April Fools Day only falls on a Tuesday every seven years, so I need to take advantage of the spirit of the occasion when I can.

Today is that day.

Want to be foolish in your recruiting?  Settle in for a quick rundown on this April Fools Day and get my best tips for recruiting like a fool today as well as the other 364 days in your recruiting year:

1. Just copy the old letters sitting in your filing cabinets.  Some may call them worn-out and ineffective.  I call them "timeless yet misunderstood classics".  Go ahead and send them out again, Coach.  It's easier than creating all that time consuming new stuff that speaks to this generation of recruits, right?
2. Keep your questionnaire long, and use extra small fonts.  Some prospect wants to play for you?  Let's see if they have what it takes to gut it out and fill out that questionnaire of yours, Coach.  Let's separate the stars from the wannabees (or at least those that have extra fine-point mechanical pencils from those that don't).  If they can't find an extra 30 minutes in their day to fill out a form longer than most you will find at your local DMV office, do you really want to coach them in college?  Of course not. 
3. Call week after week whether you have something new to say or not.  Today's teen loves talking to adults on the phone.  You've probably noticed that with most of your phone calls to them, right?  It's impossible to get them to shut up...they just talk, talk, talk.  So it's important to call even if you ask the same questions week after week...I recommend topics like "so, how's it going?" or "what's the latest with your boyfriend?" or "How's your team doing?"  Kids count on repetition.  The important thing is to call...don't worry so much about what you talk about.
4. Have your seniors host your prospects when they visit campus.  Sure, Freshman are closer to your prospect's age and would relate better to them.  But do you really want to baby them?  Of course not.  Pair them up with an experienced Senior athlete on your team.  See if they can keep up when your Senior team captain takes your visiting prospect over to that frat party during their visit.  That'll leave an impression.
5. At the end of the recruiting process, cut off all contact with your prospect.  You know why, right coach?  That's right...you want to "give them their space" so they can "make the best decision for them."  And that's the right call: They love it when you don't contact them.  And, they like the challenge of figuring out what you're thinking while they choose between you and the other thirteen colleges that have contacted them.  It's a rite of passage for today's teenage student-athlete.
6. DO NOT Ask for the Sale.  Give them their space.  Keep them guessing.  Make them call you.  I mean, afterall, you're the one who's offering them the chance to play college sports and maybe even pay for their education.  Besides, you don't want to "pressure" them, right?  And what would you do if you couldn't lie awake in bed at night wondering when your prospects will call or e-mail you?  At least you weren't a "pushy salesman".  Besides, if you asked them to commit to your program, they might get the idea that you want them to play for you (and nothing's worse than a cocky teenager that thinks you can't live without them).

Oh, one more thing.  Don't attend one of our workshops for coaches, or bring in SFC for one of our On-Campus Seminars.  And whatever you do, do not become a SFC Premium Member.  All that extra training and information might make your head hurt.

Happy April Fools Day, Coach.  We'll do this again in 2014 when April 1st falls on a Tuesday.  SFC will still be here, giving you the training you need to be a better recruiter.  

The question is, will you still be making some of these foolish recruiting mistakes? 

Posted by Dan Tudor at 09:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Being nice is such a simplistic concept, isn't it?

Mom and dad always told you to be nice...play nice...act nice...talk nice.  But as adults, we sometimes forget the value of those lessons.  As adults who are also college coaches, that lesson gets forgotten over and over again with recruit after recruit.  And the results are anything but "nice".

As we continue to review some "best practices" for recruiting during the summer break, I want to focus on this very simple concept of being nice to your prospects and their families.  Specifically, three ways you can be nice...and a warning about what can happen when you aren't. 

First, remember that success in recruiting is about helping your prospects - not helping yourself! It's not about you, as I talk about in "Selling for Coaches" quite a bit.  The only reason your prospects are talking to you and listening to what you have to say is because you have something they want: A chance to play college sports, and possible scholarship money.  It's all about them and what they want and need, and you need to remember that as you have recruiting conversations with them.

Top business sales professionals put their customers first, because they know that they'll never succeed at an elite level if their objective is solely to sell stuff to other people. The top 10% know that they can only be successful if they're focused on helping other people to buy based on their needs.  For college coaches, the same concepts apply to their recruits.

