Do You Know When Enough is Enough?
I had just completed an On-Campus Workshop at a D1 college, and was starting to pack up and get ready for the drive back to the airport.
After most of the coaches had left the room, one coach came up with a question that I thought was pretty unique. I don't know if I've ever been asked this before, although it's a great question that most coaches are probably thinking.
She asked me, "Dan, how do I know when I should stop selling them on my program? In other words, how do I know when enough is enough?"
I kind of stood there with my mouth half open and (I imagine) kind of a blank, clueless stare on my face. I just didn't know how to answer her, because each situation is so different from the next. But I penciled out some good principles to follow if you find yourself wondering if you've reached the point in your recruitment of an athlete when it's time stop selling, and ask for their commitment.
There are some good examples from the business world that coaches can use to help form this part of their recruiting strategy. In their textbook "Hospitality Sales: Selling Smarter", Judy A. Siguaw and David C. Bojanic said:
"If you have made a good presentation and the prospects are satisfied that the benefits offered will improve their situation, and are believable, any further presentation is overselling. Overselling can create, in the mind of the prospects, a feeling of disbelief as to the validity of the owner benefits. It can also result in the loss of favorable attention because excessive repetition of benefits and use of other motivational tools can lead to boredom or confusion, which, in turn, causes an unfavorable emotional reaction. "
In other words, "overselling" will kill a sale. Just like "overselling" can kill your chances at signing certain athletes that you have spent a long, long time recruiting.
You can prevent this from happening by learning how to recognize the moment your recruit is ready to "buy" from you. If you continue to sell beyond this point, his enthusiasm for the product is going to wane. Not only that, but you risk saying something that will quash your prospect's interest in an instant.
Example: You've got them convinced that your university is best, even though it's far from the prospect's home. They're ready to commit. But then you mention that the only thing you hate about working at the school is the 90 minute drive to the closest airport. All of a sudden, the parents family's excitement about sending their daughter away to school turn to concern...they hadn't thought about that drive. When they come to watch their daughter play, will they get tired of that drive? Will it be inconvenient? They start getting second thoughts...and you may have just killed your chances of converting all of that hard work into a new recruit.
In this regard, coaches who do their recruiting face to face have an advantage over those who do their selling via mail or by phone. By paying close attention to the effect their words are having on their customers, they can custom tailor each recruiting presentation. If the prospect looks doubtful, they can pile on proof of their claims. If the customer looks confused, they can clarify the point they're trying to make by restating it - over and over again, if need be.
And when a recruit begins giving signals that he is ready to buy, savvy coaches know the time is right to swoop in and close the deal.
These are the clues they look for in the prospect:
A relaxed position - arms open, facing the salesperson
Excitement in the eyes
Nodding the head
Oral affirmations - saying "yes," "right," "uh huh"
When you are writing recruiting copy for your letters and emails, you don't have signals like these to guide you. The same holds true for us here at SFC when we produce their recruiting campaigns through our Total Recruiting Solution program. So, you have to find another way to keep your sales message on track. Here's what I recommend you do:
Put your recruiting copy through a peer review. Here's how it works:
You put together a group of five or six fellow coaches - ideally, experienced coaches and recruiters. Ask them to rate the various parts of your copy - the opening, lead, body, and close - and give specific suggestions for improving them. You also ask your reviewers to indicate any sections that are boring, unbelievable, or confusing. And you ask them to highlight the point in the copy where they feel ready to buy.
That point should be about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through the copy. If it comes much earlier, you know you have to delete some of the "overselling" you do after that point and move directly to the close. (If it doesn't happen at all, you know you have to completely revamp the recruiting letter text and make it stronger.)
Try this the next time you're working on a recruiting letter and see if it helps. (Or, ask us for help with developing your next recruiting campaign!) Don't make the mistake that a lot of coaches make and "talk" yourself out of landing a great recruit. You'll be blowing a perfectly good opportunity...and you'll never know why.
question: "So really, Susan, your question is what are the advantages of playing at a school that get's some snow for about a month out of the year?" Or, "So what you're asking, Susan, is why would you want to come play for us when it snows most of December?" As you ask this question, it's important to nod your head. That may sound like a stupid detail, but its important. It gets your prospect to subconsciously agree with the premise you are re-stating, and helps to transition their objection into a question.
program's "story" - that history, as well as your vision for where the program is going, that will help your prospects understand who you are and what you're all about.
the recruiting visit with your prospect. One way to be prepared? Knowing why you are asking certain questions. Here's an excerpt from the book, with additional thoughts on the topic from Dan Tudor:
you change your persona and your communication style in front of an athlete can make it tough to truly connect with that athlete when you're recruiting them.

Lefty Driesell knows college basketball, and he knows recruiting. But did you know he was also one of the top World Book Encyclopedia salemen in the country at one time?
In an earlier post about rekindling interest from prospects, I mentioned that a great sales lesson can be learned from the Dr. Seuss childrens book, "Green Eggs and Ham."