by Haley Cahill-Teubert
Can we all agree life is weird and chaotic right now? When the governor of my state issued a shelter-in-place order, and I caught myself thinking: “Wow, I never imagined something like this would happen in my lifetime.”
We’re facing some difficult times and navigating uncharted waters, my friends. And whether we realize it or not, the choices we make every day in this unusual time and the way we face this pandemic will become the story we tell for years to come. Let’s not wait until this is all said and done to start crafting that story.
I don’t know about you, but I do not want my story to be about how I was part of a stampede to get toilet paper or how I watched 36 straight hours of Netflix before moving from the couch.
No shame if that’s you, but I think we all want to be able to tell a better story. Let me explain what I mean.
You know those cards you get around the holidays from family friends with these lengthy letters about everyone’s year in review–usually written in story form? They tend to be a highlight reel of all the accomplishments of the year, but they sometimes include challenges someone overcame.
At the end of this odd season of life, we are going to have a story to tell about how we persevered and how we social distanced, but instead of waiting for it to all pass, I want us to craft that ideal story now because that gives us a blueprint of how we want to come out of all of this. It gives us a clear plan for our next steps. It causes us to be more intentional with our time away from work or school.
For our organizations to come out of this stronger, I believe we need to start crafting the story now of how we were together during a time when we couldn’t be together.
When you think about the story your chapter or organization is crafting, let these questions guide your next steps:
I could list a million more questions, but I believe this is a solid starting point. Your answers to these questions will become the story you tell when coronavirus no longer commands headlines.
Once we can determine what story we want to tell to PNMs when they ask in recruitment, to parents who question the value of Greek organizations, to non-Greek students who aren’t sure what Greek life has to offer, to our own members who want to know why Greek life still matters when no one is on campus, I think we will have a clear action plan of how we move forward through the rest of the academic year, into summer break, and on to the fall.
In a time of uncertainty, you may be unsure how to move forward or how to pass the hours of your day in a more meaningful way. If that’s how you feel, consider that holiday card story. Write what you believe would be the ideal story of how your chapter and your organization survived a pandemic using the questions above–the story you’d be proud to look back on and share at the end of the year. The story you develop is your blueprint–the blueprint that will tell the story of how our brothers and sisters were together we couldn’t be “together”.
Is fraternity/sorority worth it?
Isn’t it just buying your friends?
We already know that fraternities and sororities have had a membership retention and engagement problem. But it’s worsening by the minute as members are asking “is this really worth it” (especially given the extreme circumstances of the present moment). During last week’s Phired Up Friday, we offered a free digital training offering insights on how to keep members and how to keep them engaged. The principles delivered during this session are applicable to the extremes of the current moment and the normalcy that we’ll soon (hopefully) return to.
Watch a recording of the full session below:
Or… Watch this shorter video.
And, when you’ve finished, read through some examples we came up with on how we might answer the question: “Is Fraternity & sorority worth the cost?” We hope they get you thinking about the ways fraternity or sorority provides value to you so you can craft your own unique way to talk about your organization’s value.
“Well, for me, sorority is an investment in a FULL college experience. I pay my dues because this organization rounds out my college life.”
“I wondered if my membership would be worth the dues I paid for my first semester. Then I started seeing myself grow, I got comfortable public speaking, learned how to work alongside others (especially learning to work with those I don’t see eye to eye with), got to manage a $5,000 event budget, and saw my test scores go up. I gained valuable life lessons but meeting some amazing friends to support me and build me up during it all was the cherry on top.”
“I didn’t have a stable family life and I wanted to change that in college. Sorority gave me the place to find my chosen family in women that loved me without condition.”
“Was it worth it? Hell yes- every moment of my college experience was challenged and supported by the community I became a part of. There is no price tag on experiences that shape seasons of our lives. ”
“It’s the lifelong aspect that makes it ‘worth it’ to me. Nothing else in college offers the promise of lifelong friends and career connections.”
“Sisterhood is more than friendship. It’s deep and it’s real. It’s forever. And it’s full of shared beliefs, values, and promises. That’s worth every penny to me.”
“I was tired of college just being about me. My grades, my relationships, my schedule. Nothing wrong with that but it stopped feeling fulfilling. Like it wasn’t enough. Fraternity gave me a way to change that. People to celebrate wins and fun times of college with, and help lift up or take the punch with when things were down. And of course lift me up when I was down. College became about we instead of about me which has been amazing. I don’t know if you can put a price on that but if so, ours probably costs less.”
