Tudor Collegiate Strategies

Where college coaches come to dominate their recruiting competition.

First Contact ·

Making Your Contact Count With New Recruits

Whether you’ve already launched your recruiting campaign with a new group of recruits, or are feverishly getting ready for that all-important first contact, the start of the communication process with a new prospect can be a make-or-break proposition for college coaches.

Because so many coaches have been accessing our library of articles, and reaching out to ask questions about the right way to begin talking to new recruits, we wanted to create an easy-to-follow checklist for you and your staff to use as you begin the process of reaching out to your next class of student-athletes.

Adapt them to your specific needs at will, in an effort to make sure there’s something a little bit different – and special – in the way you contact your new prospects compared to your competition:

No selling.  This isn’t new advice, but just a reminder when it comes to important advice we’ve seen as critical to successful early reach-out campaigns. Prospects you reach out to for the first time aren’t interested in being “sold” on your program or school yet…in fact, you can’t realistically do that in a first email, letter, text message or phone call.  Don’t try.  So, what should you focus on?…

Tell them where you saw them, and what you liked about them.  That’s the top thing that kids want to know right away.  And when you tell them, it helps you stand out from your competition.  The “what you liked about them” is the most important: They want to understand the reason they might matter to you, giving them a reason to put you towards the top of their list.

Start with a question as early as possible.  In your contact with them, whether it’s written or spoken, should include a question about their process for making a decision. Not “what do you want in a college?”…that’s a question that gets a vanilla, untrue answer much of the time. Ask a question about:

  1. Their timeline for making a decision
  2. Who is helping them make their decision
  3. Why are they looking at the type of schools they’ve put at the top of their list
  4. Things they know they don’t want in a college program
  5. What do they want to see happen first in the process of getting to know you
Immediate follow-up with your prospect. One huge impact point we’ve measured is intelligent follow-up with your recruit after your first contact.  Let me define that further: Mediocre follow-up would sounds something like, “It was great talking to you the other day, and look forward to telling you all about our program…”  Effective, difference-making follow-up contact might include phrasing like, “When you told me about x the other day when we talked, another question immediately popped into my mind…”  Make your follow-up a continuation of your last conversation.
First contact should be with mom and/or dad, as well. Separate, unique contact with a parent is vital.  The same things count with them as do with their sons and daughters, and frankly, they are looking for some love and attention as well. In a first contact, make sure you talk with the adult(s) in the room. And, include them in the follow-up we just mentioned.
Your message, if written, should be short. No written message over three short (three or four sentences each) paragraphs, no phone call over ten minutes.  Especially with phone calls, remember: You want them to want to talk to you the next time you call, and have something to talk about.  Leave them wanting more, Coach.  Don’t spend an hour and a half on the phone with them trying to sell them on your program isn’t only ineffective, it sears the idea in the prospect’s mind that your next phone call is going to be just as long, just as “sales heavy”, and just as potentially boring. Keep it short, leave them wanting more.
 
If your contact is coming after other coaches contact, ask this important question: “So what have you heard so far from other coaches you’ve talked to?”  Or, “What’s been the thing they’ve been trying to sell you on?”  You want their information, for sure; but you also want to define all previous calls and contacts as boring and hard selling. Then, if you follow the earlier recommendations, you’ll stand out as the coach who is different and – hopefully – a breath of fresh air.
 
The other important question to ask at the end of written or spoken communication: “What do you want to see us talk about or do next?” You want a clear path to what matters to them, and how to do it.
Being different is essential in standing-out with your prospect when you first contact them, Coach. Adapt some of these suggestions to fit your style, and watch your results improve dramatically as you begin your new communication with recruits.
Want a team of trusted experts working with you and your staff this year as you assemble your next recruiting class? Effective recruiting is more challenging than ever, but it doesn’t have to be. Click here to read how hundreds of college coaches partner with Dan Tudor and our team at Tudor Collegiate Strategies to help.