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4 Winning Voicemail Strategies for College RecruitersMonday, October 22nd, 2012

There’s an epidemic happening around the country this time of year, and we’re hearing about it on a daily basis from college coaches who are concerned that they’re losing a crucial battle in the war for their top recruits: Voicemails.

They are a way of life for college coaches trying to compete for the attention of distracted, overly-contacted prospects who (as most of you know by now) don’t like talking on the phone in the first place.  And, because of this, most coaches are stepping up to the plate with two strikes against them.

So, with that in mind, how are you going to succeed with those odds stacked against you?  Most importantly, how are you and your program going to set your message apart from all of the other messages your prospects are receiving from your competitors?  What are you really saying when you leave a prospect a voicemail?  Anything worthwhile?  Informative?  Interesting?  Or, is it the same old, “hey, sorry I missed you, give me a call…”

And what about when they call you? What are they hearing in your message?  Anything worthwhile?  Informative?  Interesting?  Or is the same old, “This is Coach So-and-so, and you’ve reached my voicemail…”  Original and memorable?  Not by today’s teen standards, I’m afraid.

It’s time to take a new approach with your voicemail messages, and make them an effective part of your recruiting strategy.  Here are four ideas on exactly how it can happen the next time you find yourself leaving a voicemail for a recruit:

  1. Ask a question, promise the answer later. Make it a question that would mean something to your recruit.  Make it compelling, and make it interesting.  There are lots of interesting facts and things that would probably be of interest to a recruit.  The key here is to ask a question that they aren’t hearing from every other coach talking to them, and then promise the answer when you get the chance to talk later.  You want to leave them thinking about the answer to the question you just posed, giving them another thing to talk to you about.  Keeping you on their mind after they hang up the phone is the goal here, and the great thing about this strategy is that it works when you’re leaving a message OR when people listen to your voicemail message when they call you (if you are TCS Client, and need help developing a specific question for a specific recruit, contact us).
  2. Make your message short and sweet. Long, drawn-out voicemail messages cause the listener’s mind to wander.  You should keep your incoming and outgoing voicemail messages short – 35 words or less, if possible.  To make sure you stay within that guideline, its not a bad idea to write-out your message the same way you would write out notes for a speech.  When you do that, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how interesting and creative your voicemail messages can become.  Plus, keeping your message short and sweet will ensure that your message is received loud and clear by your prospect and their family (and everyone else that listens to it).
  3. Create curiosity. This is going to be one of the natural byproducts of shortening your voicemail messages, because you won’t overload your prospect with so much information that they lose track of what they’re supposed to do in replying to you.  By “creating curiosity”, I’m recommending that you hold back on telling them everything in your voicemail message.  In fact, I’ll go so far as to say that the less you tell them about why you’re calling them, the more likely it will be that they will call you to ask you for more information.  We’ve recommended that strategy for years, and it works:  Don’t leave all of the information on your voicemail message.
  4. Never leave a message on a Monday or a Friday. Messages left on a Friday afternoon are the least likely to be returned.  Monday’s are most people’s busiest day – for both your prospects and their parents – so only high priority calls are going to get returned (maybe you’re high priority, maybe you’re not).  The ideal times to call your prospects are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  Weekends are fine if you’re established in your relationship with your prospect.  Just remember that when you call your prospect will determine how likely it is you will get your prospect live on the phone, as well as the liklihood that you’ll get a returned call in the event you end up leaving that creative voicemail we just described.

Is there more to master when it comes to the art of leaving great voicemail messages?  Of course…being able to communicate effectively is as much art as it is science.  These strategies are a good start, but there’s more – much more – that you can do to become better when it comes to leaving great voicemail messages.

If you’ve hosted one of our On-Campus Workshops on your campus anytime in the last few years, remember the way we described this generation of recruits as “fearful” when approaching the recruiting process.  Look back at the notes from the workshop, as well as your athlete focus group survey, for additional information you can use to develop your overall communication strategy – including effective voicemails.

 

12 Ways to Evaluate the Recruiting Phone Calls You’re MakingMonday, July 2nd, 2012

When it comes to recruiting phone calls, I find coaches either love them or hate them.

Regardless of which group you fall into, very few coaches adequately analyze the content of their recruiting phone calls to teenage prospects, and determine what they could do better the next time.

To help coaches get over that hurdle, I’ve developed a list of twelve key areas of solid recruiting phone calls.

