Here’s the shocking truth about the letters and emails you’re writing:
They might be missing their most effective ending.
That ending?
Your “P.S.”
Adding a P.S. statement after your main text is one of the most effective selling techniques any coach, at any level, can start implementing as a part of their recruiting campaigns. For our clients, we try to incorporate a “P.S.” into their message on a regular basis. The reason is simple: It works.
Why does it work? There’s actually some science behind the explanation.
We’re naturally “wired” to remember the last thing we read. Whatever the message, we stand a much better chance of recalling the last part of what we were told. Whether its a fictional story, a sales letter that you get in the mail, or a recruiting email read by your prospect, in each instance the thing we say last is remembered the most.
So, if you’re looking to add some punch to your recruiting messages, here are the general rules you’ll want to follow:
- Hint at what could be lost. “Fear of loss” is a powerful emotion. Nobody want’s to lose something that could be their’s for the taking. Your prospects, and their parents, are no different. Hinting at a potential loss of attention, a future roster spot, or an invitation to visit campus can be a powerful motivator when it comes to responding to you.
- Lay out what they might gain. An even stronger motivator is explaining, in a detailed “P.S.”, what the result of your desired action will be. Give them one or two things that they will gain personally from responding to you as you’ve instructed.
- Add some urgency. That could come in the form of a soft deadline of some kind, or at least a date that they need to respond to you by. I am a huge believer in giving recruits direction when it comes to their response to you, and adding urgency is a proven way to do that.
- Make it short and to the point. No more than two sentences, three short ones at the most. But since it’s the last thing they’ll see – and remember – in your message, make it memorable!
- Make it say “oh by the way”. Write it in a very conversational, oops-I-almost-forgot-to-tell-you way. In fact, if you aren’t sending out very many, one of my favorite recommendations to the coaches we work with is a handwritten P.S. statement. Talk about getting their attention in a memorable way! Keep in mind, however, that doing this will draw their eyes immediately down to the bottom of your message. So make sure it refers to something that you said earlier in your letter or email so that they’ll go back and re-read what they just skipped.
For those of you who have read our two popular recruiting guides for more advanced college recruiters, you’ll remember that you learned all about the motivations behind why today’s recruit choose to either ignore or respond to particular messages. Use that inside knowledge of how prospects’ minds tick when you’re putting together that last memorable P.S. statement.
Think about the idea of the last thing we read being the thing we most remember: Now ask yourself, “What are my recruits thinking as they finish reading my email or letter?”
Ready to have the staff at Tudor Collegiate Strategies come to your campus to work with your coaches? Let us apply our unique approach and cutting-edge research to your specific situation on your campus…click here.