Topics for Texting Recruits
Keep it simple, keep it relational. DO. NOT. SELL.
This is an article as a part of our larger conversation with our group of college coaches who have opted in to our text messaging recruiting training service. It’s free, and if you want to be a part of it, just text me at (661) 218-2166. I’ll put you on the list.
Keep the topics simple, Coach. No selling, no press releases, no bullet points.
Texting is about a conversation. That’s the main thing texting can deliver to you…a conversation. Use it as it's intended, and how your ‘customers’ (the recruits) use it.
With that in mind, here are 10 topics you can initially focus on when texting your recruits:
What they see as the wrong fits, and the wrong types of colleges for them. They are great at expressing what they don’t want.
What their parents are telling them, and the advice they’re giving.
What their plan is to pay for college. How are they feeling about loans, work/study, or the need for athletic scholarship money? It’s your job to find out.
Have them walk you through what they’re seeing as their timeline for making a commitment. Try to have them define their steps.
When it comes to what they want to major in, talk with them about what they want to do with that degree, and why it seems like a good fit for them.
Use video. Talk on video with them, share clips of your team, and show your personality. This is an overlooked tool by coaches…video is powerful, the more casual and raw, the better and more genuine.
Speaking of video: While this crisis is going on, and campus visits are impossible, try to walk around any open part of your campus and give a little tour on video via text. It’s powerful. One of our D1 clients just started doing this, and it’s getting great feedback from their prospects.
Have them talk about what kind of stuff they hope to be involved in on your campus when they aren’t competing for you or practicing.
Always use active language that already puts them on your team. “When you’re playing for us…” “Once you’re a student here…” “When I’m your coach…” Paint a mental picture of them already being on your campus. It’s important to them.
Ask them about their checklist of things they’d need to know before feeling ready to commit to a program. Just like everything else, this is all about getting a commitment.
Don’t stress. Have fun. Show your personality in your conversations, but make sure you’re collecting information while you’re at it.