Performing a Successful Recruiting Autopsy
Just lost a recruit to a competitor? It's a great time to get honest feedback from them.
Great question from one of our text message community members (and if you aren’t a part of it, text me at 661-218-2166 to get on the list for free):
“Dan, when you are down to the final group and you like you are going to get the recruit, but they decide to go elsewhere, do you find it beneficial for coaches to ask several questions about why they didn’t choose them, or should a coach just wish them the best of luck and move forward?”
Definitely Door #1:
Ask questions, and dig for answers. Why? Because you’ll never get a more honest answer from a prospect you just lost than right after you lost them. We find that most prospects feel a little bad for not choosing you, which leads them to feel like they owe you an explanation - especially if you recruited them well, and developed a good relationship with the prospect and his or her parents.
The steps are fairly simple, as are the questions you should ask them:
First, congratulate them on a big decision - you can let them know you wished it had been you they had chosen, but tell them know you’re happy for them and that you’re sure they’ll have a great college career.
This should be done by phone, but text messaging is also acceptable if you’ve built a good text message relationship over the last few months. Email would be a distant third option. The problem with both text and email (especially email) is that you have limited back-and-forth opportunities with them, along with not being able to hear their voice and tone in their answers.
First question to ask: “What did it ultimately come down to?” Short, simple question (as all of them should be). Get them to name the one or two big issues they focused on, and note that for the next round of recruits you go after.
“When did you know it was them?” You always want to find out at what point you lost them. 90% of the time, you’re going to hear them tell you they actually knew it wasn’t you weeks or months prior to the final decision. Tuck that little piece of feedback away for yourself the next time you want to be the nice coach and give the prospect more time, or hear your next prospect say they ‘just need a little more time’ to make their decision. It’s likely a delay, and it’s very likely to not wind up going in your favor, sadly.
“What were one or two things you wished you could have changed about us that would have made us your top choice?” We’re looking for what they objected to about you, your program, or your campus. Log an ongoing list of objections that you get feedback from on this question, and use it for the future: These issues and objections that turn out to be commonplace should be addressed right from the start with your next recruits. This is intel you need to actively use in your next set of recruiting messaging. Overcome and define those objections before they become the reason your next recruit says no.
“What else should I know about your recruiting process with us?” Give them the opportunity to tell you anything else that didn’t come up in the other three questions you’ve asked. Most of the time, you won’t get much. But once in a while, you unearth gold.
With them luck, tell them they’re going to be a success, and thank them for the opportunity to get to know them - and let them know that if anything changes in the near or distant future, make you their first call to come back and compete for you. Send them away with good feelings about you and your program, with the opportunity to change their mind in the future (because a lot of them do!)
Write a quick note with the same ‘good luck’ message to the prospect, and write a separate note or letter to the prospect’s parents with the same sentiments. It’ll take four to five minutes out of your day to do it, but it’ll be worth it. Decisions have been changed for the coaches who do this, and once in a while, it’ll turn that decision around in your favor, too. One important note: This is sent, typed or handwritten, on a notecard or on paper and mailed to the family. Do not email or text it…it’ll waste the impact of this important last step.
That’s the way we see coaches wrapping-up a recruiting loss the right way. You’ll leave a positive impression with the recruit, gain great insights for the next recruiting cycle, and once in a while you’ll change their mind.
Great piece and very timely!