For many coaches I start working with as SFC Premium Members, this represents a fundamental shift in their mindset. How do you begin this transition? Start by asking your prospect good, open-ended questions to find out what they want out of the recruiting process, and what their goals and dreams are. Then listen to their answers with NO interruptions to see if the challenge is something you can help resolve.

Top salespeople never try to sell a product to a customer without first knowing whether they can help. In fact, top performers will gladly walk away from a prospect if they don't think the product or service they have to offer will be of use. Remember: Selling isn't about telling a prospect what you think they want to hear. Selling is about starting a dialogue to uncover a prospect's problem, and then helping him solve that problem in the best way possible.  It works that way in the business world, and savvy college recruiters are making the concept work for them with their prospects.

Let's face it, many college coaches are often accused of being fast talkers. Believe me when I say, this isn't a compliment. As one seasoned coach once told one of her new assistants, “Remember, you have two ears and one mouth. Use them in that proportion!”

During any average recruiting conversation, the best recruiters only do between 20-30% of the talking. The rest of the time, they bite their tongues, and actively practice their listening skills.

One way to improve your listening skills is to simply slow down. The next time you find yourself in a conversation with a prospect, once he stops talking, try counting to 3 in your head before you start speaking (and not as quickly as you can, either; think: “1 one thousand, 2 one thousand, 3….). This will give enough time for the prospect to gather his thoughts and start again if he wasn't finished, but won't last long enough to turn into an awkward pause if he was finished and is just waiting for your response.

Just trying this one simple technique can completely change the impression you make on your clients, and have an immediate impact on your sales success.

One last thing for current SFC Premium Members (and those who become one before this Friday): There's a fascinating study that I'm going to talk about on Friday that goes along with this concept of how important being nice is.  It has to do with doctors, patients, three minutes and lawsuits.  Just trust me...you'll be able to see why it has a lot to do with the way you should be recruiting each one of your prospects!)

Posted by Dan Tudor at 10:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The world of cellular phones got a jolt this week when Apple and AT&T launched the much awaited iPhone. 

Long lines, lots of excitement, and praise for this new technological wonder that nobody can now do without (yet somehow, I'm still limping along with my antiquated regular vanilla cell phone).  Lots of excitment, that is unless you're working for Verizon, T-Mobile, or one of the other carriers that don't offer iPhones.

In fact, many of those competitive carriers are coming out with "hit lists" that their sales people can use to trash the new iPhone, and tell customers why they shouldn't buy one.  Author and marketing expert Seth Godin thinks trashing their competitor is a really bad idea, and therein lies a  big lesson for college coaches.

Godin is the author of the book "Flipping the Funnel" that we're using as a training guide for the next two weeks or so with SFC Premium Members.  Here, when it comes to the iPhone, Godin lays out the problem with the iPhone's competitors outlining its weak points to customers who are considering it for the next phone:

"I think this is bad marketing. If someone is going to switch carriers and you've done your best to denigrate their choice, you've not only lost a customer, you've also lost credibility and respect going forward. (Because your criticism of the phone is also criticism of my judgment.)

What I'd try instead? How about this:

"The iPhone will cost $500, plus a new battery next year, plus $50 a month. If you spent that money with Verizon, you could have x, y and z..."

Then I'd spend the rest of the conversation selling x, y and z. I'd talk about a superfast network and a more reliable coverage area and all the cool gimmicks and features in the phone I can buy for $350...  (Remember, before now, all you could talk about was cheap phones, not great ones. Apple raises the ceiling).

The iPhone is a gift for every cell phone marketer in the world. Why? Because it creates a problem where there was none before. Now, a cell phone is not just a phone. Now, a phone is worth spending money on. So, since Apple created that 'problem' in my mind, how are you going to solve it?"

The lesson for college coaches in all of this?  You face the same choice as Verison, T-Mobile, and the others when you're dealing with a competitor in the recruiting wars: Slam the competition, or offer comparisons between their program and yours.

Don't criticize your prospect's choice as they consider all their offers.  When you do, you're criticizing them...their judgement...their feelings.  That's not smart.

Instead, tell them what your competitor can't offer, and what you can.  Replace your prospect's interest in the particulars of a competitor's offering with the advantages and uniqueness of what your program offers.

Instead of beating-up your prospect with why they shouldn't consider the other guys, compliment their choice in considering your opponent and then show them why you are an even better choice! 

Every time you see or hear about an iPhone, remember this recruiting lesson: Never trash your prospect's decision to look at a competitor.  Instead, show them why your program is an even smarter choice for their collegiate and athletic future.