“Oh I gladly pay dues (and I’m not exactly overflowing with money) because of all the amazing things we do! This is like the cruise ship of college. We’re constantly doing socials, service work, date functions, sisterhood retreats. It’s amazing!”
“I was really uncertain about the finances when I first joined. I’ve learned it’s worth every penny. These women are mentors and supporters and cheerleaders like nobody else I’ve ever met. They are my lifeline. I never would have found this in the dorms.”
“A perspective shift for me was when I realized that I don’t pay to the fraternity I pay through the fraternity. For me I paid for the experiences, for access to learning and leadership, and for access to opportunities I can’t get on campus (believe me I tried and it wasn’t the same). When I pay through fraternity my dollars actually go further than just something I do on my own.”
“I’m investing in other women with my dues. I don’t pay so I can get t-shirts and events (though that’s all great). My dues are an investment in uplifting women.”
“Aside from going to class, I didn’t feel like I had a great deal of purpose on campus before sorority. Membership in sorority gave me access to a significant number of opportunities, connections and experiences that I absolutely wouldn’t have without it. College life finally feels purposeful and fun.”
“Being in a sorority at my school isn’t just about having friends locally, I’m connected with thousands of sisters at chapters across the country and that’s not something you can get with just any club. There’s nothing like meeting a sister from another part of the country when you least expect it. Having friends (sisters) anywhere you go is an incredible thing.”
“Sorority membership isn’t just beneficial during college. Getting ready for graduation, there are a ton of alumnae in different cities who have been helpful in sharing my resume, recommend jobs to apply for, and connect me with professionals in my industry they know. Plus, they are super excited to welcome me into their alumnae chapter and help me get settled in a new city.”
“If I only wanted to pay for a diploma, I’d have taken online classes. I want an experience. Fraternity is tradition; it’s building a legacy I can come back to after graduation, it’s belonging to something bigger than myself.”
“I didn’t think I could afford fraternity. I’m a first generation student with multiple jobs. I don’t get $$ from my family. I had to decide if joining was “worth it.” I did the soul searching and I did the math. You should, too. I remember that I wasn’t 100% sure but I decided to take a leap of faith. Now I can tell you looking back, I made the right choice.”
“I get it. It ain’t cheap. Everyone joins for a different reason. You have to figure out yours. For me, it just made things easier. And it looked fun! It was a group I wanted to be with that was doing stuff I liked doing. The fraternity made it easy for me to have the best day of my life any day of my life.”
“Everyone told me ‘frat guys are just paying for friends.’ Not true. What’s really happening is my friends and I are putting our money together to do stuff that we decide is fun and worth it to us.”
“This place is my home away from home. I love the brothers! They look out for me. Keep me on track with my goals. Support me. To me, that’s priceless.”
“I’m only learning theory in the classroom. And paying a small fortune for it. In the fraternity I’m learning how to lead people, manage conflict, run an organization that’s like a small business…. This sounds weird, but I’m getting real world value from the fraternity that’s more useful than my classroom education.”
“Here’s the truth. It ain’t free. To me, it’s worth it. But it ain’t cheap. I work some overtime and weekends during the summer so I have enough money to pay dues. If you’re willing to do a little extra work, you can pay for it all upfront.”
“My parents help me pay for school. I showed them that people who join fraternities get better grades, are more likely to graduate, find internships, and land better jobs. They felt like giving me additional support and resources was worth the cost of dues.”
“Let’s be real. You don’t need to pay dues to party, drink, or whatever. You can do that stuff without joining. Landing a better internship, getting a higher paying job, building skills that will accelerate your career… those things are worth the cost that most guys are wasting on Friday nights.”
“A credit hour here costs $250. So the normal 4 credit class costs $1000. I’ve had classes that I didn’t learn much, didn’t get to know the professor or anyone in the class, I dreaded even going. Fraternity costs a fraction of that one class. I know every one of these guys, they care about me, and I know the fraternity is helping me become a better man. I haven’t really thought of it like this before, but fraternity might be the best value on campus.”
“What I noticed around me were the higher achieving, more social in a good way, and more likely to be successful people. Even when I had to work through college to pay my treasurer something every two weeks I found value in being around high performers. It made me better. Friends who were not in these organizations missed out on their college experience. They missed out on relationships. Knowledge is great, but if you aren’t connected it won’t take you very far.”
