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The Question to Ask If Your Recruit Is Waiting for MoneyMonday, March 18th, 2013

The Spring is an odd time of year for coaches who aren’t able to offer full athletic scholarships to their prospects (which includes the vast majority of college coaches around the country).

You have the interest of your recruit, they’ve applied to your school, they know you want them.  And so now, you wait.

You’re waiting for either one of two things:  Either your prospects are finishing-up their Senior seasons and are quietly hoping for other amazing offers from schools who have somehow missed them up to this point, or they are submitting their FAFSA information and are now waiting to get the “official” word from financial aid across campus as to what their “final number” is.

And the wait can be excruciating.

You have decisions to make, but of course you understand and appreciate why it’s a tough decision to make at this point in the early Spring without all of the “official” financial aid information in place.

The result?  Most coaches in this situation choose to wait – albeit somewhat impatiently – for the process to run it’s course and eventually get their answer right before the start of Summer.  That’s stressful for the coach, and doesn’t do much to solidify your recruiting class as early as possible.

I’m not claiming that the following advice will be the cure for everything that ails you when it comes to this tricky scenario, but there is a question I’d recommend asking that might just give you the answers you’re looking for (even if financial aid isn’t done crunching numbers yet).

Here’s what to ask:

“If the final number comes in around what we’re estimating it will, do you see yourself making us your number one choice?”

Simple and direct, this is one of the questions that we’re seeing work well to get a prospect to open-up and divulge what they are thinking, and which way they and their family is leaning as they make their final decision.

You can also ask effective variations of this question:

  • “If you don’t end up getting a scholarship offer from that other program, do you see yourself making us your number one choice?”
  • “If you visit that other campus next week and don’t feel like you fit in, do you see yourself making us your number one choice?”

There are a couple of key components in this type of question that are important to understand.  First, understand that this is what would be referred to as a “soft close” in the business world…you aren’t asking them for a decision, but you are asking them a question that indicates where they are leaning.  That can be valuable information if you’re trying to determine your incoming recruiting class.  Secondly, make sure you ask them if they “see” themselves making you their top choice.  If you’ve hosted us on your campus for one of our two or three day workshops, you already know about the important psychological reasons for not asking “what do you think”, so using that terminology I just outlined is a must if you want to achieve maximum effectiveness.

One more thing: Don’t make the mistake of feeling awkward about asking this question, or other procedural question as they go through the decision making process.  Most recruits we survey say they want some kind of help and leading towards the end of this long and winding recruiting road, so opening up the conversation about how and why they are making the decision can be a difference-maker for you down the stretch.

For years, coaches have relied on two foundational recruiting guides to help formulate intelligent, cutting-edge recruiting strategies.  Want to find out more about making these two guides part of your coaching library?…CLICK HERE

Evaluating the Impact of Your Recruiting StrategyTuesday, December 18th, 2012

 

At some point each year, coaching staffs sit down and evaluate the effectiveness of their recruiting campaigns that they are either in the midst of, or have just completed.

At the core of the questions most staffs ending up asking themselves is this: “How can our recruiting campaigns be more effective?”

The Fortune 500 business world asks the very same question when evaluating the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns, and gauging what they should do next to grow their respective businesses.

One of the ways to evaluate the way you and your college coaching staff manage the process of recruiting a class of prospects – and the overall “impact” of your message and approach to your prospects – is to use the seven point evaluation method in the graphic to the left, a process outlined by marketing expert Seth Godin.  In short, he makes the claim that your “project” (i.e., your recruiting campaign) is not going to be at full effectiveness unless each of these seven points intersect.

So, Coach…are you feeling like your recruiting campaign isn’t quite hitting on all cylinders?  Let me take you through these same seven points that we look for when we’re developing a recruiting strategy for our clients.  See if any of these points raise a red flag for your program’s recruiting process:

Strategy: Is your strategy outlined in a way that is achievable, and (more importantly) measurable.  By “measurable”, I mean it should be able to tell you whether or not you are on track to succeed and meet your recruiting goals.  A strategy is more than a list of recruits and a schedule of what games you and your staff are going to go scout.  It should be a series of planned steps that allows you (and not your athlete or their parents) to control the recruiting process from start to finish.  Can you outline your program’s specific recruiting strategy, and measure the results you are getting?