Walk through the list, and ask yourself the question I’m throwing out to you in each question:

  1. Did you make your prospect feel wanted? How?  Could you prove it if you had to?
  2. Did you tell your prospect why you’re seeing them as someone that might be a good fit for your program? That’s one of the key things that our research says they’re wondering about as you begin contacting them.
  3. Did you keep your initial phone call short and to the point? Or, did you drag it out and spend a lot of time bragging about your program?  If you did spend a lot of time selling your program, you risk boring your prospect and causing them not to remember the key details and selling points that you want them to.  There’s time for selling, but it’s not at the beginning of the phone call process.
  4. Did you give them the chance to ask questions? You need to create specific space in each call dedicated to making sure your prospect can open up and respond to your questions, and ask questions of their own.
  5. Did you make them laugh? If you didn’t, research shows that you failed to engage one of the primary ways we connect with each other (that includes you, and your recruit).
  6. Were you able to get any missing information that you needed? Stuff like their parents’ email address, missing sports info, etc.?  Make sure you do that the next time.
  7. Did you ask them who else they are hearing from?
  8. Did you tell your prospect why you needed them to come to campus soon? And, if they indicated that they might be open to that, did you nail down a specific month and week that you could talk about reserving for their trip to your college?
  9. Did you ask your prospect what they see as the next step in the process? This is a biggie, Coach.  When we begin work with coaching staffs, one of the first question that we often help with is determining where each of their prospects is at in the recruiting process.  One of the easiest things I can recommend doing is…are you sitting down?…here it is:  Ask them.
  10. Did you remember to send a follow-up email or text message to your prospect after you talked to them? Did you know that the vast majority of your recruits wonder if you “liked” them after the call, and would love to hear feedback from you?  Now you do.
  11. In that email, did you ask a question so that you could have a safe relationship-building message exchange this week? If the answer is no, you’re missing an effective way to get them comfortable with the idea of talking to you.
  12. If you are at the point where you see them on your team, and know that they’ll be an impact player for you, did you ask them if they felt like they were ready to commit? Most coaches would answer “no” to that question, and that’s o.k….that kind of direct approach often goes against the gut instinct that coaches like to rely on.  Just realize, many prospects want the process over and done with and will be interested in an offer or opportunity with your program.  And, the recruits that we conduct focus groups with consistently say that when a coach asks them for a commitment, it tells them two important things:  First, there is no doubt that they are wanted by that coach and program.  Second, it’s a great justification for them to schedule a visit to campus; if there’s an offer on the table, even if they weren’t interested before, that fact usually compels them to seriously consider coming to campus to talk to you about it.

Is that an exhaustive list?  No.

But it is a list of the most common things that we would love to hear coaches talk about with their recruits.  Why?  Because if a coach covers each of the thirteen areas that I just listed, it almost guarantees them of being the most interesting coach that is calling them.

If that’s your goal, you now have a research-based checklist to work from as you get ready for the next round of phone calls that are coming up.

Did you know that one of the things we offer our clients is ongoing review and training for their phone calls sessions with recruits?  We love helping our clients win on the phone.  If you’re wondering what being a client is all about, email Dan Tudor directly at dan@dantudor.com for a complete overview of the program we’ve developed for college coaches.

 

The Facts You Need to Know About Follow-Up Recruiting Phone CallsMonday, April 23rd, 2012

TelephonePhone calls to recruits don’t rank very high on most coaches’ list of things to do.

So, what about follow-up phone calls?  Even harder, for most recruiters.  It’s a challenge to work through the first phone call effectively, but what in the world do you talk about on phone call number two, three or ten???  It’s not an easy subject to tackle.

So, what’s a perplexed coach to do?  I know what you want to do.  You want to pick up the phone and make another follow-up call to that prospect who’s taking just a little too long to call you back with their decision, or the prospect that is slow in even showing interest in your program.

So, since many of you are facing the challenge of making effective follow-up phone calls on a fairly regular basis, I wanted to give you six tips for making great follow-up calls to your recruits.

Get a Commitment for the Follow-up
Perhaps the single biggest mistake coaches make is not establishing a specific date and time for the follow-up call at the end of their previous visit. Vague commitments from prospects (“call me next week”) or recruiters (“I’ll send the paperwork you need and follow-up in a couple of days”) result in missed calls, voice mail messages and ultimately a longer recruiting cycle. All you need to do is ask for a follow-up date and time. Try something like this, Coach:

“I’ll be glad to that information about our business program pulled together so I can mail it to you. And what I love to suggest is that we set up Tuesday, the 19th, maybe around 8:45 to review it in detail and determine the next steps if any. How does that sound?”

If you’ve had us on campus to work with your athletic department, you have learned all about why asking how something “sounds” is vital to moving the process forward.  For right now, just trust me…ask “how does that sound?” instead of something like “what do you think?”

