I make the point in each On-Campus Workshop that we lead for athletic departments that the entire goal of all of the letters and e-mails a coach writes to a prospect is to get them in front of you for a personal visit.

Whether it's on your campus, or in their home, a personal visit is number one on your prospect's list for determining if your program is the right one for them.  Our national study rates the face-to-face communication you have with a prospect will determine what kind of chances you have at signing them to play at your school.

So, once you get in front of them, what's next?

What do you need to do to prepare for the visit, and make sure that its successful in leading to the athlete committing to your school?

Here's a list of seven things you need to make sure you have as you head to your face-to-face meeting with the prospect you really want to sign:

1. Print out their personal and athletic information that you can impact. Type their name into a Google search and see what comes up (you might be surprised!).  Get all of his or her information in one place - what you've printed from the web, the questionnaire that they filled-out, his transcript...everything.  Go in prepared with everything you can find on them.  These are the pages that frame your ideas for how your your program are best for your prospect.  Use this info to create an individual approach for each prospect. 

2. Be prepared to find out, and talk to, the real decision makers. Just because you're talking to the prospect doesn't mean you are talking to the primary decision maker.  Are you a Division III coach?  I can guarantee you that in most cases, the parents are heavily involved in making the final decision (after all, they are paying for it!).  Are you a Division I coach?  Guess what: The parents are heavily involved in that decision, too.  It might be their dream to have all those travel teams and club practices pay off with a big D1 scholarship.  My point is this: Make sure you get a personal meeting with EVERY decision maker involved.

3. Come up with at least five questions that you don't understand about your prospect.  Be curious, and show them that you're really interested in digging in to what makes them tick.  For example, you might ask "What kind of schedule do you have to keep focused on to earn a 4.2 grade point average?"  Or, "How in the world did you shave five seconds off of your time in just a few months?"  Be amazed in front of them, and make it all about them. This will give you an opportunity to create meaningful dialog with the prospect. This will give you conversation ideas and questions that relate directly to the prospect.

4. Have three killer questions you are CERTAIN your competition is not asking. This will create "buyer engagement" and respect.  Good questions are key to connecting with your prospect and setting you a part of every other coach that is recruiting them. 

5. Have two ideas that the prospect will benefit from. Something that they'll get that's meaningful for them by signing with your program.  If you bring an idea to your meeting, it shows you’ve prepared, and it shows you have genuine interest in helping them.

6. Bring your laptop computer with wireless Internet capability. This gives you the ability to access any information you need in seconds.  Sounds basic, I know, but a laptop computer should be part of your aresenal for any visit.  "But my school doesn't provide me with a free laptop, Dan."  Then plan on purchasing your own.  This is your coaching and recruiting career, and it's your responsibility to give yourself the tools you need to be successful.  If you don't have one already, get a laptop and start using it to help you be a dominant recruiter.

7. Have written or video testimonials to support EVERY claim you make about your program.  Keep those testimonials handy on your laptop, and on a separate DVD if possible. This will enable you to show and PROVE, not just show and tell. And it will enable you to leave a copy of your testimonials with your prospect.  Having other people back-up your claims in their own words.  It's powerful, Coach.

Can I wrap-up this list by telling you what your overall goal should be for a personal visit with your prospect?  Here it is, Coach:  Show them the value in your program, not the sales pitch. Be prepared to show the recruit how they gain and succeed from signing with your school.

For our Premium Members, I'm going to expand on this list later in the week.  But for right now, focus on the goal of the visit: Connecting with your prospect, showing them the value in what your program has to offer, and demonstrating how you will help them achieve their goals at the college level as their coach.