by Greg Carroll, Tudor Collegiate Strategies
I’ve been going to the same auto mechanic for probably 20 years. I go to him because over the course of time he’s earned my trust by being honest about what I needed to do to my vehicles as well as what I didn’t. (The same thing is true for good recruiting!)
The other day he was telling me how much harder it is to work on cars now than it was even 10 years ago. “Everything is different now,” he said. “And every year I have to buy new tools because the auto manufacturers changed this or that system. I’m constantly adding to my toolbox.”
Probably more so than ever before, the past year has forced coaching staffs to add more tools to their toolbox. Since last March we’ve taught/coached a lot about virtual recruiting. If you’re looking for tips, go to the blog at Tudor Collegiate Strategies and search “virtual recruiting”. Being good on Zoom, Google Meet, or some other platform you have had to learn will remain essential. We’re encouraging coaches to continue to refine their presentation skills, get REALLY comfortable with screen sharing, drawing others (alumni, faculty, AD’s, etc. into your sessions), and becoming a good performer as well as a coach. These sessions aren’t phone calls – you’re on the “big screen” so you need to act as such.
Skill in the virtual environment is just one of the essentials you need moving forward as a great recruiter. Your recruits want you to be that generalist who can work on Chevys’ Fords, Hondas and Kias! It’s likely that you were the first person who introduced your school to your recruit and their family. That in itself put you in the position of trust. They will still trust your admissions staff, your financial aid office or others. But they won’t trust them as much as they do you. You are the single most impactful voice for them about your school on all topics. This is undeniable.
If you want to be a great recruiter you may need to leave the cozy confines of the athletic center and get coached up by those who work in career development, residence life, financial aid, health and counseling, and academic support just to name a few.
Here’s the deal. It’s going to continue to be a challenge for most programs to get recruits on campus visits, let alone overnights. Our research at TCS has consistently told us more than 60% of the time a prospect is on campus they need to be engaged with you and your team because that’s what builds the emotional tie to you and your program. If that doesn’t happen as it has in the past what are you filling that space with?
If you’re not filling that “feeling” void with something, know that those you are recruiting against have a plan and will be getting the commitment rather than you. We know how impactful testimonials are. When your athletes share a personal experience with a recruit – that resonates deeply. The same is true when others from all the different campus areas share their stories with you. In turn, you share those stories with your recruits and families.
You can also cover the “feeling” void by offering your recruits and their families practical reasons why they should choose you. It may be your proximity to home (or even other family members like grandparents, brothers, sisters, etc.), your internship and placement program in the degree they like, or the opportunities your school offers for them to pursue other interests (music, service, faith opportunities, etc.) You will definitely be able to build a stronger, more detailed case by involving others from campus on those and other topics.
We promote consistent messaging daily at Tudor Collegiate Strategies. Recognizing campus visit experiences (no access to dorms, classes, academic offices, etc.) will be compromised, your message strategy has never been more important. This is not the time to retreat from what we know works (every 6-9 days across a variety of platforms including calls, texts, emails, letters, and social media). The coach most likely to get the recruit you want is going to be doing those things.
Another tool for your recruiting toolbox should be your commitment to studying the landscape of recruiting and higher education enrollment trends in general. For example, a January 2021 article in University Business titled “How Three Colleges Are Preparing For A Demographic Pothole” talked about how out of state enrollments are trending down due to Covid. That kind of information could be critical as you plan your recruiting strategy for the coming year.
High school graduation rates are flat across the country presently and will go into a continual decline from 2025 through 2037 according to recent studies. It will progressively get more and more difficult for coaches to get the commitments they want if they are not keeping up with the tools necessary to stay in the game. The old “universal gym” that was the prized possession back when I was in high school won’t do any more. Stay in the game by reinventing your toolbox and your recruiting skills.
Our clients have unlimited access to all the trends and insights coming our way through the feedback we get regularly from the best data source of all – the more than 6,000 recruited student-athletes we survey each year! The more informed the entire coaching staff is about the recruiting landscape the better. TCS’s offers a plethora of skill building opportunities through Tudor University, our Honey Badger Recruiter messages, as well as articles, webinars, conferences and opportunities to talk with our staff for free. Contact us at dan@dantudor.com to see how our resources may work for you and your program the way it has for hundreds of programs around the county for decades.