Back to your call…if this is not a good time, recommend another time. If that doesn’t work, get them to establish a time and date. Creating a deadline is a simple but extremely powerful tactic. Use it.

Build “Call Equity” and Be Remembered
After every first call to a prospect, send a thank-you card. Handwrite a message that simply says, “John, thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. I look forward to catching-up with you further on the 16th! Keep up the good work.” No more, no less.

In today’s fast paced world, a handwritten card tells your prospect that you took the time and the effort to do something a little different. This registers in your recruit’s mind and creates a degree of “equity” in you. It differentiates you and is remembered. And, it gives your teenage prospect a reason to be there when you make your follow-up call.  If you want the details behind this line of thinking, you should read our special report that goes inside the mind of your college prospect…it’s fascinating, and will tell you all about what your prospects think about handwritten notes and letters.

If you don’t think a card will get there in time, send an email with the same note. Just be aware that an email does not have nearly the same impact as a handwritten note.

Email a Reminder and an Agenda

The day before your follow-up call, email your prospect to remind him or her of your appointment. In the subject line, enter the words: “Telephone appointment for March 19th and article that I wanted to send you.” Note that the subject line acts as a reminder but it is vague enough that the prospect will probably open it. There is a hint that maybe the date and time has changed.

Your email should confirm the date and time of the appointment and then briefly list your agenda:

“John, the call should only take about 10 or 15 minutes. We’ll review what we talked about last time and I’ll answer any questions. And then we’ll determine what you see as the next step, if any.”

Notice how the words echo those used when the follow-up was initially set. In particular, notice the trigger phrase “. . .what you see as the next step.” The “if any” helps reduce some of the stress or concern your prospects or their parents might have. Often they skip the follow-up call because they are worried that they’ll be pressured to make a commitment. This is natural. If prospects sense an easy, informal, “no pressure” type of phone call, they are more likely to show up and be on time for that call.

Add Value in a P.S.
Notice the reference to an article in your email’s subject line. At the end of your email, add a P.S. that says, “John, in the meantime, here’s an article I thought you might enjoy regarding. . .”

The article may be about your your team, a big win, an interesting story about a recruiting issue of interest, or something completely non-sports related that might show a little bit of your fun side. This creates tremendous value even if your recruit does not open it. Why? Because you took the time to do something extra. This helps you be remembered and gives the prospect yet another reason to take your follow-up call.

Of course, this means you have to do some homework. Keep an eye out on the web for articles of interest and value relative to your sport or the topic of recruiting. You might even keep a file of these articles because they can be used over and over again with future recruits.

Call On Time
Don’t start your relationship on the wrong foot. Call on time. Never, ever be late with your follow-up call. Not even by a minute. The promptness and respect you show on a follow-up call reflects on you, your program and your college.

By the way, you know who notices late calls the most?  The parents.  And you don’t want to get your relationship with them off on the wrong foot, do you?

Avoid Opening Statement Blunders
So many coaches stumble and fall by using these routine follow-up opening statements:

“I was calling to follow-up on the paperwork…”
“I am just calling to see if you had any questions…”
“I just wanted to make sure you got my email…”
“The reason for my follow-up was to see if you had come to decision…”

These opening statements are not only poor; they are commonplace and do nothing to differentiate you. You are perceived as yet another run of the mill coach looking for a “sale”. You need a little more pizzazz, don’t you think?  Think of ways to differentiate yourself and give your prospect a real reason to sit up and pay attention to your follow-up call.

Here’s the key to follow-up calls: Have something original to say, and know when to say it.  It’s a bit of an art form, to be honest, and the best way to become an expert at it is to practice, practice, practice.

Got prospects to follow-up with?  Try some of these proven principles and use some of these tips to get a better response.

Why You Should Reach for the Phone to Reach New RecruitsMonday, February 13th, 2012

NOTE:  The timeframe for when you can and can’t contact a prospective student-athlete depends upon your division level, as well as the specific sport you coach.  Please refer to your individual rules and your compliance officer for clarification on allowed phone call and texting communication to prospects.

Thanks to the new NCAA rules, earlier and more frequent contact by phone and text message are the new norm when it comes to contact a new class or recruits.  Getting in touch with your top prospects is getting a whole lot easier.

And with that new class comes the same age old question that has perplexed recruiters for the last two decades:  “How should I first contact my next set of recruits?”