Persistence: As I see it, this is a two-fold point.  First, I believe it means that a recruiting staff doesn’t give-up, and doesn’t waver in their focus and attention to recruiting.  Secondly, persistence is reflected in your ongoing messaging with recruits.  Far too many staffs are content with a few long-winded letters, weak emails, and randomly planned recruiting visits to secure their recruiting classes.  Persistence (and consistency) are essential for attracting the next level recruits that every coach craves.  Do they commit to your program by accident?  Rarely, Coach.  It takes persistence.  How does your program do when it comes to persistence in recruiting?

Fear: Coaches don’t talk about this one much.  Coaches “afraid” of something?  Ridiculous, right?  Not at all.  Coaches fear changing the way of doing things differently than the way they were recruited as an athlete.  There is a fear of deviating from the “normal” way of doing things, even though most coaches also describe a gnawing feeling that the approach they are taking with this generation of athletes just isn’t getting it done.  Fear can also manifest itself in the way a staff deals with specific recruits: “We can’t set a deadline because what if we lose her?  Not getting her to commit will ruin our recruiting class for this year.”  And so, the coach in that situation – fearful of making a mistake or insulting their recruit – does nothing.  They take the “middle road” (where things get run over, unfortunately) and pray that they get lucky and land the recruit they need.  Fear?  We see it in a lot of staffs.  Does it manifest itself in your recruiting efforts?

Tactics: This is feet-on-the-street, get-it-done stuff.  A prospect throws a coach an objection about the lack of diversity on their campus, and the coach is ready with an answer that not only deflects the question, but turns the answer into a selling point as to why the make-up of their campus’ student body is exactly what that recruit needs to be successful in life.  Tactics are not inherited, they are learned.  They take practice, and are never something that are perfected in the heat of battle.  Are “tactics” something that you and your staff discuss on a regular basis?  Moreover, are they something that are talked about in relation to specific top level athletes that are on your list?  Those are important questions.  Persistence without smart tactics is just a huge waste of time.

Execution: Similar to tactics, but this is where planning and movement end, and results begin.  Execution is the end result of a plan.  Planning an approach to calling your list of prospects and coming up with some questions you want to ask is a good start.  That’s what I would define as your tactical approach to making those calls.  ”Execution” is the act of actually making the phone call and achieving the results you want as a byproduct of how you made those recruiting phone calls.  Like tactics, expert execution is not inherited magically once you put on your school’s polo shirt and get your business cards printed.  It’s an art form that is perfected over time, with lots of practice and evaluation along the way.  Execution is the end result of all of your philosophies and training, and it’s the aspect of your recruiting that can most accurately be measured and evaluated on an ongoing basis.  So, on a scale of 1 to 10, what do you rate your recruiting execution?

Reputation: A lot of coaches will use this aspect of their recruiting strategy as a crutch, and will point to it as the reason why they can’t possibly recruit those next level athletes they need to be successful:

  • “Our facilities (reputation) are horrible…who would want to play here?”
  • “We haven’t won here in years (reputation)…how am I going to overcome that?”
  • “All of our competition always slams us on our location (reputation)…it’s a big reason we can’t the really good athletes to come here.”

There are things that are out of your control like your facility, your location, and the program you inherited when you became the coach.  You own those things, Coach.  However, you also own the ability to define (or re-define) your reputation.  Most of the time, your prospects and their parents are simply looking for some definition about how to think about your program.  So, how well are you managing that power that you have, Coach?  Are you taking the initiative in radically defining what your program’s vision is, and how you are making sure that vision becomes a reality?  Or, if you are the coach of a program that has a long history of success, how well are you defining yourself for your prospects?  Your reputation is everything.  Use it, Coach (and if it’s not something you’d brag about at this point, start re-telling your recruiting story in a way that makes it something you would be excited to tell)

Desire: Do you really want to recruit?  Do you really want to be the best possible recruiter you can be?  Do you really want to beat your competition when it comes to recruiting?  I hope the answer is yes.  Desire comes down to an attitude that accepts nothing less than excellence.  Not only on the court, or on the field, or in the pool, but on the recruiting trail.  Do you desire to make sure your recruiting strategy more amazing than everyone else’s?  That’s the standard you need to meet…amazing.  Did I just describe you?  (If I didn’t, that should make you think).

All of these factors are vital when it comes to achieving a successful recruiting strategy.  It’s not magic, it’s planning.