“Anything worth doing costs you something, When you want to make good grades it might be a sacrifice of getting up early to study, or getting a tutor. If you want to be healthy the cost is in the time you spend to workout, get a membership or take a class on campus. To pursue a significant other you give up part of who you are which costs you something. Fraternity costs something.”
“I’ve never been in an organization like this before. Yes, I’ve done student council and honors societies that cost me next to nothing. But I realized my dues were worth it when I saw how deep the relationships went. I’m growing myself, my friendships, my network, and my career all at the same time. No other organization offered me the ability to do that and that makes my dues worth it for me.”
“My dues are worth it to me because of all the individuals that I get to help impact through my membership. My dues helped host a 5k that donated $20,000 to the Ronald McDonald house in town which provided rooms and meals for families in need for two whole months. I see my dues going toward impacting women internally too. I get to mentor those younger than me and help them grow as individuals in their life and career skills. Watching how sorority has an internal and external impact on people around me makes my dues worth it.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Carmel, Ind. — Phired Up is excited to continue offering FREE live educational experiences for fraternity/sorority students, volunteers, and professionals on March 27th, April 3rd, and April 10th by extending its Phired Up Fridays initiative. This follows the first set of educational sessions on March 20th that were attended by hundreds of students, volunteers, and professionals from around North America.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE ALL PAST RECORDINGS AND A SCHEDULE OF UPCOMING SESSIONS
During this Coronavirus/COVID-19 “social distancing” period, Phired Up knows that fraternity/sorority members will continue to desire engaging education about how to grow their organizations. This is one small way we can help members, volunteers, and fraternity/sorority professionals do something that feels normal and productive.
“Even if you’re not physically at college, now is still the time to make plans for marketing and recruitment,” said Matt Mattson, Phired Up’s co-founder and President in the initial announcement. “Not to mention the importance of learning smart ways to engage your brothers and sisters digitally.”
Mattson reinforced the importance of this initiative today, “We have to act now to prepare for a fall that will be very different than what we’re used to. It is important that we have our people, plans, and preparation in place to help students find fraternities and sororities in the upcoming school year.”
The schedule of upcoming events can be found below.
[Note: Watch the recording of our Facebook Live Announcement.]
Tips for participating: A desktop or laptop works best. Mobile devices might require app download (follow prompts to “JOIN A MEETING” when you click the login link). You might need the “MEETING CODE.” We recommend logging in 10-15 minutes prior to the start. Max 1,000 participants.
FRIDAY, MARCH 20TH
“See The Word ‘RECRUITMENT’ Through Fresh Eyes”
Fraternity & Sorority Growth Fundamentals
by Matt Mattson – 1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
(COMPLETED | FREE RECORDING AND BLOG)
“Recruitment is CANCELLED! Now What?”
Digital Recruitment Principles (Just In Case)
by Josh Orendi & Hailey Mangrum – 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
(COMPLETED | FREE RECORDING AND BLOG)
FRIDAY, MARCH 27TH
“Is Fraternity/Sorority Really WORTH IT?”
Membership Engagement Principles In A Virtual World: We already know that fraternities and sororities have had a membership retention and engagement problem. But it’s worsening by the minute as members are asking “is this really worth it” (especially given the extreme circumstances of the present moment). This live digital training offers insights on how to keep members and how to keep them engaged. The principles delivered during this session are applicable to the extremes of the current moment and the normalcy that we’ll soon (hopefully) return to. Plus, Colleen wants to love on you and let you know that she (and we) are here for you right now!
by Dr. Colleen Coffey-Melchiorre – 1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
(COMPLETED | Free Recording)
“GO GREEK! Is Not A Marketing Strategy!”
Marketing Principles for Fraternities and Sororities: Fraternities and sororities MUST be ready to tell a powerful story about the value and values of our organizations starting immediately! The world is changing quickly, and it’s very noisy out there. Do you have a plan to market to the right audience with the right message and the right tactics that will result in the right new members this upcoming school year? Special time will be spent discussing very practical tactics for increasing the amount of people who demonstrate interest in sororities and fraternities.
by Matt Mattson - 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
(COMPLETED | Free Recording)
April 3rd
Phired Up Human Support (Like Tech Support, but for Humans): Have tricky questions about fraternity/sorority growth you’d like to talk with a professional about? Want to troubleshoot a difficult situation related to the pre-member experience? Want to just connect with someone who believes in sorority/fraternity, and could help stoke the “phire” that is your passion for this work? Login to Phired Up Human Support and we’ll support you… the humans who make up the fraternity/sorority world. (for students, volunteers, and professionals).