That’s been a question which we have devoted a good amount of study to over the years.  And after crunching the numbers, conducting research studies all over the country during our On-Campus Workshops for college athletic departments, and hearing the feedback from this current class of prospects, the verdict is in:

Your prospects want to be called on the phone when you first start recruiting them.

Interesting, isn’t it?

I  think it’s surprising because most kids find it challenging to talk on  the phone with you when you call them at some point during the  recruiting process.  So why would they want to hear from you by phone as  the first point of contact?  Here are some of the answers we  discovered:

  • They want to know that you’re serious about them. When you call them, that shows them that they are a serious recruit in  your eyes – otherwise, why would you take the time to call them?
  • They want to hear how you found them. Sometimes those introductory letters that you send are a little to  vague: “You’ve been identified as a prospect…”  Or, “You’ve been  recommended as a prospect…”   Both are a little bit cryptic, and this  is one area where you don’t want to be mysterious.  Today’s athlete  wants specifics, starting with how you have found them.
  • A phone call automatically puts you at the front of the line. They’ve heard your voice, which is one better than most coaches who are  only going to send out a letter.  It will be hard to ignore you after  they hear your voice because they’ll be comparing you to the rest of the  coaches that aren’t taking the time to call them.  For this  generation, they want to be able to starting ranking colleges and  figuring out who’s serious about them, and who isn’t.  This is one of  the best ways we’ve found to make sure you are doing just that.

So,  have I convinced you take the time to make a phone call first with this  new group of prospects you’re getting ready to recruit?  Good.  Here’s a model for what should be included in the call (and a few things that shouldn’t):

  • Do include a short greeting and your phone number.  Your name, your college and your contact number.
  • Tell them that you want them to know that they are officially being recruited by your program.  You can play around with the wording a  little, but make sure they understand that you are serious about them  and that your phone call warrants their attention.
  • Tell them the  next two things that they should be looking for from you and your  program.  A letter and then an email, two quick emails with questions  they need to answer…whatever.  Give them an agenda of whats coming up  in the near future.
  • DO NOT ask them for information.  That’s not the purpose of the phone call.
  • DO NOT sell your school, unless they answer this next question:
  • Ask  them: “Before I hang up, do you have any questions about me, my  program, or the college?”  If they say no (which they likely will,  because their heart will be pumping a little too hard to focus on  questions they might have), tell them that you can’t wait for the next  time you can talk to them and end the call.  Leave them wanting more.  If they do have questions, take the time to answer them and sell your college where appropriate.

That’s  the simple formula that we’ve seen work over and over again.  The calls should last no more than a minute or two, they should have a purpose,  and you need to sound both confident and excited.

The results should be significant:  You will see greater engagement sooner from all of  your prospects, and you will clarify exactly where they stand with them as soon as possible (which is what they all want).

If you’re a coach who see’s an increased emphasis on recruiting phone calls as a way to differentiate yourself from your competition, keep this strategy in mind for your new group of recruits.

Want more information on creatively attracting recruits to your program instead of your competition’s?  Here are two ideas we’ll recommend:

- Order our two popular recruiting guides for college coaches, outlining the key foundational strategies that many coaches now rely on to win the best recruits available.  Click here for the details.

- Reserve your seat at this Summer’s National Collegiate Recruiting Conference.  It’s a weekend of networking with other coaches, listening to some of the best recruiting minds in the country, and formulating a great plan for the next season’s recruiting battles.  Click here for the details.

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.

Five Phone Call Strategies Working for Smart College RecruitersMonday, January 9th, 2012

In this age of prospects friending you on Facebook, or following you on Twitter, it’s good to know that most of what you’re going to be doing to solidify the relationships you’ve nurtured up to this point will be done over the phone.

The interesting irony of that fact, of course, is that it’s also one of the most difficult parts of the recruiting process for many college recruiters.

It’s a timely topic as we start the new year:  We’re at that point of year when coaches all over the country are starting to hear about decisions from their prospects (or wishing they were hearing from them, in many cases!).  For the majority of coaches reading this today, the jury is still out in terms of what next year’s recruiting class looks like.

So, what’s a nervous coach to do?  I know what you want to do.  You want to pick up the phone and make another follow-up call to that prospect who’s taking just a little too long to call you back with a decision.

Since many coaches seem to be facing the challenge of making effective follow-up phone calls, I wanted to give you several tips for making great follow-up calls to your recruits.  See how many of these proven strategies you are already doing as a part of your regular recruiting communication plan, and what  you may want to consider adding to make it more effective.

