The Deadline Question During COVID-19
Let me expand on a conversation with a coach who asked this important question...
“Should I adjust my recruiting timeline and deadline for recruits since the pandemic is making it hard for them to go through the process?”
That question from a college coach was the basis for a conversation we documented on our recent College Recruiting Weekly podcast episode (listen here, or find it and subscribe on iTunes, Google, iHeartRadio, Spotify or Stitcher).
I’ve had a lot of follow-up questions and feedback after coaches listened to that, and wanted to add to the instruction on the topic here for all of you:
“Is the advice you gave the coach the coach in the podcast something that all of us should do in every case, every time?” Absolutely not. Is it something that’s a solid general rule most of the time? Absolutely. But certain situations arise when you need to adjust the approach, based on who you’re competing with, personal info you know about the prospect or his/her family, and other factors. Use your head…but, don’t let that flexibility give yourself permission to shy away from the normal approach I recommended for the coach in the podcast episode.
“How can we use this approach to beat a ‘better’ competitor? Or can we?” Yes, you can. Establishing a fair but firm deadline - even during a crisis - is probably the best way to gain on a competitor who may be better on paper than you feel you are. How? Deadlines communicate strength: You’re prepared to walk away if they don’t decide it’s a yes or a no for you. “Being nice”, giving them “more time to make a tough decision” and telling them “we’ll wait until you can go through the whole process with all the schools recruiting you” tells a prospect you’ll take them when they are ready…and when you give them that kind of power and control, you’re in trouble. If you want to appear to be a priority program, establish a fair but firm deadline, and be prepared to walk away.
“What is the negative outcome you’ve seen when a coach uses this strategy you’re suggesting?” Depends on how you define ‘negative’. I know what a coach considers to be negative: Losing the prospect. But you know what? I don’t consider a “no” to be a negative. If it’s going to happen, let it happen on your timeline, not their timeline. Giving a prospect ‘more time’ very rarely gives you a recruiting win.
If you haven’t developed a strategy and philosophy around this question, you need to. It’s becoming one of the dominant questions we end up handling for our clients on a regular basis these days, which means college coaches know it’s something that’s a make-or-break aspect of successful recruiting, but are still trying to find a strategic sweet spot that works for them.
The one I’ve just outlined is the best we’ve seen, and coaches are using it to find success this fall…even during a pandemic.
Questions? Email me at dan@dantudor.com.
Not getting these training emails and posts on a regular basis delivered to your Inbox throughout the week? Click the button and get on the list, Coach.