(COMPLETED | Free Recording)
April 10th
The Future of Fraternities and Sororities: To say the world has changed in the last month would be an understatement. But it was rapidly changing anyway. It’s time for the leaders of fraternities and sororities (students, volunteers, and professionals) to be forward looking. We can’t worry about the “events scheduled for next week.” We need to be strategizing for the seismic shifts of the next 5-10 years. During this session, Phired Up will discuss our industry-wide guidance for the way people will join fraternities and sororities in Fall 2020 and beyond (and discuss the potential impacts of COVID-19 on overall fraternity/sorority membership).
by Matt Mattson – 1pm Eastern Daylight Time
(COMPLETED | Free Recording)
Phired Up Human Support (Like Tech Support, but for Humans)… Technology Edition: Have tricky questions about fraternity/sorority growth technologies (CampusDirector, ChapterBuilder, MyVote, PNM Companion App) you’d like to talk with a professional about? Want to troubleshoot a difficult situation related to the pre-member experience (especially technology stuff)? Want to just connect with someone who believes in sorority/fraternity, and could help stoke the “phire” that is your passion for this work? Login to Phired Up Human Support and we’ll support you… the humans who make up the fraternity/sorority world. (for students, volunteers, and professionals).
by Erin Chatten, Hailey Mangrum, and Matt Farrell – 3pm Eastern Daylight Time
(COMPLETED | Free Recording)
About Phired Up. Phired Up helps fraternities and sororities grow. The company’s products, services, and brands are creating the future of fraternities and sororities by transforming the way people join. The company delivers relationship-focused, data-driven, results-producing TECHNOLOGY, EDUCATION, and STRATEGY solutions for every aspect of the pre-member experience from first-impression through initiation.
By Matt Mattson
This blog was inspired by a Live Digital Training session that is available to watch in full for free here.
Here’s a completely hypothetical situation. Imagine with me, would you… Imagine that the news is suddenly full of stories of a worldwide zombie apocalypse. Again… completely hypothetical… but imagine that it is a worldwide pandemic of Zombiism… They’re calling the disease that is infecting people, ZOMBID-19… Imagine that schools are closed and businesses are closed and restaurants and bars are closed… Imagine that everyone is quarantined… Imagine all the toilet paper has all been hoarded… Can you picture it?
A cure is urgently needed.
Good news. It’s your job to figure out the solution. Your job is vital. The President of The United States… President Kardashian (Khloe)… has asked you to organize a group of the world’s best medical professionals to find a cure. Your job is to attract, select, and secure the best doctors, nurses, researchers, and scientists in the world to come up with a cure.
Now here’s the question… How would you do it?
a) Would you a: Set up a table in a busy park with the letters “DR.Z” carved in wood real big next to the table hoping the most qualified candidates will find you and be interested in taking a risk to join without really knowing what they’re getting into.
b) Charge $150 for someone to have the chance to be considered, then put anyone who shows up through four days of fun but intense very short interviews and make sure as many of them get matched to an opportunity as possible.
c) Just host some fun medical “hangouts” (advertised on IG) for a while, letting any interested candidates know that you’ll have the “tightest group of zombie doctors around” and maybe have a nice dinner out for anyone who shows serious interest.
d) None of the above.
I think I know your answer. NONE OF THE ABOVE!
If your job was to “RECRUIT” the best people in the world for a particular cause… and that cause was important to the world, what would you do? NONE OF THE ABOVE!
If your job is to attract, select, and secure the best people in the world for a particular cause… and that cause was important to the world… and that cause was to carry out the mission, vision, and values of your fraternal organization, what would you do? NONE OF THE ABOVE!
Every time you start to make your plan to grow your organization this year, look up at the officers that have come before you and your alumni giving you advice, and make your plans based on NONE OF THE ABOVE!!!!
The methods of the past to grow fraternities and sororities don’t make sense in today’s world.
And this takes us to the word “RECRUITMENT.” I need you to look at this word through the fresh eyes that you have. Don’t wear the fogged up glasses of members of the past. See the word through fresh eyes!