What you do next is up to you.

Need help in developing your recruiting strategy – as well as flawless execution – as you head into this next recruiting year?  Our staff of experts have proven, research-based strategies that can be applied to any program’s individual needs.  We’d love to talk to you about how we work with some of your competitors, and what we’re doing to improve their recruiting results year in and year out.  We’ll be happy to send you a complete overview of what we do, and how we do it…just email Dan Tudor at dan@dantudor.com.  Or, visit www.dantudor.com for all the details.

What Your Prospects Want to Hear From You on September 1stFriday, August 24th, 2012

Every September 1st, most college coaches “officially” start to recruit their next class of Juniors.

And the question on every recruiter’s mind is the same:

“How do I make an incredible impression on the recruits that I really want to be a part of my program?”

Making that first impression is something you don’t get a second chance at, so here are some things to keep in mind as you begin communications with your Junior recruits.  And I’m not just talking about letters and emails that you’ll be sending out soon.  Your follow-up ongoing communication over these next few weeks will be almost equally – if not more – important.  Why?  Because they’re looking for who contacts them consistently early on…it’s an indicator of who seems to be serious.

So hear you go, Coach…here are the six things your prospects want to hear from you on September 1st (and every week on a regular basis) when you are communicating with them:

 

  • Be specific in what you tell them. Our study on how today’s prospects make their final decision tells coaches that today’s prospects value specific information about them, or about your program.  What did you like about them specifically? What do you see as the fit for them in your program specifically? What are you looking for specifically? Those are the questions that you need to answer for your prospect early on.
  • Don’t oversell yourself. Kids today can sniff out a fake more quickly than they can bang-out a text message to their BFF.  Be straight-forward and genuine.  One other thing: Take it easy on the statistics about your college, details about your conference, and what the geography around the school is like.  Those are some of the “boring” topics that they are most likely to gloss over as they read your initial recruiting messages.
  • Keep it brief. Long messages right out of the gate are most likely to be ignored, and that’s not what you want on the first day that you make contact with them.  Keep it short, sweet and to the point.  Tell them how you found them, why you like them, and what their next step should be in the process (in other words, how they should respond to you).
  • Have a call to action. That’s what gets them to respond to you!  You need to tell them what to do, and how to do it.  Open the door in the language of your communication to guide them towards what they should do next as a “next step” in the process.
  • Create curiosity. In our recruiting workbooks for college recruiters, we talk about the importance of making your prospect leave your message with unanswered questions, especially early in the process.  You want to create curiosity and prompt them to want more interaction from you…something that makes them want to go to the next step in their communication with you.  Ask yourself, “Are we creating curiosity in the way we talk to our new recruits?”  (Hint: Curiosity is not built by more information about you and your college, it’s done by giving them less information).
  • Tell them what to do next. This goes back to the “call to action” concept I mentioned a moment ago, Coach.  Want them to call or email you?  Tell them that, very clearly.  Tell them when to call, and let them know what you want to talk about.  Want them to reply to your email?  Be crystal clear and instruct them on what you want back from them.

Communication with your prospect should result in one thing, especially at the start of the recruiting process at the beginning of a new recruiting cycle: A response from your prospect!  Your specific goal over the next few weeks should be getting them to talk with you via email or phone.

To do that, the six things we just outlined are a good start to creating effective communication with your recruits, whether its the 1st time they are hearing from you or the 21st time.  Simply changing the tone of your messages can change the number of prospects you end up hearing back from this year, and get you off to your best start ever with a new recruiting class.

Note:  If you are a client of Tudor Collegiate Strategies, and you need help creating or updating your first contact messages, contact us immediately so we can do that for you in plenty of time for your first contact messages to be sent to this next class of recruits.

Want to know why our clients win more recruits and have stronger recruiting classes?  Click here.

 

3 Keys to Effectively Handling Your “B” RecruitsMonday, July 16th, 2012

Much of a coaching staff’s attention is centered around bringing in as many top caliber “A” recruits as possible.

It’s the “A” recruits that grab headlines.

It’s the “A” recruits that propel a team to win championships.

It’s the “A” recruits that make it fun to be a college coach.

But we all know who really makes up most of a typical college team roster: The “B” recruits.

