by Matt Mattson
About this time of year, the wind starts to come out of many organizations’ recruitment sails. The reason for this and more information about it can be found in our friend TJ Sullivan’s Apathy Myth Blog (read that, it is a great post!). So, if you’re a recruitment stallion, it is your job to give your organization its second recruitment wind.
This time of year many fraternities and sororities are working with their new member classes, and while their new members are great people, the leaders of many groups are wishing they had been able to recruit MORE great people. They got quality, but quantity is a bit lacking.
You can just shrug your shoulders and submit to your mediocre performance, or you can choose to accept nothing but excellence. If you choose excellence, then now is the time to get started. October is a great time of year (believe it or not) to recruit. Many national headquarters are just beginning their second wave of expansion efforts on campuses — which means expansion professionals (who know nobody on campus) will spend the next six weeks at schools like yours recruiting 50, 60, 80, 100 people into a new fraternity or sorority. If they can do it, why can’t you.
Consider having another bid day… how about October 30, 2009 for a NATIONAL BID DAY #2.
Do a post-rush push… ask your chapter for 3-7 days to find another 10, 15, 20 members.
Ask your new members to walk you through their dorms and introduce you to everyone they know.
Look over your recruitment Names List and identify the 5 people your chapter failed to build great relationships with, but who are highly qualified for membership. Use this week to solidify those relationships, pre-close them, and invite them to join.
Ask everyone you see (and anyone you can get referred to you) to sit down for a 15 minute interview with you this week… schedule a minimum of 25 interviews a week as a chapter.
Literally walk outside right now, and shake someone’s hand. Make a new friend. Right now. You’re still here… go!
A Second Recruitment Wind is your choice. Why not give the gift of membership in your organization to a second wave of people this semester? Now is the time.
