Defining Your Prospect's Next Steps
Defining Your Prospect's Next Steps
It's a coaches job to lead, and that starts with the first step you want prospects to take
We’ve always advocated for college coaches to lead their prospects through the recruiting process.
Most don’t.
Surprisingly, in our 15 years of work with athletic departments around the country, around 3 out of 4 coaches take a very hands-off approach when it comes to actively leading, defining and controlling the decision-making process as their recruit decides whether or not their college is the right option for them.
One of your fellow head coaches is wanting to take a more active approach. So after reading one of our recent subscriber articles, “Contacting New Recruits? It’s Vital You Tell Them These Two Things”, the coach had a smart follow-up question for us:
The major theme in the article, and in this coach’s question, is that there is a linear process to a prospect’s decision making. There’s an order to it all. There is a progression.
But a problem occurs very early, and very often, when the recruiting process begins: Each side is waiting for the other.
The coaches are waiting for signs of interest from the prospects, and the prospects are looking for instruction from the coaches. Someone has to take the lead, Coach, and I vote for you.
So to answer this coach’s question - and maybe some of your questions - let me list two things not to do:
Don’t ask them to fill out a lot of forms right away. I know, I know…you need that information. But do you need all of it right away? Immediately after the first conversation? I think coaches lean towards asking prospects to do that because 1) it’s what traditionally has been done in the recruiting process, and 2) it provides busy work that gives everyone the illusion of progress. Kind of like when you had a substitute teacher in junior high, who would pass out photocopied materials for you to complete during the day since your regular teacher wasn’t there to lead you through the normal lesson plan. When that happened, did you learn anything? Most of us don’t like filling stuff out, and you can multiply that by ten for your teenage prospect. It kills momentum, and reduces your chances for building early interest. Understand, I’m not saying the information you need isn’t important, or should never be gathered. It is, and it should. Just not right away.
Don’t wait for them to make the first move, or show interest. I could go into the lessons learned by a younger, more awkward teenage Dan Tudor when it came asking girls out that would prove my point here, but let me just sum it up this way: Your prospect doesn’t know how to go through this process, so they’re going to wait for you to lead. If you don’t, they’ll gravitate towards a coach who does.
Any ‘Next Step’ Should Result in Action by Your Recruit
The first phone call should lead to the next phone call, which should lead to ongoing back-and-forth communication, which should lead to their questions being answered, which should lead to them filling out those forms you wanted from them at the beginning, which should lead to talks about a visit to campus, and so on.
Each step should result in measurable actions.
To achieve that, here’s what we’ve seen work best:
Start with one simple thing they can do for you to get the ball rolling. Something easy, and something small and easy to achieve. Ask them to email you their parent information so you can contact them, or to text you a time you two can talk again next week, or to send you their summer tournament schedule so you can come watch them compete. One. Easy. Thing. Start with that.
Don’t focus on topics that every other coach is probably focusing on. If you’re the fourth coach in the last three days to talk to them about the different degree programs their college offers, not only are you turning into a salesperson, you’re turning into a boring salesperson. Don’t spend time initially on the things that sound the same to prospects.
Have a plan for how you want to see them move through your recruiting timeline. If you don’t have a defined recruiting game plan, it’s unfair to get upset when they don’t follow it. Define your timeline to them, early, and lead them through it. As you approach each definitive point in your timeline, you should be measuring whether or not your new prospect is showing signs that they are serious about you.
Focus on texting initially rather than phone calls. Texting is much more comfortable for your recruits, and can actually give you better insights into how to recruit them because they are so much more open in text message conversations compared with most phone call conversations. When we measure communication activity with the programs we work one-on-one with as clients, phone call activity usually doesn’t ramp-up until after a personal visit with you as a coach. Be patient, and meet them where they’re at: On their phones, using fingers to communicate. (If you need some tips on what you might want to be asking prospects you’re recruiting during the COVID-19 crisis specifically, we’ve published some effective approaches for you here).
If you aren’t offering a full athletic scholarship, you need to begin talking about money as one of the next steps in the process. Some of you will spend vast amounts of time and energy on student-athletes who will never be serious candidates to come and compete for you at your college campus. The reason? They can’t afford it, or don’t believe that the cost of your campus is worth it. Your job early on is twofold: Get a general feeling as to their ability to cover part or all of your college’s costs, and what they need to talk about with you to change their mind. For your prospect, talking about money and the cost of your college is the logical next step in the process.
Be patient. This is a marathon, not a sprint. You don’t need to win a commitment right at the start. Build the relationship, gather information slowly, and stay consistent in the story you tell them as to why they should come and compete for you at your campus.
Truthfully, coach, there is no one perfect ‘next step’ to take. The important thing is to pick one of these action items, and start the process. Get your prospect doing something. Because when you do, you’re already putting yourself way ahead of your confused competition.
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