They’re solid, but not superstars.  And interestingly, as we’ve studied and tracked the recruiting process with this group of prospects, they have a very unique way of approaching the coaches who are pursuing them, and make their decisions much differently than your “A” recruits will.  Of course, each individual recruit will be a little different than the next, but there are some keys that we see being essential for coaches to keep in mind as they develop their own individual strategies for securing this important group of recruits:

  1. Your “B” recruits are hyper-aware of how you’re treating them. Why?  Because most of these “B” prospects know that they’re in the second tier of the prospects you’re considering.  They’ll try to fake it, but instinctively most of them know that they aren’t in your top group.  Because of these facts, they are always looking for a change in your tone, your language and the level of attention you’re giving them.  I’m not saying you need to accommodate that hyper-sensitivity; rather, be aware of it.  And if you find a recruit who you are ready to move on, just be aware that they’ll usually respond faster and more enthusiastically than your “A” recruits will.
  2. Your “B” recruits will usually make commitments more quickly. Not exactly earth-shaking news, right?  In fact, for many coaches, this is what drives them crazy about this group of recruits.  Sometimes, they’ll press you for a decision much sooner than you’d like, and (because of that hyper-sensitivity that we just talked about) they’ll be looking for the security of a decision as soon as possible.  The mistake I see many coaches make?  They don’t balance their pursuit of their “A” recruits with a steady stream of solidifying their “B” class.  That’s why you’ll see a healthy amount of programs end up with lackluster recruiting classes…too many swings for the fences, not enough stand-up doubles.  What we see effective coaching staffs do is find a balance that works for them based on previous recruiting classes, and the patterns of signings that have made up those classes.  That’s not always possible, of course, but if you have a “prototype” class that you’ve recruited to your program, look at the breakdown of the “A” and “B” recruits and create a game plan for this next class.
  3. Your “B” recruits will change direction quickly and without warning. One of the things that we prompt our clients to protect themselves against is the idea that their positive conversations with their “B” recruits means that they can hold off on moving towards a decision with them indefinitely.  Because of the earlier points that we made – their sensitivity to how you’re treating them and their inclination to make decisions more quickly than your “A” recruits –  we find that they are more quickly to change their allegiances at the drop of a hat.  This factor is probably responsible for more lost “B” prospects than any other: A coach is having great conversations with a recruit, doesn’t move the recruiting process forward, and is surprised when that recruit suddenly commits to another program.  This fact is a two edged sword: On the one hand, you need to be on the look-out to protect your standing with that recruit, but it also gives you a chance to come in late with “B” prospects that other coaches aren’t effectively shepherding through the process.  Whatever the case, you need to make sure that you take into account this big factor in the personalities of these “B” recruits.

Great college recruiters look at their entire recruiting plan, and make sure they are managing their entire prospect list from start to finish.  While your “A” list recruits are without a doubt must-have incoming athletes that will make you or break you, a healthy foundation of those “B” recruits will probably determine your long term success as a coach.  Your “B” prospects are greater in numbers, and usually include the difference makers that you need to enjoy long-term success.

Mapping out an effective recruiting plan isn’t easy.  It’s even harder if you don’t have the research and team of experts in your corner helping to guide you through the process behind the scenes.  Want help with your next recruiting class?  Get in touch with Dan Tudor directly at dan@dantudor.com and ask him to tell you how we work one-on-one with college programs around the country.

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!

Achieving Your Coaching and Recruiting Goals in the New YearMonday, January 23rd, 2012

by Mandy Green, University of South Dakota

The idea is a good one:

Set personal goals for the New Year, and then carry them out.  That’s a great idea for coaches, as well.

The problem I find is that coaches are so busy, going in so many directions, and pressed by “more important” matters that they don’t get around to serious goal setting.  But it’s important, and it can result in better performance for you as a college coach and recruiter.

Go back and take a look at the New Year’s Resolutions that you set just a few weeks ago for 2012.  Are you still working on them?  Or have you already gone back to your old ways of doing things and decided that you will try again next year?

Hopefully you are still working on accomplishing your goals for this year.  If not, I hate to say it but you are not the only coach out there who failed to keepyour resolutions.

A big reason so many New Year’s Resolutions fail within the first week is that the focus is on the “what” instead of the “why” and the “how.”

The first question to ask yourself when making New Year’s Resolutions is “why” am I making these goals in the first place?  The second question to ask yourself is “how” am I going to make this resolution a reality?