Posted by Dan Tudor at 09:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Jeff is a football coach at a D1-AA school.  He was one of twenty coaches who took advantage of our free trial for our SFC Premium Membership, and didn't waste any time in taking advantage of the access to our office with a situation he found himself facing.

"I had another run in with one of our assistants today," he said in his phone call late Tuesday afternoon.  "We're recruiting a wide receiver from California, and we know he's interested in coming here."

"So what's the issue?", I asked. 

"Dan," he said, "here's the problem: The coach that's recruiting this wide receiver hadn't put a phone call in to him for over two weeks.  That's crazy!  We've got to get on this kid now, and get his commitment.  That's what I told our coach, and he's doing what I want now.  But I swear, it's like I have to babysit our staff most of the time when it comes to recruiting."

Then he gave me the idea for this week's training when he said, "What you need to give me, Dan, are some things that you've seen in successful college recruiters...their mindset, their habits and how they approach recruiting as a whole."

What a great idea!  Coach gave me permission to recount our phone conversation today, and I was off and running.  I went through notes from past On-Campus Seminars, interviews with SFC Premium Members, and articles on some of college sports' best recruiters.

I've narrowed a big list down to five key habits that I've seen in successful recruiters over the years.  I firmly believe that these traits are vital if college coaches, regardless of their division level, hope to be consistently successful when it comes to signing the best recruits:

1. They have a recruiting work habit that is second to none.  You want the best athletes?  Be prepared to out-work your competition.  That means a dedicated schedule to things like maintaining your contacts with everyone you're looking at, developing a plan for nurturing your relationships with your prospects, and putting recruiting high on your list of priorities.  Your work ethic drives your success in recruiting.  You know it, I know it.  Ask yourself honestly, "Does my recruiting work habit match my coaching work habit?"
2. They've moved beyond just listing off their program's benefits.  Want to know what the most frustrating thing is for your recruits when you're talking to them?  It's when you, and every other coach that's recruiting them, rattles off a list of everything that's great about your program.  It frustrates them to no end, and makes it tough for them to make a final decision.  What's a better way to approach them?  Put in the extra effort to find out what they want, how they'll make their decision, and why they'll choose you.  Not sure how to do all of this successfully?  Become a SFC Premium Member, or get our special recruiting guide, "Selling for Coaches". 
3.  They ask great questions.  It's been proven over and over again as we've worked with college coaches across the country: The better the questions you ask, the more likely it is that you'll connect with that individual prospect.  If you connect with them, its likely you'll be in a position to sign them.  It all starts with good questioning, and you've got to commit yourself to becoming a great questioner.  You're not trying to trick your prospect, or manipulate them, through your questioning.  Instead, you're getting them to open up and reveal themselves to you so that you know how to connect their basic desires as a prospective college student-athlete with what you can offer them in your program.  Meet their needs, coach, and you'll get their commitment.  But remember: It all starts with how you ask them questions and interact with them during that Q&A time.
4. They know their competition inside and out.  The best coach I've ever met when it comes to knowing their competition inside and out was a D2 softball coach.  She's an unassuming lady in her mid-50's, and she's amazing.  She showed me file after file of competitor after competitor that she's catologed over the last decade.  She interviews the athletes she signs about how her competition recruited them, and then develops a strategy for how to recruit against them.  Is she serious about getting the recruits she wants?  You bet.  And she goes about ensuring her success by taking her competition seriously, and putting together a plan for her success when she finds herself recruiting against them.  Do you take your competition that seriously? 
5. They have a positive attitude.  I end with this one because its the habit I want you to really remember from this list.  Positive attitudes will make recruiting much, much easier.  It will keep you mentally healthy, and enthused about one of the toughest parts of your job as a college coach, which is recruiting.  Are you reading positive stuff?  Are you surrounded by positive people?  Do you choose to maintain a positive outlook on your personal and professional life?  It's critical that you do, coach.  Want to know what helps you develop and maintain a positive attitude?  Commiting to the first four things on this list!  When you're organized and winning when it comes to recruiting the athletes you need to be successful as a coach, it makes maintaining a positive attitude much, much easier.

I'll stop short of "guaranteeing" that these five things will make you a winner when it comes to recruiting.  But it's been my experience that these five traits are key when it comes to consistently doing well at recruiting.  Developing healthy recruiting "habits" will do unbelievable things for your recruiting efforts.  That I do guarantee! 