Maybe you’re a part of an organization that doesn’t even like to use the word, “RECRUITMENT.” I get it. That’s because you think about recrutiment ideas of the past. I don’t blame you. You’re smart enough to understand that those ideas don’t fit into today’s world, into today’s culture, into the real lives of today’s students.
I’d like to invite you to see the idea of recruitment in its most simple, core, basic, bare bones meaning… From this point forward, when you see the word recruitment, here’s what it should mean to you… THE METHODS BY WHICH YOUR ORGANIZATIONS ATTRACTS, SELECTS, AND SECURES THE RIGHT MEMBERS FOR YOUR GROUP. That’s all. And it might be time for those methods to be re-imagined.
You… the ones reading this… you are the creators. You are the architects of a new version of sorority and fraternity. Your are the engineers of GreekLife2.0. You are not stuck in tradition or history. You are visionaries. You are idealists with your feet planted firmly in reality. You are ready to do the hard work and change things. Let’s flip some tables! Let’s transform our organizations. IF RIGHT NOW ISN’T THE RIGHT TIME TO CREATE THE FUTURE, I DON’T KNOW WHEN IS.
Today’s students crave a fraternity & sorority experience for the modern era. This modern era requires FRESH EYES! This modern era requires an understanding of today’s students and their college environments… which are dramatically different from those of the past. This modern era requires a re-definition of the very processes by which we exist.
Now, let’s go back to the completely unimaginable hypothetical scenario with the zombies and the doctors. How would you go about attracting, selecting, and securing the RIGHT doctors to accomplish your cause.
I believe you would do three simple things.
It should be no surprise that I want you to do the same three things when you build your chapter’s growth plan for this upcoming school year. No matter how you grow… formal recruitment; a discretionary process of interviews, informationals, and intake; or an informal and casual recruitment process, digital recruitment or face-to-face… THIS APPLIES TO YOU.
So look at recruitment through fresh eyes.
With fresh eyes you’ll see that there are three major things you have to do in recruitment…
Watch the video linked at the top of this post for a deeper dive into these concepts. And visit www.phiredup.com/free for tons of free resources on how to practically do all of this.
Phired Up knows that many students, volunteers, and professionals are worried about how COVID-19 is going to impact summer/fall fraternity/sorority recruitment initiatives. This blog is meant to provide insight, opportunities for reflection, and potential solutions.
We recently presented a digital training session on this topic that is available to watch for free here. This post includes 4 possible scenarios, more than 23 practical solutions, 9 Digital Recruitment Principles and 3 detailed examples for your consideration. Read it all the way through. Share it with other thought leaders you respect. Let’s get started…
There are probably four potential scenarios that could play out…
SCENARIO 1: School is 100% Online. No One Comes Back to Campus. Or, There’s Another Scare & Shut Down. Students are not permitted to return to campus. Classes are exclusively online. No on-campus housing, no sports, no tailgates, no convocation, no orientation, no in-person events, no work week, no traditional recruitment like we’re used to having. Or efforts to control the virus reverse, there is a spike in August/Sept, students on campus are quarantined or encouraged to stay home again. Extreme = Yes. Impossible = No. Is it worth a conversation to think about strategies and possible scenarios for a 100% online semester = Maybe.
SCENARIO 2: Gradual Return to Campus. Returning students, new students, faculty and staff might be experiencing illness or choosing to self-quarantine and are encouraged to stay home. Perhaps those who are medically cleared come back to campus gradually throughout August, September, October, maybe even into November, and December. This scenario is still a stretch but not crazy given the limited information we have right now about this virus. There is some precedent suggesting that viral outbreaks like this don’t just go away. As people start to gather again, it’s possible that we’ll see another spike in infections and possibly another round of quarantines — or more.
SCENARIO 3: Social Distancing Continues on Campus. Health professionals continue to discourage large gatherings. When gathering, groups are asked to make sure there are no more than 10 or 25 people gathering for example. This would mean no in-person full chapter meetings, no tailgates, no mixers, no yardshows, no theater seminars, no buffets at the cafeteria, no philanthropy events, no traditional homecoming, no Meet the Greeks, no student organization fairs, no traditional IFC/Panhellenic formal rush rounds, no chapter or council sponsored week of events, no traditional bid day. In this scenario, we’d all be on campus. We could continue to do small group stuff. But most of the full chapter or event based activities that we’re used to doing would require an alternative strategy.
