by Dan Christensen, Tudor Collegiate Strategies
It is absolutely fine to repeat yourself to recruits.
Actually, it is not just acceptable but critical when it comes to making your recruiting story effective.
If you have done a good job, there are probably many things you have talked about with your recruit. Especially over those first few weeks and months that you started recruiting them.
But, eventually most coaches face that point of finding it difficult to know what else to talk about. I hear all the time, “I have run out of things to say.”
That can be a very dangerous place to be. When there is nothing to say, you either proceed to “check in” with your recruits over and over again. Which they say gets old fast.
Or you give them space to consider their decision. Which to them indicates a lack of interest and could be a sign for them that your school is not the one.
One of the best responses to this scenario is to be repetitive. Here are two reasons why:
1) Confirm your brand
Think about some of your favorite brands and the reputation they have. What makes them unique and why do you like them? It is not too hard to answer these questions.
The reason it is not hard to answer those questions is not because you heard something once about the brand and it just became ingrained in your mind. It is because you have interacted with these brands on many occasions. You have heard commercials, you have seen billboards, you have been a first-hand consumer of these brands, or have heard stories about their products.
The story that these brands tell involves repetition. You need to do the same, Coach.
Whatever you and your school are known for, needs to become ingrained in your recruit’s mind. And that will be done by you explaining who you are and why your recruit should choose you through your emails, your social media accounts, your conversations with the prospect and their family, and the recruit’s interactions with your team.
Do you think they already know who you are? That is ok. Keep reminding them. Most people know who Nike, Apple, and Coca-Cola are but that doesn’t stop them from repeating their message.
2) Bring what is important to the forefront of your recruit’s mind
When coaches run into this scenario where they feel they have run out of things to say, is often when recruits are making big decisions. They might be in the process of narrowing down their choices or actually making their final decision.
What we want during this time is for the recruit to be considering the most important reasons why they should choose you.
Do you think they already know enough about how great your location is or the benefits of being a smaller school? Maybe, but is that what they are thinking about right now as they decide whether or not to keep you on their list?
Don’t wonder. Continue to give them reasons why they should choose you so you know what they are thinking about in this moment. Even if you have said it before. It may be the reminder they need to keep you on the list!
Creating the right repetition in your recruiting message is vital. Need help with developing that right approach and message? Click here to find out how coaches from all over the country use a team of experts to help them do that, week in and week out.