Posted by Dan Tudor at 08:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Not failing as a coach on the field.  Failing as a recruiter in front of prospects.

That's where we see more struggles for college coaches.  They're great at the X's and O's of their respective sport.  But when it comes to managing the emotions and the recruiting cycle with one of their recruits, they struggle.  Some even fail.

"Failure" is not so much about inexperience or insecurity as it is about a lack of proper execution.  As renowned speaker and author Zig Ziglar points out, "Failure is an event, not a person."  College coaches aren't "born failures".  There's no such thing!  They just haven't learned to identify some of the warning signs of failure that might be present in their professional life.

What are four of those signs that a college coach might be about to cross the line and enter the failure zone?  Here's our list:

1. Coaches who are failing to do their best at recruiting.  That sounds rather basic, I know, but its probably a good sign that there is a danger of failing as a college coach.  Why?  Because most college coaches do their best at everything else associated with their job:  Strategy, coaching techniques, and anything else revolving around their sport?  They're on it.  Following a plan to contact recruits on a regular, step-by-step basis?  They don't show the same enthusiasm.  Are you making sure you're approaching recruiting with the same passion and attention to detail that you exhibit as a coach with your players? 
2. Coaches who are failing to learn how to recruit.   Recruiting is not a natural skill that coaches are just born with.  Likewise, selling skills aren't something that sales and business professionals are just born with.  The difference between the two?  Sales and business professionals are forced to learn those skills when they go to work.  Big companies put a lot of time and money into their corporate training programs.  They know that their frontline sales and marketing force is the key to their business.  And they invest in it.  As a coach, are you actively pursuing resources and opportunities to get the sales, communication and recruiting skills you need to be the best?  They're out there, coach. 
3. Coaches who are failing to accept responsibility.  Did you lose a recruit, perhaps due to a mistake or lack of effort on your part?  Did you take a short cut in your recruiting duties and had it come back to bite you?  Worse yet, in both situations, did you manage to wiggle out taking the blame for those shortcomings?  Not a good sign, coach.  Coaches who see areas of improvement that need to be addressed in the way that they recruit, but fail to do so, run the risk of becoming a true failure at recruiting.  Accept responsibility for mistakes that you've made, and then do something to correct them.  Are you taking an honest look at the way you're going about recruiting?
4. Coaches who are failing to meet their pre-set recruiting goals.  You do have recruiting goals, right coach?  The number of contacts you want to make, or the number of new high school coaches you want to develop relationships with, or the amount of phone calls you and your staff need to make every week to prospects you're interested in?  It's vital that you have something to measure your performance against.  Setting goals is crucial, meeting them is even more crucial.  Are you meeting your pre-set recruiting goals for this school year?

One more thing, coach.  Do you approach recruiting with a positive attitude?  A "can do" attitude?  If you aren't, it's showing to your prospects.  And that's not good. 

Recruiting is a vital part of your job as a college coach.  If you've seen any one (or more) of these failure danger signs in your regular recruiting life, its time you take a serious look at what you need to do to improve your performance in the recruiting world, so that you can continue to enjoy success as a coach in your sports world.

Posted by Dan Tudor at 09:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here's an example of why being a class act pays off in how you're viewed by the public.

Ron Zook was the football coach at the University of Florida until last year, when the school fired him and hired Urban Meyer as their new coach.  This January, Meyer's Gators will play for the national title against Ohio State.  And, they'll do it using players that Zook recruited.  Basically, it's Zook's team that is getting the glory.

Does Zook have a reason to be bitter?  Who knows.  All you hear from him are wonderful compliments and best wishes for his players and the new coaches:

“I’m thrilled for the Florida football team,” Zook said Monday, while on a recruiting trip for Illinois, the team he now coaches. “I’m thrilled for the fans. I still care a lot about those players.”  

As for Meyer, he's also at the top of his game when it comes to sportsmanship and compliments:

“I think that’s a tribute to the previous staff,” he said. “This coaching gig is overrated. It’s players. It’s a great tribute to coach Zook and his staff that there are Ray McDonalds and Jarvis Mosses and Chris Leaks and Dallas Bakers and Jemalle Corneliuses running around. Obviously, you can’t get it done without some great players.”

The entire article from MSNBC is here.