Get a Commitment from Your Prospect for the Follow-up
Perhaps the single biggest mistake I watch coaches make is not establishing a specific date and time for the follow-up call at the end of their previous visit. Vague commitments from prospects (“call me sometime next week if you want”) or recruiters (“I’ll send the paperwork you need and follow-up in a couple of days or so”) result in missed calls, voice mail messages and ultimately a longer recruiting cycle. All you need to do is ask for an exact follow-up date and time. Try something like this, Coach:

“John, I’m going to be sending you and your parents that overview of our program that we’ve been talking about.  You’ll have it by the end of the week, so how about I call back next Wednesday night around 7:30. How does that sound?”  Trust me on this one…ask “how does that sound?” instead of something like “what do you think?”

Back to your call…if this is not a good time, recommend another time. If that doesn’t work, get them to establish a set future time and date. Creating a deadline is a simple but extremely powerful tactic that gets a prospect’s attention. Use it.

Build “Call Equity” and Be Remembered
After every first call to a prospect, send a thank-you card. Handwrite a message that simply says, “John, thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. I look forward to catching-up with you further on the 16th! Keep up the good work.” No more, no less.

In today’s fast paced world, a short, handwritten card tells your prospect (and his or her parents) that you took the time and the effort to do something a little differently than most other coaches. We’ve seen this register in your recruit’s mind and creates a degree of “equity” in you. When we suggest this as a strategy for our coaches who are clients, we notice that it differentiates them immediately and is remembered for a long time afterwards. And, it gives your teenage prospect a reason to be there when you make your follow-up call.  If you want the details behind this line of thinking, you should read “Inside the Mind of Your High School Prospect”, our special report that goes inside the mind of your college prospect…it’s fascinating, and will tell you all about what your prospects think about handwritten notes and letters.

If you don’t think a card will get there in time, send an email with the same note. Just be aware that an email does not have nearly the same impact as a handwritten note.

Email a Reminder and an Agenda
The day before your follow-up phone call, email your prospect to remind him or her of your appointment and something else that you can attach that might interest them like an article about your or your program. In the subject line, enter the words: “You and I talking on March 19th – and something extra for you.” Note that the subject line acts as a reminder but it is vague enough that the prospect will probably open it. There is a hint that maybe the date and time has changed since you last talked.

Your email should confirm the date and time of the appointment and then briefly list your agenda:

“John, the call should only take about 10 or 15 minutes. We’ll review what we talked about last time and I’ll answer any questions. And then we’ll determine what you see as the next steps, if any.”

Notice how the words echo those used when the follow-up was initially set. In particular, notice the trigger phrase “. . .the next steps, if any.” The “if any” helps reduce some of the stress or concern your prospects or their parents might have. Often they skip the follow-up call because they are worried that they’ll be pressured to make a commitment. This is natural. If prospects sense an easy, informal, “no pressure” type of phone call, they are more likely to show up and be on time for that call.

Add Value in a P.S.
Notice the reference to an article in your email’s subject line. At the end of your email, add a P.S. that says, “John, before our call, I wanted to show this to you…check it out.”

As I referenced earlier, the article may be about your your team, a big win, an interesting story about a recruiting issue of interest, or something completely non-sports related that might show a little bit of your fun side. This creates tremendous value even if your recruit does not open it. Why? Because you took the time to do something extra. This helps you be remembered and gives the prospect yet another reason to take your follow-up call.

Of course, this means you have to do some homework, Coach. Keep an eye out on the web for articles of interest and value relative to your sport or the topic of recruiting. You might even keep a file of these articles because they can be used over and over again with future recruits.

(By the way, if you want some extra research on why a P.S. works so well, click here)

Call On Time!
Don’t start your relationship on the wrong foot. Call on time. Never, ever be late with your follow-up call. Not even by a minute. The promptness and respect you show on a follow-up call reflects on you, your program and your college.

By the way, you know who notices late calls the most?  The parents.  And you don’t want to get your relationship with them off on the wrong foot, do you?

Here’s the bottom line, Coach: New information gets attention and keeps your prospects engaged.  Old information, or no information at all, results in a non-productive phone call every single time.

Got prospects to follow-up with now that we’ve started the new year?  Try some new tactics and use some of these tips to get a better response.

If you need more tips on how to successfully recruit this generation of recruits, you really need to attend our upcoming National Collegiate Recruiting Conference.  It’s a three day, one-of-a-kind recruiting weekend dedicated to making you the dominant recruiter in your conference .  Click here to learn more.

One Cool Tech Trick to Get Recruits to Call YouSunday, November 6th, 2011

by Sean Devlin, Front Rush

Fair warning:

This article is a bit technical, but we thought it is a pretty cool topic, so we decided to go with it anyway. The motivation for this article came from the brilliance of another website, which you will find the link for below.

