the Selling for Coaches Recruiting Workshops will help you develop superior recruiting skills, and show you innovative techniques for everything from overcoming objections to coming-up with amazing recruiting letters.  Check to see when we’ll hosting one in your region of the country by clicking here.  You can also bring us to your campus to work with you and your staff one-on-one for more personalized training.

When you read that title, you might say to yourself, "What does boosting my confidence have to do with getting the edge in recruiting?"

A lot, coach.

Self-confidence is the difference between being good and being great.  Great coaches, and great recruiters, have a self-confidence that’s second to none.  They exude self-confidence when they’re on the phone, and when they’re in front of the same prospect that you’re recruiting. 

And you know what?  The prospect picks-up on that self confidence, too.  Self-confidence is contagious, and the coach that has it usually has a great team of recruits year after year after year.  One coach that I often point to when conducting our SFC On-Campus Workshops for college coaches and athletic departments is Pete Carroll, the energetic football coach at USC.  His energy rubs off on his players, and his prospects that he’s recruiting.

So for a moment, lets put our normal discussion of selling and communication skills aside and focus on your self-confidence.  If you sometimes struggle with living up to competition…if you feel like you’re not measuring up to other coaches on your staff…if you’re feeling depressed about the direction your college coaching career is headed, then this is for you.

Here are five great ways to boost your recruiting confidence.  These aren’t "tricks", they are time-tested strategies for improving your psychological outlook and improve your own mental self-image in the dog-eat-dog profession that you’ve chosen for yourself!  Here we go…

1. Stop comparing yourself to others.
Your probably tend to evaluate yourself in relation to other coaches.  Those in your athletic department, and those that you compete against. The problem is, you don’t really know what’s going on with another person. You can’t know why they do what they do or what motivates their behavior. In fact, someone who looks "confident" may just be another shy person covering up his own insecurities and doubts. 

Believe me, I get the chance to talk and work with a lot of coaches that fit into this category.  That’s one of the reasons I wrote "Selling for Coaches"…to help coaches get the skills they need to become better recruiters and feel more confident in their recruiting abilities.

Instead of focusing on other coaches, shift your attention back to yourself. The only reasonable comparison to make is between your past and your present performances. Bring your attention to your goals and to the actions you need to take to achieve them.

2. Set Self-Confidence Goals.
Choose one area of your self-confidence that needs work, and break it down into small, manageable, measurable steps or actions.

Let’s say your goal is to get over your shyness when it comes to picking up the phone and developing relationships with new prospects. The actions you could take might be something like: Devote one scheduled hour to do nothing but make new contacts… Call three high school coaches daily for tips on prospects and to build your recruiting network … Read one book a month on overcoming shyness until you’ve done it.

Write them down and post them on the bathroom mirror or next to your computer. Review them every morning. With persistence … a little here, a little there … you’ll be overcoming whatever your weakness is with ease.

3. Take time to prepare.
Don’t waste time trying to talk yourself into "feeling" confident. Instead, focus on preparation. The better you know your stuff, the more confident you will feel. The tools are out there for you, coach.  Take this summer to improve your recruiting skills for the upcoming season.

4. Visualize another reality.
Before a stressful event (game situation, recruiting, new job interview), take a few minutes to create a positive mental picture for yourself. Instead of imagining yourself being singled out and interrogated by a crazy parent, imagine yourself among a circle of friends who are all there to work together towards the athlete’s best interest. Instead of picturing the in-home recruiting visit as an intimidating mob scene with nervous parents and an athlete that barely says anything, think of it as a series of one-on-one conversations with individuals who look to you as a valued expert on college recruiting.  Picture yourself as their "guide" through this process.  Creating a positive mental reality will help calm you and sharpen your focus on the task ahead:  The successful recruitment of your prospect.

5. Think small.
You can’t expect to suddenly transform yourself into a recruiting superstar. But you can do little things that will gradually get you to your goal. For example, when talking on the phone, smile. The person on the other end will respond to the positive energy in your voice. And get in the habit of systematically stretching yourself and expanding your comfort zone, a bit further each time. For example, when you meet prospects, parents or even fellow coaches for the first time, greet them with a firm handshake, smile, and look directly into their eyes for a moment longer than may be comfortable for you.  You’ll make a positive impression with them, and show your self-confidence in the process.