The bottom line: Professionalism pays off in college coaching, as well as the business world.  When you're a class act, you tell the world that very fact.  When you do it through your actions, you get maximum play in how its perceived by others.  And most importantly, its just the right thing to do.

Posted by Dan Tudor at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Years ago, legendary football coach Vince Lombardi laid out his tips for "what it takes to be number one."  Of course, he was talking about what it takes to be tops on the football field, but he was also talking about what it takes to at the top of your game in business, your career, and even your household.  His "rules" applied to virtually everyone, in virtually every situation.

Today, I want to add a few more to his legendary list.  My tips, however, are specifically for college coaches who want to succeed in their job as a coach, which means succeeding as a recruiter with superior sales skills.

Master these four areas of your coaching and recruiting life, and I guarantee that you're going to be a college coach with a long, successful career in front of you.  

Recruiting, Like Selling,  Is a Numbers Game
For a lot of  sales professionals, reaching quota is an end of the month mad dash. The best sales professionals, however, understand that quotas are consistently reached on purpose. They stay motivated and reach their financial and sales goals by monitoring them on a regular basis.

The same principles come into play for college coaches who need to recruit great athletes.  Determine how many athletes you need to contact on a weekly basis, calculate your recruiting targets around that figure and break it into bite-sized daily goals. Be sure to monitor your progress on a regular basis to keep your objectives within reach and your ability to achieve them.

One coach that is a SFC Premium Member told me what his secret to being a successful recruiter is:  "It's not rocket science," says David G.  "I make a list of daily goals I want to accomplish in terms of recruiting, and I don't leave my office until each one of those goals is met."  He added, "I think I just out-work a lot of my competition."

You Gotta Love to Talk, But You Also Need to Listen
The scalpel is to the surgeon, what words are to the savvy college recruiter. The best college coaches get there by being communication experts. It is no secret, a lot of salespeople tend to talk too much. However, the real top performers are powerful in their communication by listening and adapting to the customer's style and personality. College coaches who maintain a 'take me or leave me' attitude, will usually find themselves in their hotel room wondering how they lost another recruit to the competition. 

It's true, you need to love to talk.  But you need to balance that with the wisdom to listen.  Listening, as we talk about in our book "Selling for Coaches", is a key strategy to successful communication with your prospects.. 

Be Neat 
Chaos may be a sign of genius but not a top college recruiter. The best coaches get the most out of their limited time, energy and effort by being very well organized. They approach recruiting like it is their business, not just an inconvenient part of being a college coach. Finding messages from prospects on misplaced Post-It® notes or napkins eats up valuable selling time. Having a solid prospect and information management system in place is an important quality of top sales producers as well as top notch college coaches.

Now, I realize that there are a lot of coaches who are reading this on a computer that is on top of a very, very messy desk.  And some of them might even be pretty dang good at recruiting athletes.  But most of them admit that their success comes in spite of their unorganized ways, not because of it.  Look around your office...is it messy?  It may be costing you when it comes to recruiting in ways that you aren't seeing.

Garbage In, Garbage Out
Finally, the super successful people in the world of selling are engaged in lifelong learning and self development. Will Rogers said, "Everyone is ignorant, only on different subjects."

You need to be dedicated to the same goal of developing your recruiting skills as a college coach.  What was the last book you read? Ours, hopefully!  Do you use sales audiotapes to improve your selling skills? Top performers are hungry students of life. They constantly immerse themselves in ways to learn and grow.

Those are just four things that you can focus on for the rest of the year.  Are there more?  Sure.  If you want non-stop training year around, several times a week, become a SFC Premium Member.  But these four, applied to your everyday life as a college coach and recruiter, are going to make a huge difference in the level of success you enjoy as a college coach.

Posted by Dan Tudor at 09:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Whether its over the phone, or in person, the type of questions you ask a prospect can determine how well you connect with that prospect, and - ultimately - how good of a chance you have of landing that prospect on your team's roster.  The right questions are essential to successful recruiting. 

Not surprisingly, do you know what one of the most requested topics we get when we do one of our famous On-Campus Seminars?  You guessed it: How to ask better questions.  Without a doubt, its one of the topics that holds the most interest for coaches.  Why?  Because one area that most coaches struggle with is effective questioning, and probably the number one thing that coaches have never practiced..