SCENARIO 4: A New Normal, But Things Just FEEL Different on Campus. We are all a little different. Student perspectives and priorities are a little different. Student choices about time, money, and relationships are a little different. The way we see the world and the future is different. Maybe parents are even more protective and even more involved. Maybe things like tall RUSH boards, door stacks, t-shirt designs, party rounds, and interest sessions feel different to our members or the students they’re designed to attract. Maybe the health scare is over, so we return to school with plans to do the same thing we did last year. We discover that our recruitment plans are the same as last year, but everyone involved in those plans has changed. Keep in mind that it’s very possible that the majority of the incoming freshmen will be a few months removed from a life altering experience. Their senior year of high school was taken from them. No spring break, no prom, no graduation ceremony, no year book signing, no final day of class to hug your friends and say goodbye. How will those same students come to college? What will they value? What will they be looking for? Will we be ready to offer it?
So the big question becomes… Can we attract, select, and secure people for fraternities and sororities with limited to no face-to-face interaction?
In the year 2020, the answer is obviously, “YES, OF COURSE WE CAN!”
The next question is, “HOW?” We hope this helps provide an answer.
NINE DIGITAL RECRUITMENT PRINCIPLES
Digital (or non-face-to-face) recruitment will look and feel a little different, and it will take on myriad forms throughout the fraternity/sorority world. But smart recruiters will keep these principles of digital recruitment in mind.
WHAT THIS COULD LOOK LIKE
Before we get to detailed tactics and plans, let’s take a moment to imagine some basic case studies so that you can picture this in your mind. These are from our staff…
A Panhellenic Example
Imagine a Panhellenic community that mimics rounds on a video-interview style platform. Each PNM might receive a schedule followed by links (for Uberconference, Zoom or Google Hangout meetings) and times to log on. On the chapter side, each bump group might have X-1 links for their group if they have 4 women recruiting in the same room (If they are a bump group of 4, they have 3 links and talk to 3 women) and rotate members in front of computer screens. If completely remote, chapter members can “bump” by sending the PNM the video link to the sister they talk to next in the round. Imagine PNMs receive a link to “interview/chat” with a designated chapter member for the allotted time. She can screen share some photos to talk about their experiences etc. If the chapter wants to share a common message, they create a recorded video that the chapter member shares with the PNM (maybe one for each round). On the bright side… these video convos would likely be longer than a normal bump rotation. Chapters who use MyVote’s advanced matching feature could easily generate suggested matches to designate what PNM speaks to what chapter member. Each chapter could host a digital “pre” round on MyVote where chapter members can review PNM’s profiles and make matching recommendations on what chapter members they think would be a good conversation match. Recruitment counselors could host an Uberconference room and be available to login and chat whenever a PNM wants to hop in. She could ask questions/gauge the group by using tools like Mentimeter. Councils can continue to use CampusDirector paired with the PNM Companion App to enter preferences and complete the MRABA. Bids could easily be distributed digitally or in a more personal manner with Panhellenic exec members doing a two-minute video call with each PNM (depending on the size of the community).
A CBFO Example
Imagine an MGC chapter that starts by building a prospect list from three key pipelines: a) Instagram Follow/Follow-Back/DMs to incoming and current students, b) A list acquisition from a multicultural affairs office, and c) A small scholarship managed entirely through social media and texting for targeted incoming students. They conduct interviews for the scholarships, of course. They also host three “Virtual Informational Meetings” using a tool like Zoom. They push out 3 simply and affordably made videos that feature their members talking about their values/purpose, what they’re seeking in prospects, and answers to the most commonly asked questions (i.e. What does your process look like? What if I can’t afford it? Do I have to be from a certain demographic?). Each prospect goes through a series of group interviews, and all final top prospects get a one-on-one interview with each executive board member. This is a lot of interviews and video calls, but it is worth it.
An IFC Example
Imagine an IFC council that creates an experience for potential members that starts in the spring and continues through the fall, entirely via digital media. The council launches a major paid social media inbound ad campaign, conducts a scholarship for “Incoming Gentlemen,” executes some major Instagram DM’ing, conducts direct email, phone call, and texting work to a list acquired from the university, and does virtual “town halls” targeted to local communities from which a lot of incoming students typically come. They then conduct two weeks of on-line potential member orientation classes, “virtual fun” events, video releases, live video presentations, small group and one-one-one video interviews, and a final live bid presentation “show” (that seems like the NBA draft). Here is one very relevant resource, and another that might give more insight for this particular example.
