As much as I’ve always hated the analogy, the fact is recruiting and sales have way more in common that any self-respecting coach would ever care to admit. There’s nothing wrong with sales mind you, it’s just that when you’re talking about a young adult’s education, athletic career and personal future it’s hard to view it in the same light as you might life insurance or a used ’93 Buick. None the less, whether you’re talking about the university as a whole, a specific major, the basketball program, its players, coaches and facilities or the campus and local setting, every recruiter has a product to sell.
Of course the key to successful sales is the marketing of what you’ve got to offer. In today’s world of Photoshop, HD video, interactive web sites, social media outlets and who knows what other Steve Jobs inspired approach, you can pretty much make anybody feel like their life isn’t complete unless they own, possess or are a part of whatever it is that’s being pitched. The unique aspect of recruiting and what is being “sold” to a prospect and her family is that it’s not a tangible product or service. You can’t go home and unwrap it, try it on, or step back and look at the results of your purchase in a literal sense. Sure, after the fact and four or five years down the line, you could take a close look and reevaluate the decision and then decide if you got what you bargained for, but on signing date, it’s nothing more than a promise and an opportunity.
Unquestionably some of the most talented people in sales go by the title of coach and the spin masters in any realm of the political arena could only hope to craft their message the way that a top tier recruiter does. Metropolitan campuses are portrayed as rolling country sides. Small arenas are not small at all, they’re intimate. Losing seasons are rebuilding campaigns and unranked signing classes are full of sleepers. No matter what the issue, it can be presented in a way that minimizes any concerns that a recruit and her parents might have as they consider that particular program. Because it’s not something you can test drive, smell or sample a taste of, the opportunity presented by a program and its coaches is simply your interpretation of their resources, track record, sales pitch and presentation. The thin ice that recruits walk on is that last one…presentation.
The packaging of what a program has to offer is often hard for a prospect to sort through and finding the answers that will be important in their decision can entail a maze meaningless bells and whistles. Just like the slickest advertisement from Nike, Under Armor, or any of the over exposed energy drinks, the intent of web sites, recruiting correspondence or university produced publications is to make you believe that their program is instrumental in you ultimately achieving your potential and goals. Creative photography, video and music go with carefully scripted voiceovers that will get your blood pumping and heart racing but in reality do little or nothing to actually make that school or program the right place for you to spend your colligate career. As you take in all this mass marketing keep in mind there won’t be music playing in the background of every workout, your daily view of campus won’t be a dramatic nighttime skyline and, as folks in the financial world always remind us, “past performance is no indicator of future success”.
Recruiting on the part of the staff of a college program is a very scripted and choreographed effort. They want it to feel very personal to you and make every aspect of the program appear to be cutting edge, state of the art and at the very center of the basketball universe. Each photo, video and written word is carefully chosen, edited and presented in a way to portray their program in the best light possible. They aren’t going to share anything with you that might remotely raise questions in your mind or create doubt about their program being anything less than the ideal fit for you academically, athletically and personally. That’s where it’s your responsibility to get beyond the bright lights, inspirational video clips and structured presentation to find the “real” personality of the program and the assets it has to offer to you as a student, athlete and individual.
The same is true for campus visits, football weekends and Midnight Madness type events. Don’t think for a second that anything is unplanned or left to chance or that the atmosphere surrounding those moments is everyday life on that particular campus. There’s a reason they want you to visit on a specific weekend or be on hand for a special event. Avoid getting caught up in the moment and the temptation to make an emotional decision. In the sales world they would call that kind of thinking an “impulse buy” and while returning a pair of jeans that don’t fit is simple, having to transfer schools is not.
How something is presented in the recruiting process does absolutely nothing to make it any more viable as a resource for potential student athletes. It may tell you the coaches are creative and somewhat in touch with today’s athlete or that their program can afford to spend big bucks on a designer, programmer or video and photographic services. But it doesn’t make them a better coach. Nor does it make a degree from their university any more valuable or the experience of being a part of their program a better option for you than another with less sparkle and flash.
In the end, you’ve got to find a way to see the university, program and people for who and what they really are. Creative, warm and fuzzy recruiting efforts are bows. Special events and campus visits are ribbons. Today’s elaborate, high tech web sites and marketing efforts are nothing more than extravagant wrapping paper. All of them make the package look nice, but it’s what’s inside that truly counts. If the contents don’t fit, it’s OK to put it back on the shelf, say “no thanks” and shop elsewhere.
