by Dan Christensen, Tudor Collegiate Strategies
At this point in the year, many of your recruits have taken most, if not all, of the steps needed to make a decision. Especially if they are a prospect about to graduate high school.
They have probably visited at least once, filled out an application, and received a financial package. Or at least have done a couple of those things. But yet, you’re still very unsure of where they are at in their decision process.
How can you continue to move along those uncommitted recruits that seem to just be stuck or delaying a decision? Here are two questions you can ask that will help generate some engagement and help you as the coach figure out how to better communicate with that prospect going forward:
1) If you had to decide right now, what would be some reasons you would NOT choose us?
“But Dan, that is going to make them think about the negatives of our school!”
Yes, but those negatives are exactly what you need to help them work through. If they thought you were perfect, they would have committed.
They have some things in mind that are holding them back and if you don’t know what they are, those aspects of your school or program will continue to hold them back.
2) Are you feeling like you are ready to verbally commit?
If this prospect you have in mind has never been asked by you for a commitment, it could be exactly what they are waiting for. In our research at Tudor Collegiate Strategies, recruits believe the last step in the process is the coach asking for a commitment. If you’re ready to hear them say yes and you haven’t done that step, it could be you that is holding them back. So ask!
What will happen is they will commit or be honest and say they are no longer considering you but just didn’t know when to tell you. Or, they will say they’re not ready to commit yet, because…
That “because” is super important because that is what you need to know to turn that answer to a yes. Listen and hear what their concerns still are and what they are trying to figure out because that is gold for you as a recruiter. Use that info to guide your communication going forward.
Dan Christensen is part of the team at Tudor Collegiate Strategies tasked with serving coaches, helping to design recruiting strategies for programs, and give expert advice to programs who want to engage in next-level recruiting. Much of that work happens when a coaching staff becomes a client, and to find out if that might be right for you and your program, click here.