TACTICS AND PLANS
This is not meant to be an all-inclusive or perfect list of digital tactics and plans for your plug and play usage. These are meant to demonstrate digital possibilities. It is so important to live in possibilities and solutions right now. We CAN do this (should we need to). Sure there are obstacles. We’re leadership organizations, so now it’s time to lead and come up with new solutions to the new challenges we’ve been presented.
PROSPECTING & PIPELINING
INTERACTIONS AND EXPERIENCES
While this particular urgency is a surprise, the idea of digital recruitment is not shocking to us. We’ve been thinking about it.
Until we’ve created Match or eHarmony for fraternities and sororities (and yes, we’re talking about it), the above list is a good approximation of what “digital recruitment” could look like starting right now.
Phired Up is ready to help. And here’s to hoping and praying that things go back to normal (whatever “normal” means).
*Note: This blog is not about Phired Up advocating for or against digital recruitment. We just know folks are considering it as a potential reality, and they need guidance on how to do it right. As always, fraternity/sorority recruitment should be based on trust-filled relationships, an honest and powerful value proposition, and a genuine opportunity for a potential member to find belonging, purpose, and personal development through sisterhood, brotherhood, or siblinghood.
by Matt Farrell
You’re hearing a lot about what you need to do different virtually now, but wait a second. Think about the role your phone has played in how you currently make friends. Think about how you use it to set aside time with people. Recruitment has already become mostly digital. Now, we’re simply forced to get better at it.
Want proof? Check out this story from my call yesterday with Alex Cruz. Alex is a perfect case study for this for a couple reasons:
This virtual recruitment concept is nothing new for anyone in the expansion world. But it will help you get back to the basics. Check out Alex’s words directly.
Becoming a Virtual Recruiter
I didn’t really have an opinion at first, it was the only option given to me for remote summer recruitment. I knew it was our system so just kind of dove in. My main fear was that it would feel like a sales pitch. Like that I’d sound like a telemarketer. I don’t think it’s possible to feel any different until you pick up the phone and try.
Getting in a System
As I got going, I started taking a little time to make a plan before each call. Like an essay outline.
Those were the big 3 and probably still are today. ChapterBuilder is where everything went. It didn’t seem to matter much at the time but once we were sorting everything in bulk later, it was so much easier. It was the storage for our system.
Memorable Stories
I specifically remember talking a ton about travel with one guy, experiences, the things he was learning studying abroad. We really hit it off discussing differences between different countries. He didn’t end up being a mutual fit for us, so it’s cool that I still remember so much and got so much from the conversation. I think he still ended up joining a fraternity which was neat.
There’s still just funny stuff that happens that’s no different than in-person. One guy was at a happy hour event with his bosses and stepped out to talk to me, so that was a fun conversation.
You don’t have to worry about showing up somewhere and getting canceled on. Sometimes we’d just bump the call a day and it wasn’t a big deal.
Local Connections
I was born near Tucson and had so many stories from there, as did everybody I talked to. Even though school had only been out like a month it felt a lot longer. I was away from home and Arizona long enough to be talking about a long-lost place. Easy connection with anyone.
I think that’s big for what’s going on right now. There’s a missing piece in a lot of people’s lives. They didn’t even get to stop in at their favorite places on campus like I did as a graduating senior. If I were doing it again right now, that’s a big hole I’d want to fill.
The Goal of Each Call
Two goals, really: Give and get. You want to give them something cool and get more names based on that.
The call is really creating something tangible with them. What the chapter has been and what it’s becoming, how they would fit in based on your connection with them and what they like.
Then you bring in social media to show them we’re not just making it up. They can follow along on their screen in a way that’s real and not like a PowerPoint.
I would read off our Instagram bio and say “check it out right now, you see that recommend a friend link there,” things like that. Give them a few seconds so they actually do it. It’s something everyone can do right when they’re talking to you.
We didn’t use the word “referral” much, we really just sought to create a tree of relationships knowing everybody wants that. And we’d grab those names at the end, most of the time I could get a few names through the link in bio while we were still on the phone. Then they’re already in ChapterBuilder.
The Final Step
When we actually got back to campus we already had ins, we already had actual relationships, excitement was already built up.