For example, if your resolution is to “mange my time better in the office so I can spend more time with my family,” maybe you should look to the root cause of the problem:

• I get into the office late
• I spend too much time emailing
• I get distracted easily
• I spend too much time gossiping with fellow coaches
• I’m not organized
• I have too many things to get done
• I get interrupted a lot during the day

Once you have identified the “why” for each resolution, create specific personal resolves for behavior change from there.
Here are a few specific resolves:

• I will get into the office 1 hour before the rest of the staff arrives
• I will only check my email twice a day
• I will create a personal, team, and recruiting plan
• I will make to-do lists to make sure the important things are getting done

Here’s a helpful exercise if you’re serious about achieving your goals for 2012:

1. For each goal you created for this upcoming season or year, make a list of the “why’s.”  What is the real reason you want to achieve this goal?

2. Come up with specific behavioral changes you are willing to make in order to make each resolution a reality.

3.  Commit an hour a day to spend on working on your goal and get to work.

When it comes to the goals you are trying to accomplish this year, I recommend keeping it simple.  Make sure your goals are attainable.  And, most of all, write them down.  Goals that are written down and placed where you can see them on a regular basis will get achieved.

Goal setting is the easy part. Committing to spending time each day working on your goals is tough for coaches because there are so many things to get done.

Goals are important for your personal and professional development.  Take them seriously as we head into the new year.

Mandy Green is the author of a soon to be released organizational book and calendar specifically designed for college recruiters.  She will also be speaking at the National Collegiate Recruiting Conference this Summer.  Click here for more information on being a part of this informative weekend of cutting-edge recruiting techniques!

Three Ways to Make Sure You’re a More Organized CoachMonday, December 19th, 2011

Coach, I’m sure you understand the frustration that comes with leaving the office and not feeling like you got the right things done.

Getting done all of the things we have to do as a coach is tough enough.  I know, because I am a D1 college soccer coach.  Now that I am married and have children, all the extra time I had to hang out in the office getting work done, make phone calls, talking with fellow coaches, recruit on the weekends from morning to night, is now not an option like it was when I was single.

For me, especially once my son was born, I realized that I needed to get the same amount of work done in half the time so I could spend more time at home.  I needed a plan.

I did some research and found three time management tools and techniques that I have put to use in an effort to increase my productivity, get more organized, and to regain my sanity.  I found that each of them takes a little time to learn and master, but trust me, it will pay you back in greater efficiency and effectiveness!

1.  Use a time planner. I think most coaches use a planner already.  But if you are anything like me, I had a notebook for my practices, my daily calendar where I put my to-do lists, a separate notebook with my goals, and then scattered on the 3 different computers and all of my zip discs were all of my recruiting plans and notes.   I needed to create a time planning system that would enable me to plan for the year, the month, the week, and for each day all in one that contained everything I needed to organize my coaching responsibilities and personal life. Since no planner exist that had everything that I needed, I created one.  This planner allows me to set and keep track of my goals, organize my recruiting, keep track of what I am doing with my team, etc.  Whatever time planner you use, make sure you are able to capture every task, goal, or required action as it comes up.

2.  Always work from a list. Working from a list has been one of the most powerful tools for me in becoming more productive with my time.  When you create your daily list, you begin by writing down every single task that you intend to complete over the course of the day.  I figured out that what I needed to do in a typical day fell into one of four categories: team, recruiting, administrative, and personal.  I organize and prioritize each task based on what category it falls in and then that list becomes a map that guides me from morning to evening in a very effective and efficient way.  At the end of the day, I take 10 minutes before I leave the office to make my to-do list for the next day and then review it again before I go to bed.  It is amazing how much more focused I am and how much more I get done when I have a plan of attack already set before I get into the office.

3.  Time block your day. Once you have your to-do list and have organized them based on importance or priority, block off a section of your day where you focus on only one thing at a time.  For example, I have the most energy and get the fewest interruptions first thing in the morning.  For me, recruiting is the task that I feel is most important in building my program into what I want it to be so I schedule it first.  From 8-9am every morning, I shut my door and all I do is recruiting tasks: I send and return emails, plan recruiting trips, plan my next month’s recruiting messages, meet with my staff to discuss who we are going to make calls to, etc.  I don’t answer my phone, I don’t return any new emails that have come in.  All I do is focus on recruiting for that hour.

