by Bryan Mathews, Tudor Collegiate Strategies
By Bryan Mathews
Coaches, life during the pandemic can be… dare I say… monotonous. To no fault of our own, but be sure to counter it with what you can control. Your phone calls to recruits.
How are you doing? Surviving this pandemic? What’s your GPA? How was this past season? Are you able to workout at all at home? “How ’bout that ride in?” Blah. Blah. Blah.
Don’t make your program seem blah.
Let’s look at some strong ways to put your best foot forward nowadays.
Keep it short and concise – do we all have more flexible time on our hands? Probably. Could we afford to spend more time talking/listening? Sure. Have our attention spans grown? Meh. However, we don’t want to monopolize a prospect’s time. Get a good conversation in, get to the point, then leave them wanting more. In fact, they’ll likely enjoy it and see it as a sign of respect if you mention “is this a good time to talk?” or “I don’t want to take up too much of your time right now.”
Give Them the Mic – Don’t vomit questions at them. Get your answers another way and follow up with a question. Use phrases such as “Tell me more about…” “Fill me in on…” “Would you mind explaining to me…” You’ll be amazed at what they tell you, what’s important to them, how much they say, and how valuable your listening skills can be! The more they talk, the more connected they feel to you!
Make it FUN – Just because it is your multiple call of the day, doesn’t mean it is theirs. Bring the FUN vibe! Give them a fun fact about yourself that they can remember you by. Mention a quirky thing you saw in their highlight film (was that fan really shirtless?). Ask them to share something about them that they haven’t told any other coach.
Reconnect soon – Ask them when you should reach out again to tell you more. Set something up via verbal agreement. This empowers them and gives you some organization.
Follow Up – Tell them at the end of your call that you will send them (something). Whether it be an infographic, a highlight clip, a link to academic major, or a video interview of your captain… show them that you are accountable enough and like them enough to hang up and immediately send them what you said. Talk the talk AND walk the walk. They will view this as contagious.
Be Thankful – let them know that without this pandemic… you may not have crossed passed with them as well as you have so far. Let them know that even though this isn’t ideal… it has still connected the two of you and you are thankful for that because you can see where this would be a good fit for one another in the future.
Always be adjusting, Coach. After all… isn’t that the whole idea?
Bryan Mathews is part of the consulting staff here at Tudor Collegiate Strategies working with college coaches around the country to implement smarter, more effective recruiting strategies. For more information on how that process works, click here.