Here’s what I’m talking about…

When sending out emails to recruits, its common practice to ask them to do something. That something could be to fill out a questionnaire, so you put a link to a questionnaire. Or it is to reply back, and conveniently most email clients have a ‘reply’ button. Or its to read an article, so you paste in a link to that article. You might ask them to download a document, so you attach the document.

You get the idea.

A particular scenario that now has some technical “umph” behind is the idea of asking a recruit to call you back. Historically, you would say “please call me back at this number”. Or “please call me at the number in my signature”. But with the mobile web, what if you had a link in your email that a recruit can click to call you back immediately. So, they click the link from their mobile phone, then their mobile phone starts calling you.

We see many email templates that have “fill out questionnaire”, “our university home page”, etc.  What we are proposing is the idea of having a link directly to your phone number. When the recruit gets your email on their mobile device, they can then click that link to call you immediately. You are making it as simple as possible and removing all barriers for them hence improving the probability of them calling you back. At the very least, when they see a big button in their email with your phone number, its original and memorable.

So how do you do it?  That’s where the technical part of this article comes in.

Its actually done the same way that you make something a “link”.  Generally, you paste something into your email, then highlight it, then click a “link” icon. In the background the resulting code looks something like:

<a href=”google.comhttp://google.com”>google.com</a>

which is a link to Google.

If we modify it slightly…

<a href=”tel:555-489-2100″>555-489-2100</a>

Then this will provide a link that when clicked will automatically call directly from the email. This definitely is a bit technical for some coaches, but if you use a recruiting software that lets you send emails…this is very easy to do. You really just need to do it once and you will know how to repeat it every time.

By the way, here is the link to the original article that goes into more technical detail, if you are interested.

http://www.campaignmonitor.com/blog/post/3571/using-phone-numbers-in-html-email/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=October+news&utm_content=October+news+Version+A+CID_da8790f7dcaedb7b1b192773cf2630e6&utm_source=Email+marketing+software&utm_term=youll+be+on+everyones+speed-dial

Give it a try, Coach!

If you need help with this or any other technical challenge you are facing, email Sean at sdevlin@frontrush.com.

Want to learn more about Front Rush and their incredible recruiting tools that have made them the go-to experts when it comes to making it easier to do your job as a college coach?  Click here!

First Call is Done…Now, What About Calls #2 and #3…?Monday, July 4th, 2011

Many of you just completed the college coaching equivalent of Christmas morning.

A fresh list of new recruits who are eligible to call on the phone:  July 1st is exciting!  New possibilities, great first conversations, and a lot of first impressions established in the minds of your incoming Senior class of recruits. 

The first phone call is in the books.

But what about the next call?  And the call after that?

Those phone calls don’t get as much publicity and attention.  I get asked all the time – by our clients, as well as other coaches – about what the first phone call should be like.  Understandable, since it’s a big way to make a first impression.

However, if you think about it, the phone calls that come next are the most important.  The best visual example I can think of is a horse race:  Everyone breaks out of the gate at about the same pace, but it’s the 100 yards after the start that determines who is best positioned to establish themselves as the leader.

Which brings us back to phone call #2 and phone call #3.  They’re important, and yet I rarely get asked about what kind of approach to take with these calls.

So, let me answer that question for you today.  Here are the basic strategies to remember when you’re making phone calls moving forward:

  • Look for the signal that it’s o.k. for you to start selling your college and your program.  It’s a simple sign: They’ll ask you a question about you, your program or your school.  If they haven’t given you that signal yet, you should avoid giving them a laundry list of wonderful things about your program.  It will largely fall on deaf ears.  They aren’t ready to hear that from you (yet).  So, if you aren’t selling, what should you be talking about?  Glad you asked…
  • Focus on questions about them.  The more questions you ask about them, the easier they will find it to talk to you.  And if you want them to listen to all of the great things about you and your program down the road, I’d advise you to foster a comfort level with them as you communicate back and forth during these initial phone calls.  (If you want more info on asking questions, click here for our list of articles on the topic)
  • Keep your phone calls short, especially if you are doing all (or most) of the talking.  Our research clearly shows that the length of your phone call does little to strengthen your chances of winning your prospect over.  Consistency of your phone calls, as well as topics focused on what your prospect wants to talk about vs. what you want to talk about, are much more impactful in the long run.  Try to keep most of your calls under 10 minutes, unless your recruit is driving the conversation.
  • Focus on thematic talking points, and stick with them.  For example, don’t talk about your coaching philosophy, your facility, how fun the area is, and the history of your program all in the same phone call.  It’s virtually impossible for your recruits to take away clear ideas from a conversation that includes so many elements.  Instead, pick one topic.  Then, use the next two (or three) phone calls to elaborate on that idea, and incorporate questions to your prospect about that particular topic.  If you try this approach, you’ll notice a much response from your prospect.  It’s one of the approaches that we recommend to our clients who work with us, because its effective.
  • Always set up the next conversation.  Reveal what you’re going to talk about in phone calls #2 and #3 and beyond.  It will keep them tied into the ongoing discussion with you, and get them to stay on track with the themes you’ll be laying out for them.  We find that it will also give you the best chance of having them actually pick up the phone and be ready to talk to you in those following phone calls, as well.
  • If you’re reading this and you are a client, contact me directly for specific ideas for you and your program when it comes to follow-up phone calls to your recruits.  Your strategy needs to be unique, and should be able to stand-out compared to your competition as you begin a new round of phone call contacts with a fresh group of incoming Seniors.