So, what are the best types of questions to ask your prospect?  The best questions are open-ended questions...ones that get your prospect to explain themselves, open up, and give you some insights as to what is important to them and how to best recruit them.  On the other end of the spectrum, the worst questions to ask are "yes-no" questions.  Those are questions that cause your prospect to give a simple "yes" or "no" answer to your questions, which doesn't help you to connect with them and doesn't get you into their head as to what they are thinking.

To help you with jump-starting your question asking skills, here are fifteen great open-ended questions that are sure to get your prospect talking.  Try them the next time you're face to face with a prospect you want in your program.

What prompted you to consider our program?

What are your expectations of us and our program?

What thought process will you go through to determine how you're going to choose a university?

How do you see this happening?

What is it that you’d like to see accomplished during the recruiting process?

What other programs are you already talking with or plan to talk to?

Has any other program been crossed off your list as of right now?

Can you help me understand that a little better?

What does that mean?

What are your thoughts right now in terms of where you'll be playing next year?

What challenges does the recruiting process create for you and your family?

What are the best things about the recruiting process?

What other items should we discuss?

What do you see as the next action steps for us?

What is your timeline for making your final decision?

Do you see a trend in the words I've put in bold type?  That's right...they all revolve around you, them and both people together.  In other words, these are questions that get personal, and connect their answers with their thoughts and your desires.  You can probably come up with even better questions to ask now that I've got you thinking.  Just make sure they include lots of "you" and "me" and "us" words.

The point of all these questions is simple, really: Make your prospect open up and tell you more.  Asking these types of questions will get you closer to really knowing how to approach your athlete.

By the way, we cover more question-asking techniques in our book, "Selling for Coaches".  Hundreds of coaches have ordered the book over the past few months, and many of those individual coaches and athletic departments have become Premium Members of our program, which gives them even more great training and resources to give them the edge in their recruiting duties.  Make sure you're one of those coaches who are staying-up with the latest techniques and training when it comes to recruiting the best athletes! 

Posted by Dan Tudor at 09:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Selling for Coaches kicks off their 2006 Fall Member Training later this week, focusing on the topic of objections during the months of September, October and November.  The topic was an overwhelming choice of SFC Members, who say they want training on how to recognize objections when they happen, and then effectively answer those objections for their prospects.

"It's a great topic," says Dan Tudor, President of Selling for Coaches.  "We've never taken one topic like this and focused on all of the different sides of the subject before, so we're excited to provide this focused training during the next few months."

The training sessions will happen through e-mail, teleseminars, CD's and video e-mails throughout the next three months.  Members will be able to interact personally with Dan Tudor and the SFC staff with their own questions and unique situations, finding customized answers that will help them at their particular program and school.

"We're excited about the topic, and even more enthused about the response from people who want the edge and are looking for this kind of training," says Tudor.  "Our membership is up about 30% from this time last year, and we've kept most of our past members on for this new topic.  Coaches seem to be getting a lot out of the training we're providing to them, which is really satisfying for us."

If individual coaches want to sign-up for the training, the cost is just $29.00 per month.  Members' credit cards are charged the monthly fee as long as they remain SFC Members, and can cancel at any time without penalty or notice.  Individual coaches can sign-up this week in time for the beginning of the session which starts Friday, September 8th by clicking here.

Athletic Directors can also sign-up their entire department for training for the discounted group rate of $295.00 per month, with no limit as to the number of coaches or staff taking part in the training sessions.  "We've added this feature for our courses at the request of A.D.'s who wanted a simple, inexpensive way to give their staff the edge in recruiting over their competition," says Tudor.  "Based on the response we've received so far, we know that this is going to be a popular option for colleges this fall and beyond."  Athletic Directors can sign-up their program for the training program quickly and easily by clicking here.  After signing-up, a SFC staff member will follow-up with details on getting started working with your college.

"We really feel that the training we give coaches is making a difference," says Tudor.  "That's what makes it so satisfying for us.  We get to see coaches become better recruiters, which translates into better performance, which means their careers are headed in the right direction.  We love it."

For more information on the 2006 Fall Training or becoming a member of Selling for Coaches, contact Dan Tudor at dan@sellingforcoaches.com.

Posted by Dan Tudor at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The end of summer means the beginning of the battle for recruits with your fellow coaches.  Selling against your competition is probably the most important battle you'll face outside of the sport that you coach, and just as important as the wins and losses during your season.