Just by doing these three things, I am amazed at how much more I get done and that I even have time left over in the day before I head home.  I love the peace of mind and feeling of control that I get knowing that I am scheduling my day based on my program goals and getting it all done before I leave.

Mandy Green is the author of a soon-to-be-released productivity guide and calendar especially designed for college coaches.  Look for more details soon!  You can find more articles on organization and planning your coaching and recruiting life here.

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!

The Value of Being First in RecruitingSunday, November 6th, 2011

Will Ferrell’s character Ricky Bobby said it best in the movie “Talladega Nights”:

“If you ain’t first, you’re last.”

O.K., so maybe we won’t go to that ridiculous extreme.  However, when it comes to recruiting, we’re finding that being first is a huge advantage for the college coaches who can manage to be the initial contact for a prospective athlete.  Especially if you’re a coach who is still at the game as a prospect’s final two or three choices.

Here’s why:

Most of today’s recruits, for some reason, have a strong allegiance to the first program that recruits them.  Big or small, winning or losing, close to home or far away from home, it doesn’t matter…recruits have strong feelings for the first coach and program that they have contact with.

We know this because when we conduct research and focus groups on campuses around the country, the vast majority of current college student-athletes talk about making their decision and describe having a strong allegiance to the program that they first heard from, even if it isn’t a program that would be a good choice on paper.  In other words, some of the critical filters that a prospect might judge another program through don’t apply to that first program that shows serious interest.

Their comments on why this is true range from the serious to the just plain odd.  Here’s a sample from comments we’ve heard in just the past few months:

  • “I just figured that I the first school that recruited me meant more to me than the others.”
  • “As I thought about it, I guess I realized that because they saw me first and contacted first, they should be my first choice.”
  • “My parents said to choose the program that I thought wanted me the most, and so I went with the one who was talking to me the longest and was most persistent.”
  • “At first it wasn’t really important to me that ____ was the first school that recruited me.  But at the end, I came back to them because they were first and I realized that I was comparing everyone else to the them anyway.  So I decided it made sense to come here.”
  • “I was really confused at the end, and started stressing out.  So I just figured the coach that talked to me first probably believed in me first, and so I ended up committing to her program.  And it’s been great!”

There are a couple of serious points that I’ve settled on over the years when it comes to the whole idea of being a coach who is first to contact an athlete.  Here’s why I see this being a strategy that’s worth considering if you’re a coach who wants to put this “tie-breaker” in your favor when it comes to decision time:

Being first is better than being last. This comes from the question I get a lot when we first start working with coaches one-on-one in a client relationship:  “Should we jump in early, or wait until later on and hope they don’t like their initial choices?”  Easy answer.  Be first.  By a nearly 4 to 1 margin, we’re finding that athletes trend towards programs who recruit them earlier rather than later.

Consistency matters over the long run. It’s true all of the time with this generation of recruits, but it’s especially important if you want to maintain the advantage of being first.  Don’t let-up when it comes to the emails, letters and phone calls.  Consistency is something that always wins, and it really underscores the standing you have as the first program to recruit them.

One thing they don’t want early?  Pressure. Show excitement early, but avoid talk about a deadline for making a decision or any kind of early pressure to visit campus.  Take your time – which you should have the luxury of doing since you are starting early!  If you wait until later to recruit a prospect (unavoidable at times, I realize) then you may need to put more pressure on them simply because of deadlines you are facing.  But just understand that pressure at the start isn’t a great way to win the majority of recruits.

The other person who really values the first program?  Your prospect’s coach. Interesting, but true.  We find that coaches have a strong allegiance to the first program to reach out to their athlete, especially if it’s a program that isn’t a traditional power or that hasn’t had a lot of coaches contact their recruits.  So, along with your prospect, make sure your recruiting plan has a focus of reaching out and selling your recruit’s coach on your program.

With recruiting calendars continuing to get pushed back earlier and earlier, you have the opportunity to implement this strategy really easily.  For some of you that are Division I and II coaches, this is going to become the new standard for successful programs.  Make sure you are always on the front end of the recruiting timeline with your prospects.

If you are a Division III coach, I’d encourage you to start actively recruiting Juniors who are on your list at this point.  Not enough Division III coaches are recruiting Juniors, so those of you who start now will find yourself having a big advantage while your competition remains stuck in following an older-style recruiting timeline.

