Asking for a Commitment Early: The Right or Wrong Strategy for College Coaches?
It’s a tough question, because there isn’t a black and white 100%-fail-proof answer I can give you.
But as this coach brings up in a text he sent, there’s something to the idea of asking earlier, it seems…regardless of your division level or the sport you coach.
Notice the portion I highlighted in gold: It’s the feeling of most coaches out there…the process seems to be going faster and faster, the prospects are being rushed, they aren’t able to take their time and go through the process. All legitimate concerns, and it highlights the concern most coaches have for the earlier and earlier nature of college recruiting.
But that’s almost always balanced with the sentiment I highlighted in red: The results of intentionally slowing the process down, and not asking for a commitment early, is hurting the chances of actually getting a commitment from an increasing number of recruits.
Something’s gotta give.
The thing is, as I said at the start, there isn’t a universal approach that always works. Plus, every coach is different, and usually want to approach recruits’ situations differently. So with that in mind, let me outline some research and trends that can help you understand why I usually see asking for commitments early as a smart strategy most of the time.
Asking doesn’t mean they have to commit to you. We think, as coaches, that we have some kind of absolute power over their decision. Not true. Asking doesn’t require them to commit (unless you tell them you need an answer right at that moment, which I wouldn’t recommend as a strategy because that’s when asking gets labeled as ‘pressure’).
Asking shows your passion. Recruits tell us the #1 way they know a coach is interested and committed to them, as a prospect, is to ask for a commitment. In other words, it doesn’t usually result in a feeling of pressure if done properly. It showcases your feelings to a recruit who is always wondering if the coach who seems interested actually is.
Asking opens a door. It gives them permission to commit if they’re feeling ready to do so. Without asking, we find that recruits hold back, are hesitant to approach you about the idea of committing, and wait for a coach to open the door. Coaches who hesitate in doing that usually end up losing a recruit, or at the very least delaying the commitment process.
Asking results in wins. The highlighted portion of the coach’s question tells the story: Not asking is results in losing a recruit at a much higher rate than seeing a win from that same approach. Why? Primarily, for the three reasons I listed before this one…when a coach asks a process if they’re feeling ready to commit, it opens the door that they can walk through, confirms your interest in them, and gives them the power to make a decision.
The last thing I’ll point out: This coach, like most, would love to get earlier commitments. Most coaches would. And, that matters…if you as a coach are ready to get more commits earlier, and feel confident you have done whatever evaluation and scouting you need to do in order to make sure you’re getting the right student-athletes to build a strong program with, then you should ask. How soon? As soon as you feel sold on that recruit, no matter when that is in the prospect’s year in school or the time of year. Lots of coaches we work with one-on-one have been pleasantly surprised at how early they can get a ‘yes’ from a recruit who will impact their program immediately.
The two athletes this coach asked us about were waiting for a coach to open that door. When a coach did, they followed the path that we see most following as I described above. You have to choose whether or not you want to be that coach.
Want more information on past research we’ve published on the topic of asking for a commitment? Here you go:
This is a comprehensive guide we published for coaches who follow us. It’s helped a lot, according to the feedback they’ve given us:
Asking Recruits to Commit: Your A-Z Guide
Want to do the right things in the recruiting process that gets them to approach you about a commitment before you even ask? It’s more challenging to do, but it can happen. Here’s how:
Getting Prospects to Commit Before You Ask
And if you like that article, and want to take a softer approach towards the whole idea of asking, read this:
Asking for the Commitment Without Really Asking for the Commitment
Do you have other questions about the process of asking for a commitment, developing your program through recruiting, or how we can help you be more effective with your recruiting communication? Email me at dan@dantudor.com - we’re here to help.