As you get ready to continue your phone calls with your recruits, use these main points as a guide to establishing a foundation for your ongoing communication.  You might just find that these next phone calls are like “Christmas morning” all over again!

Getting ready for the start of a new recruiting year with a new recruiting class?  Let us help!  You can work one-on-one with Dan and his team of experts to bring a better, more systematic approach to your recruiting message.  Email Dan directly at dan@dantudor.com or click here for more background on what we do.

The Hidden Message in Your Upcoming Recruiting CallMonday, June 28th, 2010

Many of you will have some pretty big phone calls to make later this week.

The first phone calls to a new class or recruits.  And if you don’t in July, you will shortly after that, depending upon your sport.

Today’s edition is not going to focus on the how-to “nuts and bolts” of making successful phone calls.  We’ve done that in the past…here, here and a great one from last week here.

What I want to focus on today is a bigger picture aspect of your recruiting message that applies to your phone calls, as well as your emails, letters, campus visits…everything about the overall impression you give your prospect as you communicate with them.

It’s the importance of a consistent message.  One that makes sense.  And, I’ve got a pretty interesting study to back up my assertions…

The study was done by psychologist Geoffrey Miller, who studied how we as individuals communicate our individual purchases to others, and why.

For example, as the study showed, younger males will often display aggressive behavior to young females in order to establish social dominance in the initial stages of a relationship.  Later, however, those same males need to move from being aggressive to being agreeable in order to show that they have “staying power”…that they will be a good long-term mate.

So if the study is true – as I think it is – products that appeal to a younger males aggressive side are going to do great.  For example, if I was manufacturing a body spray for guys and named it “Sweet”, it probably wouldn’t sell.  That doesn’t match their natural personalities.  However, the people who manufacture “Axe” nailed it.  They’ve got a runaway best seller because they’ve marketed it well to the audience they want as consumers.

An example of a wrongly aimed message?  The 2008 Chevy Tahoe Hybrid SUV.  It was marketed with a strong message of environmental sensitivity and high fuel savings.  For the people who wanted to buy a massive SUV, this message didn’t make sense: If I want to drive an SUV, would the extra 4 miles per gallon really matter to me?  Probably not.  Sales never took off, and most experts point to muddled advertising as the big reason why.

Here’s my point as it relates to the phone calls you are about to make, as well as the message that you design for your program this coming year:

Make sure you and your program develops a message that very clearly matches your actual environment on campus that are true selling points to your intended prospects.

  • Figure out who your audience is, and communicate clearly and directly to them.
  • Don’t try to be something that you aren’t.
  • Find two or three big things that define you and your program.
  • Determine the best language for you to use with your audience (your prospects) based on those big things that you find as positives about your program.
  • Don’t blur your central messages with things that your competitors offer in an attempt to be “just like them”.  Be O.K. with being unique and different from your competition.

Your phone calls that many of you will be making soon are your first opportunity to define yourself to new prospects who are waiting to be told your story.  Make that story you tell simple and effective as you start telling it to them over the phone.

Big ideas and advanced recruiting concepts are what we’ll be talking about at next month’s National Collegiate Recruiting Conference.  Only a few days are left to register, or if you can’t make it then you can get the whole thing on DVD.

Want even more advanced one-on-one help?  Become a client of Tudor Collegiate Strategies.  For more information on what we do to help coaches, and why it’s effective, click here.

The 6 Secrets to Making GREAT Recruiting Phone CallsMonday, June 21st, 2010

With “first phone calls” looming on the horizon, I thought it would make sense to address some recommended do’s and dont’s for coaches who want to make the most of the incredible opportunity that’s about to be staring them straight in the face:

The opportunity to make a great first impression.