I got a question from a volleyball coach at a smaller school on this very topic.  She wrote:

"I have a top recruit who is looking at five schools, including ours.  Some are similar to us and others are major universities.  How do you tell the kid that you know that other schools, and those coaches, aren't right for them without slandering those schools or coaches?  How do you say this tactfully and still keep the respect that the athlete and her parents have for you?"

Great question.  And, one that every coach faces at some point in each recruiting season.

Here are my five ways to beat other coaches for recruits...tactfully, without slandering them.

• Find out what they like about the competition, then chip away at them.  Before you can chip away at the other guys, you need to know what your prospect perceives their strengths to be.  Ask them to list the strong-points of each of the other schools that are recruiting them.  As you hear the answers, reply to each one with a phrase like, "That's interesting that you mention that, because actually we are stronger in that area than them."  Then, list why.  Even if they're a bigger program, or more presitgious, this subtle reply works well.
• Have the prospect create their own doubt about the competition.  A good way to do this is to ask your prospect, "As you've had the chance to get to know these other coaches that are recruiting you, what are some things that you've noticed that you don't like that much about the coach, program and school?"  You might word the question differently, and that's fine.  But the point is to get the prospect to start actively thinking about your competition's weaknesses instead of their strengths.
• Spend time connecting with your prospect.  This is a big focus in our two books, "Selling for Coaches" and "What They Didn't Teach You About Recruiting".  Most coaches are too focused on "getting the sale" than they are about really connecting on a deep level with your prospect.  Ask questions of the athlete, and of their parents.  Spend time talking to their coach.  Invest your time in your prospect, and try to dig deep into the non-sports areas of their lives.  Coaches who do this usually beat their competition, and you always come across as more professional than your counterparts.
• Make sure you overcome ALL your prospect's objections to what you're offering them.  This is another big topic in our book, and one that we'll be focusing on with our members later this fall.  Why?  Because its the most important part of recruiting an athlete, and it may be something that your competition isn't doing.  Find out specific objections your prospect has, and make sure they get addressed.  Each situation is so different, its hard to give a general technique that would work in any situation...e-mail me at dan@sellingforcoaches.com with any specific question you have about the topic. 
• Ask your prospect how they'd like to be recruited.  Here's what I mean by that: Tell your prospect you really want to tailor a specific recruiting conversation to them personally, and then ask them how they'll be making their decision.  What information do they need?  What questions do they need answered?  What's important to them?  What aspect of your offer (you, your program, your college) means the most to them?  Most of your competition doesn't ask these kind of direct questions.  But they should...they work! 

Competition is tough, and its only getting tougher.  Use these strategies to start to get an edge on your competition in the battle for recruits, and let us know if we can train you further on any of these techniques.

Posted by Dan Tudor at 10:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

To be a recruiting pro, you need to first uncover the mistakes you might be making as a college coach and correct those errors.

In the new book "Selling for Coaches", we explore one of the ten big mistakes college coaches make when they're recruiting athletes: Forgetting What They're Selling.

Think that's not a big deal?  Think again....here's an excerpt from the book:

 

This is a big one, coach. 

What is it that you’re selling?  A common answer would be “a scholarship” or “my college” or “our program’s successful history.”  While those are all technically correct answers (and answers most of your competition would give) they aren’t necessarily the best answers. 

It’s a little like asking a car salesman what they are selling.  If I heard a car salesman answer, “I’m selling a car” or “I sell Fords” I would probably guess that he’s a mediocre salesperson.  Excellent, successful, wealthy car salespeople will answer the same question by saying, “I’m selling the dream of owning a new Ford Mustang convertible” or “With gas prices going through the roof, I’m selling my customers on great looking cars that get fantastic gas mileage, which saves my customers lots of money every year.”

Here’s what I’m telling you, the college coach: You’re selling a lot more than a scholarship or a college.  You’re selling the dream of playing college sports.  Or the need of having college paid for and getting a great start to a successful life.  Or the desire of being wanted and appreciated by a college at the next level. 

Do you see the difference?  Sell your college, and you're selling "stuff".  A commodity.  A product.  If you're selling desire or need, you're connecting a desire of your prospect with something at your college that can make that desire come true.  You have to make that connection, as the book goes on to outline.

Want our free report on "The Ten Big Mistakes That College Coaches Make When They're Recruiting"?  Click here.  (Go ahead, coach...it's free...take it!)

