You know how you want to create an exciting campus recruiting visit, with wall-to-wall fun and non-stop heart-pumping activities for your guest prospect?
Well, what if I told you there was emerging science that showed it’s actually the calm and relaxed recruit that is more likely to buy what you’re selling at your program?
It’s true.
Researchers at Columbia University did extensive marketing studies that found relaxed subjects in their experiments assigned more value (and volunteered to pay much more) for the same products that “excited” subjects were less willing to pay more for. Overall, the relaxed subjects assigned higher monetary values to the items than the control group. The researchers determined that this effect was an inflation of the value by the relaxed subjects rather than a deflation by the less-relaxed subjects.
That’s, for example, why high end car dealerships have big, comfortable leather chairs and soft music playing. And, it’s why those same dealerships get you to focus on the feeling you’ll have driving that new car, instead of closing the sale with gas mileage statistics and other features. They know that a more relaxed customer is going to be more likely to buy than an excited customer.
This matches the overwhelming comments we hear from current college athletes we interview during focus group sessions as a part of our On-Campus Workshops: They much preferred just “hanging out” with members of a prospective team instead of the highly scheduled itineraries that most prospects are subjected to by some college coaches (if that word “subjected” sounded a little too much like a prisoner being forced to do things outlawed by international accords, good…that’s what I was going for).
Not that excitement doesn’t have a place in the recruiting process, of course. Much of the time, you need to get them excited about what you have to offer before you can reassure them in a relaxing manner as they get nervous in the later stages of the recruiting process. However, there’s a time to focus on relaxation and reassurance, and a campus visit – something many of you are going to be hosting in large numbers over the next few months – is the perfect place to give your important recruits that feeling that will compel them to choose you over your competition.
So, what should you be aiming for in a more “relaxed” and calming interaction with your next recruit? Here are some ideas that we’ve seen work in the past:
- Make the planning of their visit to campus more collaborative. In other words, rather than dictating their campus visit from start to finish before they get to campus, let them be a part of the planning process. Ask them what they’d like to do, and what they wouldn’t. Let them feel like they’ve helped design the visit, which should result in them feeling a little more relaxed coming to your campus for the first time.
- Have one or two of your team write a short, non-sales note to them prior to the visit. I’d recommend an actual hand-written note versus an email or Facebook message. The more personal, the better. Let them know that there are friends waiting for them that are looking forward to the visit. That little gesture can go a long way in relaxing your recruit.
- Start the visit slowly, but with something “big” to think about. This is one of the biggest mistakes we see otherwise savvy recruiters make: They don’t paint a big picture for their visiting recruit to consider while they are on campus. An exact offer, what their plan for them is if they come to compete for that program…something “big”. Why is that part of relaxing the prospect? Your prospects, we find, are looking for more detailed specifics of why you want them, and what their role would be, if they do indeed choose your program. Giving that to them right at the start could enable them to take a deep breath, get their big question out of the way, and let them spend the rest of the visit figuring out if you’re the right fit for them or not. And the more relaxed you make it for them, the better that “right fit” feeling will come across.
- Carve out LOTS of casual time with your team. There’s a growing body of research that we’re putting together that demonstrates one of the most powerful weapons you have as a recruiter is one that you actually choose to bypass as a part of a recruit’s visit: Casual, relaxed “hang out” time with your team. Specifically, I’m talking about time that is non-structured, where your recruit and a few of the younger members of your team can just sit and talk. No coaches, no parents, no structure. Trust me, it works.
- Set a reasonable deadline for a decision. What, am I crazy??? A deadline as a part of “relaxing” a prospect? Yes. As you are ending that nice, relaxed campus visit, I’d let them know that you’ve loved having them on campus and (if they are someone you’re ready to hear a “yes” from) ask them if they’d like to commit. Most of the time, they’ll want to delay that decision. Let them know that it’s not a problem, and then give them a general date that they can take to think about your opportunity that you’ve just presented them. Ideally, two to three weeks unless they’ve already outlined future campus visits that would take them past that point (but you can make it longer, if needed). This tactic achieves two important things: One, it reassures them that you want them and that you’re offering them an opening for making that commitment. Secondly, you appear to be reasonable with the amout of time you’re giving them to consider your offer; most of the feedback we get from prospects after the fact is that a timeline like that seems “fair”. What I like about it is that it puts you in control of the process and gives them some reasonable guidelines for making a decision.
Relaxed prospects are in a better position to make a life-changing decision like this more quickly, and with more confidence.
So, as you begin hosting a new group of recruits on campus, ask yourself (and your team) this important question: “How can we re-tool our campus visit and make it a more relaxing, less hectic experience for all of our upcoming recruits?”
We’re working with our growing list of clients to help them create better (more relaxed) campus visits right now. And, we’re identifying and creating more effective recruiting message content that is resulting in more high-level recruits showing interest in their programs.
Want us to help you? Schedule a time to talk one-on-one with Dan Tudor by emailing him at dan@dantudor.com. It’s more affordable than you may think, and the results are turning heads on campuses across the country. See if it’s the right fit for you, Coach!