Not too long ago, I had finished-up a session with one of our Total Recruiting Solution plan clients at their campus and was checking emails in an office in the school’s athletic department.  To the office of the left of me was a soccer coach leaving a voicemail for an athlete.  To the right of me was an assistant football coach talking to a prospect.

As they opened their conversations, they made two classic mistakes that they - and lots of other college coaches – have made a hundred times before:  They opened their phone calls with weak, non-specific phrases that were not strong, action-oriented statements.  In the same way that we recommend your letters and emails be original and have a strong opening sentence, the same holds true for your phone call.  Actually, it’s even more important because unlike letters, phone calls do not have the visual component to help make an impact and keep our attention.

The phrases I’m talking about might sound familiar:

  • “I was calling to follow-up on that stuff I sent you…”
  • “I was just calling to see if you had any questions…”
  • “I was checking-in to see if you got that email…”
  • “Hey, I was just following-up to see if…”

Recruiting callsThose sound weak, and don’t set-up the rest of your vitally important recruiting calls for success.  They are weak because they it puts your prospect in COMPLETE control of what happens next, and doesn’t do anything to significantly move the recruiting process forward…especially if you are at the end of the recruiting process.

So what should you do as you prepare to contact a prospect, especially if its the first time you are talking to them like you might be getting ready to do?  Here are a few vital tips that you’ll want to keep in mind the next time you start dialing your new recruits:

  1. Have a purpose. In our study on how prospects decide which coach they’ll listen to, one of the things we uncovered was the importance of being very clear on what a recruited needed to do next, and to clearly communicate whether or not you are serious about them or not.  When you call a prospect, have a clear purpose that guides your conversation with them.  Be specific as to why you are calling, and what you want to talk to them about.
  2. Communicate that purpose. Tell them the reason you are calling, and make it about them.  As we talk about in our popular recruiting how-to guides for college recruiters who want advanced recruiting skills, if you are doing more than 20% of the talking with your prospect on the phone, you are talking to much.  Get to the point, and have a clear purpose for the call that is centered around them.
  3. Make the first 10 seconds of your call incredible. How do you do that?  By scripting an amazing opening as to why you are calling them, and what’s in it for them by engaging in the conversation that’s about to take place.  Are your first 10 seconds incredible?  Are they engaging?  Do they create curiosity and excitement?  Most importantly, do they stand out from the other calls they will be getting from coaches?  If your first 10 seconds aren’t incredible, it’s time to re-work the opening of your prospect call.
  4. Don’t sell, especially at the start of the call. As you start contacting a prospect, they aren’t going to automatically be interested in who you are or what you have to offer them.  That goes for you Division I coaches, as well…some of the most critical comments I’ve heard about what coaches should and should not be doing during their phone conversations have come from D1 football and basketball players.  Even with this elite group, they want the focus to be on them.  They don’t want a sales pitch from you (yet).
  5. If you can share a laugh, you jump to the lead. Study after study tells sociologists that we Americans love to laugh, and are looking for that connection in the people we meet.  We want to enjoy who we’re around, and it’s no different.  If you can create a little levity in the phone call and share a laugh with your prospect, that will go a long way towards making them feel like they know you and like you.
  6. At the end of the call, set-up the next conversation with them. I know that’s not really staying on topic of “starting” the recruiting call the right way, but this is so important I just have to include it.  You MUST end the phone call with a clear idea - both in your mind and in the mind of your prospect – of what comes next.  When will the next call take place?  What needs to happen between then and now?  What is their “to do” list as your recruit?  For the same reason you don’t want to start the call weakly, you don’t want to end the call weakly.

The phone is still one of the main recruiting tools that every college coach uses in their daily search for the best athletes.  It’s also becoming one of the most challenging communication methods because of some of the unique traits of this generation of athletes, how they communicate with coaches, and what they are looking for in a program.

My advice?  Don’t make things harder by a weak start to your first phone call with a prospect.  If you do, it’s an uphill climb to re-gain their attention in the months to come.

Looking for more ways to perfect your recruiting approach for the upcoming year?  Then you need to be at our 2010 National Collegiate Recruiting Conference in Chicago on July 16-18.  Join coaches from around the country who are there to get the edge they need to make this the best recruiting year ever.

But you need to hurry!  You only have one more week to register!  June 30, 2010 is the deadline.  And, if you can’t make it, no worries…just reserve a copy of the entire conference on DVD and get all the great information for you and your staff.

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