Want more great advice on how to become a better recruiter, and dominate your competition when it comes to landing big-time prospects?  Order our new book "Selling for Coaches".  Click here.  (Not free, but cheap!). 

Posted by Dan Tudor at 10:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

College coaches, like many sales professionals, love to list reasons why their program is "better" than everyone else's.  Better stadium, better schedule, better tradition, better weight room, better city, better degrees.

Sales people are the same way.  They love to rattle off the many benefits of their product or service.  They're usually trained to do so when they begin work for their company.  The company, you see, is very proud of their benefits and bragging points.  And so, like many college coaches, they like to make sure their customers/prospects know about the benefits and falsely believe that those same prospects will be so impressed with the list of benefits that they won't be able to help themselves, and will buy the product or service immediately.

Here's the problem with that line of thinking...

Continue reading "The Dangers of Rattling-Off Benefits to Your Prospects" »

Posted by Dan Tudor at 10:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Asking for the sale" in the business world is the key to success (and employment!). Things aren't that much different in the college coaching world: If you don't "ask for the sale" when you're recruiting the athlete, you won't be signing many prospects...and that will certainly lead to unemployment, coach.

So how to you go about "asking for the sale"?  It's one of Dan Tudor's "Ten Big Mistakes Coaches Make When They're Recruiting" and it's a featured topic in the just published book, "Selling for Coaches".  Here's an excerpt on the topic from the book:

As a coach, you have the same goal as the business person: Get the sale.  Some coaches may use threats to get the sale:  “We’ll need you to give us a yes or no by Wednesday or else the scholarship is off the table.” 

Not very professional.  Of course, if you haven’t done any of the previous eight things we’ve talked about in the book, a threat is pretty much your only option.  However, if you’ve built trust, gained an understanding of the athlete’s needs and have successfully addressed any objections that were raised, the next logical step is to ask for the sale. 

 But wait, there's more...

Continue reading "Book Excerpt: "Ask For the Sale, Coach"" »

Posted by Dan Tudor at 11:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In the just released book, "Selling for Coaches", author Dan Tudor talks about going beyond just "OK" marketing efforts.  To reach today's teen athlete, college coaches need to start focusing on developing some really effective marketing.  Here's an excerpt: 

It’s not good enough to just “market” your program. Not in today’s world, where your prospects just happen to be some of the most technologically savvy, hippest authorities in what’s cool and effective when it comes to marketing.

If your goal is to “market” your program to prospective athletes, you’re going to enjoy mediocre results when it comes to recruiting results. It’s not even good enough to have “effective marketing.”

Why?

Go back to the first paragraph. “Effective” just gets you on par with everything else your prospect is taking in as a teenager in the United States. To be successful, to be a winner in recruiting, and to beat your competition, you need really effective marketing.

It has to hit home. And we’re talking about more than just some good direct mail pieces here, coach. Oh sure, there was a time when sending a letter out to a potential sports scholarship candidate and following up with a media guide and class schedule was all it took. After all, what competition did a coach have fifteen or twenty years ago? No PlayStation…no Internet…no text messaging…no home theatres. Kids were thrilled when they got a letter in the mail.

Want to know more about developing a killer marketing plan, plus other proven sales techniques you can apply to your everyday recruiting duties?  Order "Selling for Coaches" today, and start dominating your recruiting competition.

Continue reading "Really Effective Marketing" »

Posted by Dan Tudor at 11:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There is an age old sales statistic that I've always found fascinating for two reasons.

First, it makes a whole lot of sense. Secondly, most salespeople (and college sports recruiters) don't have the mental stamina, organization and drive to make it work for them.

Here's the statistic: The average customer (athletic prospect) doesn't buy something (sign with your school) until they've been asked to do so five times. Not once. Not twice. Not four times. Five times.

Continue reading "Persistent Recruiting Pays Off" »

Posted by Dan Tudor at 11:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

What is "SPIN Selling"?  Only one of the most effective sales techniques developed over the past decade or so.  It's one of the most popular sales strategies developed for corporate sales teams, and is taught in most Fortune 500 sales training programs.  Why?  It works.

"SPIN" is an acronym for Situation, Problem, Implication and Need-Payoff.  Incorporating those four aspects into your daily recruiting efforts can pay off the same big dividends enjoyed by some of the nation's most successful sales professionals. 

Here's how to do it...

Continue reading "Why SPIN Selling Works for Recruiters" »

Posted by Dan Tudor at 09:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)