by Dan Christensen, Tudor Collegiate Strategies
It is that time of year. Everyone starts thinking about the resolutions they want to make for 2022.
The reality is most people don’t end up fulfilling their resolutions. Whether it is to lose weight, earn more money, or read more books, resolutions are hard.
Accountability partners help. Someone that can help keep you on track and support you in your journey to bettering yourself.
If you’re a TCS client, your rep is happy to help keep you accountable with any coaching or recruiting resolutions you choose to make. But if not, that accountability partner could be a fellow coach that you work with.
As for the resolutions you should be making when it comes to your recruiting, here are two that almost every coach can, and should make for 2022.
1) Write more letters
Your recruits love getting letters. Your recruits’ parents love getting letters. Write more letters.
A letter can be a super powerful tool in your recruiting message.
When a prospect gets a letter, they feel special. Can they get excited when a coach texts them or emails them? Sure. But, a letter is different.
Letters take time to put together and send out. Much more than a text or email. And your recruits know that. They appreciate the time and energy you put into that letter.
The parents of your prospects get very few, if any, letters from college coaches directed specifically to them.
We know that the parents have a big influence on your recruit’s decision. Make them feel special and that will affect their influence.
Do letters take more time? Yes. Do they maybe cost a little more out of your budget? Probably.
That is why they work. They’re not the easiest method of communication. But, good things don’t come easy. And that is why it needs to be a resolution of yours.
2) Talk to more parents
If my tip to write the parents letters threw you off because you don’t communicate with your recruit’s parents much, then this absolutely should be a resolution for you.
We consistently see communication with parents as a weak point in the recruiting strategy that coaches implement.
These people have so much influence on where their son or daughter ends up going to school, yet many coaches don’t engage them in the recruiting process.
You might not see their influence clearly during the recruiting process, but you need to understand there is a lot going on at home and throughout your prospect’s decision-making journey. And the parents have influence sprinkled (or poured) into each part of this process.
From your recruit’s initial research into colleges, to their campus visits, to their final decision, mom and dad, or some kind of parental figure play a role in guiding the direction a recruit takes.
Start early and be consistent in your approach to developing relationships with the parents of your prospects. If you do this more in 2022, you’ll see better recruiting results.
Want some support in making New Year’s recruiting resolutions and following them through in 2022? Dan Christensen and the rest of the staff at TCS can help! Email Dan at danchristensen@dantudor.com to set up a strategy call to see how we can help you next year.