And, if you’re a NAIA program, the rules really allow you to contact athletes earlier than anyone else.  And, you can use more communication methods to recruit earlier.  Are you taking advantage of it?

Whatever your situation, there is a lot of value in being first in recruiting.  Make sure you are the one that wins that early battle.

There are outstanding ideas we have for you on video from the 2010 and 2011 National Collegiate Recruiting Conferences!  If you want insider secrets on ways to recruit more effectively from fellow coaches and respected national experts, make them part of your coaching library.  Click here for all the details.

One Stupid Thing College Coaches Do To Depress Their New ProspectsTuesday, November 1st, 2011

Yes, it’s stupid.

The good news?  It’s easy to fix.

Actually, the fact that it’s so ”easy” is what makes it so stupid, in my opinion.

I’m talking about your new prospects who do what you want them to do by going online, finding your program’s web page, hunting down the recruiting questionnaire link, taking the time to fill out the form, and then click “Submit”.

Many coaches’ reaction to that effort?

Nothing.

No immediate response.  No courtesy email.  No follow-up phone call or letter.  Nothing.

This is starting to come to light through some of our recent focus groups with client athletes on college campuses around the country. What we’re hearing is that at the start of the recruiting process, coaches are dropping the ball by not immediately replying back to those new prospects who take the time to fill out the form that you’ve provided on your website.

As they explain it, they are disappointed because they are excited to have made a psychological commitment to filling out the form and “choosing” the college in a small way.  Filling out an online form, which is probably an afterthought for most adults, is a huge choice for a teenage prospect.  They don’t fill out forms for fun; it’s a sign of interest.  It’s a vote in your favor.  It’s a choice they are making.

Coaches, on the other hand, don’t usually show the same enthusiasm in response to that allegiance.  On average, it takes college coaches anywhere from two weeks to five month to respond to Junior or Senior athlete inquiries to their programs.

And that’s where we wander into “stupid” territory, Coach…

By not sending some kind of response to your new potential recruit, you run the risk of having them assume you aren’t interested.  And why shouldn’t they?  Have you tried filling out the form on your website?  It takes quite a bit of time, according to your prospects.  Anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the sport and the information you are asking them to submit.

So what’s the fix for correcting this stupid oversight, and prevent your prospects from feeling down and depressed about not getting a response?  As is usually the case, the answer is simple:

Respond.

  • A good solution:  Include an auto-responder tied to your online web form that they’re filling out.  This is the simplest, but least personal, reply that you can use because it’s automated.  There is no required interaction on your part.  That makes it easy, and also makes it inexcusable not to use.
  • A better solution:  Send a quick personal email to them anytime you get a new inquiry or submission.  Nothing fancy, but something that tells the athlete that they didn’t just get an automatic reply message.  Let them know that you saw their information, and you’ll be talking to them further.  “Hey Chris, just got your information that you sent us in our online recruiting form.  I’ll be looking it over and will start telling you about what we’re all about here.  Thanks again…talk to you soon!  – Coach Johnson”  That’s a 20 second investment of your time.  The pay-off is huge.
  • The best solution:  In the message above, add two things that you liked about their information that they just gave you.  An award they won, a time or mark that they’ve achieved, their grade point average…something that tells them that you actually took a minute to evaluate them, and something that positively identifies some areas where there might be interest on your part.  That’s an additional two minute investment on your part, but it will pay big dividends.

So, if you’re a coach that is reading this and you feel like you aren’t taking the right steps towards kicking-off your relationship with these new prospects in the best way possible, here’s a good first step for you:  Take the list of prospects that have filled out your online form and create a personal reply to them immediately.  Apologize for the time it’s taken to get back to them, and let them know that you’re reviewing their information and will be in touch soon.  Then, plug them in to your regular series of recruiting messages that you hopefully have put in place.

Simple as that.

This is a small detail, but an important one for your prospects.  When they click “Submit” and send you the information that you say you want from them, the clock is ticking…and they are waiting.  What is your response – or lack of response – communicating to them?

Are you looking to get more in-depth knowledge about recruiting, what today’s prospects look for, and how to communicate more effectively with recruits?  Join your fellow coaches from around the country at the upcoming National Collegiate Recruiting Conference.  Get all the details here, and consider investing some time this Summer to improve the most important part of your coaching career:  Knowing how to recruit effectively!

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