Not all five of these techniques might be best for you personally, but I’m sure at least one or two are.  Try them.  Even if you think you have all the self-confidence you need, it never hurts to reinforce those positive thoughts with a few more.

When you read that title, you might say to yourself, "What does boosting my self-confidence have to do with getting the edge in recruiting?"

A lot, coach.

Self-confidence is the difference between being good and being great.  Great coaches, and great recruiters, have a self-confidence that’s second to none.  They exude self-confidence when they’re on the phone, and when they’re in front of the same prospect you’re recruiting. 

And you know what?  The prospect picks-up on that self confidence, too.  Self-confidence is contagious, and the coach that has it usually has a great team of recruits year after year after year.  So today, coach, lets put our normal discussion of selling and communication skills aside and focus on your self-confidence.  If you sometimes struggle with living up to competition…if you feel like you’re not measuring up to other coaches on your staff…if you’re feeling depressed about the direction your college coaching career is headed, then today is for you.

Here are five great ways to boost your coaching self-confidence.  These aren’t "tricks", they are time-tested strategies for improving your psychological outlook and improve your own mental self-image in the dog-eat-dog profession that you’ve chosen for yourself!  Here we go…

1. Stop comparing yourself to others.

Your probably tend to evaluate yourself in relation to other coaches.  Those in your athletic department, and those that you compete against. The problem is, you don’t really know what’s going on with another person. You can’t know why they do what they do or what motivates their behavior. In fact, someone who looks "confident" may just be another shy person covering up his own insecurities and doubts.  Believe me, I get the chance to talk and work with a lot of coaches that fit into this category.  That’s one of the reasons I wrote "Selling for Coaches"…to help coaches get the skills they need to become better recruiters and feel more confident in their recruiting abilities. 

Instead of focusing on other coaches, shift your attention back to yourself. The only reasonable comparison to make is between your past and your present performances. Bring your attention to your goals and to the actions you need to take to achieve them.

2. Set Self-Confidence Goals.

Choose one area of your self-confidence that needs work, and break it down into small, manageable, measurable steps or actions.

Let’s say your goal is to get over your shyness when it comes to picking up the phone and developing relationships with new prospects. The actions you could take might be something like: Devote one scheduled hour to do nothing but make new contacts… Call three high school coaches daily for tips on prospects and to build your recruiting network … Read one book a month on overcoming shyness until you’ve done it.

Write them down and post them on the bathroom mirror or next to your computer. Review them every morning. With persistence … a little here, a little there … you’ll be overcoming whatever your weakness is with ease.

3. Take time to prepare.

Don’t waste time trying to talk yourself into "feeling" confident. Instead, focus on preparation. The better you know your stuff, the more confident you will feel. For instance, all this Fall, coaches who have signed-on to be SFC Members are getting specialized, focused training in handling and overcoming objections.  In the end, they’ll be better than most coaches they go up against in understanding and handling their prospect’s objections.  So whether you join other coaches and get additional training from SFC, or do it yourself, make sure you set aside time in advance to practice or to think through all the possible scenarios and how you would respond to them and get better at these critical sales and communication skills.

4. Visualize another reality.

Before a stressful event (game situation, recruiting, new job interview), take a few minutes to create a positive mental picture for yourself. Instead of imagining yourself being singled out and interrogated by a crazy parent, imagine yourself among a circle of friends who are all there to work together towards the athlete’s best interest. Instead of picturing the in-home recruiting visit as an intimidating mob scene with nervous parents and an athlete that barely says anything, think of it as a series of one-on-one conversations with individuals who look to you as a valued expert on college recruiting.  Picture yourself as their "guide" through this process.  Creating a positive mental reality will help calm you and sharpen your focus on the task ahead:  The successful recruitment of your prospect. 

5. Think small.

You can’t expect to suddenly transform yourself into a recruiting superstar. But you can do little things that will gradually get you to your goal. For example, when talking on the phone, smile. The person on the other end will respond to the positive energy in your voice. And get in the habit of systematically stretching yourself and expanding your comfort zone, a bit further each time. For example, when you meet prospects, parents or even fellow coaches for the first time, greet them with a firm handshake, smile, and look directly into their eyes for a moment longer than may be comfortable for you.  You’ll make a positive impression with them, and show your self-confidence in the process.

Not all five of these techniques might be best for you personally, but I’m sure at least one or two are.  Try them.  Even if you think you have all the self-confidence you need, it never hurts to reinforce those positive thoughts with a few more.