"Keep it simple, stupid."

When we work with college coaches advising them on overhauling their recruiting campaigns, that's the advice we give when it comes to creating winning recruiting messages. A new study backs the wisdom of that advice.

Long words used needlessly (like in our headline!) along with complicated font styles -- two tactics employed routinely by coaches who are desperate to get the attention of increasingly jaded prospects -- are perceived as coming from less intelligent writers.

Here's another way to put it: Short words and classic fonts make you look smart to your prospects.

Daniel Oppenheimer at Princeton University conducted five experiments manipulating the complexity of vocabulary or font style. Samples included graduate school applications, and sociology dissertation abstracts.

Times New Roman, the default font for Internet text and writing programs like Microsoft Word, was contrasted by the italicized Juice font (the sort of font you might see in a "fun" recruiting letter that I've seen some coaches do).

The simple writing done in the easy-to-read font tended to be rated as coming from a more intelligent writer than the more complex drafts.

"Anything that makes a text hard to read and understand, such as unnecessarily long words or complicated fonts, will lower readers' evaluations of the text and its author," Oppenheimer said.

He added, though, that the study does not suggest long words are inherently bad, but only that using them needlessly is a problem. So why do so many college recruiters do it?

"The continuing popularity amongst students we surveyed of using big words and attractive font styles may be due to the fact that they may not realize these techniques could backfire," Oppenheimer said. "One thing seems certain: Write as simply and plainly as possible and it's more likely you'll be thought of as intelligent."

Let me give you two examples of phrases that I think could be simplified using Oppenheimer's study findings.  These are two commone phrases I've seen in recruiting letters that coaches have asked us to review for them:

• "You have been identified as an outstanding student-athlete prospect, and we would like you to consider our program after you complete your high school career."  That's the long version that this new study says won't work as well as a shorter, simpler version.  What if you changed it to something like, "Wow, did you do great at that tournament last weekend!  We were there, and I think we need to talk.  You'd be perfect here at State University."  Sound better?  Here's another one...
• "If you are interested in hearing more about the opportunities we have for you here at State University, please feel free to contact me with any questions."  That's way to wordy, and way to passive.  Maybe you should try, "Here's the next step: We need to talk right away.  Reply back to my email and let me know when you could give me a call next Wednesday or Thursday."  It's simpler, and more direct (and not passive at all!) 

Shorter, simpler words in your recruiting messages works best.

Enough said.

We're booking our Winter and Spring On-Campus Workshop schedules.  Want us to come to your campus for two days of learning, analysis and customized strategy development?  Email Dan at dan@sellingforcoaches.com.  We can lead workshops for an entire athletic department, or a single coaching staff.  For more information on what we do, click here.