We just got to show them it’s real. No matter how genuine you are over the phone they definitely want to see its real. But all the technical stuff was already taken care of. We were ready to lock in people who already trusted us, and vice versa.
Adapting to the Coronavirus Era
First things first you have to take care of your own mental stability. I know I wouldn’t have made it past these last four days in quarantine without our group Snapchats and FaceTiming with ‘da boiz. You have to remember why you love it yourself. When you’re excited about what you’re offering, it changes all the conversations you have and how much fun they are.
Something we could’ve done better was video calls/ FaceTime. That could’ve helped add the missing piece I just talked about with them seeing that it’s real. I’d recommend that for people doing outreach now for sure.
Alex had 50+ men ready to join before getting back to Arizona. All were virtual leads, and the primary referral source (per ChapterBuilder) was other virtual leads. He believes the same strategy can be used in the current climate. While starting this chapter, Alex was an expansion consultant and is now currently the Director of Chapter Development at Phi Gamma Delta HQ.
by Branden Stewart
I’m one of the most “Type A”people I know. Throughout my adult life, I’ve been the man with the plan and someone who can be trusted to get things done. I thrive in the black and white of it all, and I recognize my shortcomings when it comes to navigating through shades of gray. How I wish I could be the guy who can sit back and just go with the flow sometimes!
I can trace so many of my organization and execution skills back to my time as a student leader in my fraternity in college. Looking back, the biggest hurdles I had to worry about were related to things that seem so silly in retrospect: making sure we had a large enough room reservation, micromanaging our campus award applications, navigating a new council-implemented recruitment rule, or scheduling retreats around everyone’s busy calendars. All of those things pale so drastically with what’s facing chapter leaders, advisors, and campus professionals today.
As the man with a plan, these last few weeks have been… rough.
And if they’re rough for me, with a decade of professional experience navigating all the hurdles that life and work throws at all of my carefully laid plans, I can only imagine how rough they might be for you right now. I’m especially thinking about all my “Type A” get-it-done planners and executors.
…I’m thinking about all of the sage New Member Educators and Intake Chairs who were working hard to cultivate a welcoming member experience for their newest brothers and sisters.
…I’m thinking about all of the chapter presidents who were working with their executive boards to execute carefully curated calendars and strategic plans.
…I’m thinking about the talented recruitment leaders who were getting a jump-start in Fall Recruitment by building their names list, training their members, and collaborating with council leaders and headquarters teams.
…I’m thinking about all of the seniors graduating this semester who have suddenly had their final months on campus thrown into uncertainty, perhaps not being able to participate in traditions and rituals they’ve waited years to experience.
…And I’m thinking about all of the plans I’ve had over the years that didn’t go exactly how I’d hoped. Like I said, I’m most comfortable when things are a clear-cut black and white. But what I’ve learned over the years is that so many things rarely go according to plan. Sometimes, all you can see in front of you is that gray area. What we are experiencing today is on a whole new level. Right now, no matter which way any of us turn, everything is gray and unknown.
So what can you do as a “planner”? As someone who “gets things done”? As someone who hates to be sitting around, waiting for direction? I’ve got a few ideas.
1) Take a moment and call your fraternity brothers or sorority sisters. I’m so often caught up in “the plan” that I forget the people who help make the plan happen. I bet some of you are the same way. You can’t have a thriving chapter without members who are committed to it. And leaders sometimes unintentionally distance themselves from their people. Chapter leaders like you can make a big difference for some of your members by simply picking up the phone, making a call, and connecting. Connection is comforting, and desperately needed, especially in times like these.
2) Reflect on your performance so far. Rarely do we get a moment to step back, analyze, and be introspective about how we’re performing as leaders. It’s even more rare to find a chance to do that mid-semester! You’ve been given a special opportunity to slow down. What are some of the things you’re proud of so far in how 2020 has been going? Double down on those things going forward (to the best degree that you’re able)! Are there areas where you could improve your performance or planning? Now is a great time to hit the reset button on yourself, and recalibrate to get things back on track.
3) Make a plan to make the plan. We don’t know everything about how today’s pandemic will affect tomorrow’s reality, but we have some ideas of how things might go. Do you have a strategic plan for the semester, philanthropy goals, recruitment benchmarks, or other measurable standards you were hoping to reach this year? Now is a good time to assess the current reality of where you are, what’s coming next, and what may truly be attainable. Perhaps you can schedule some mini-meetings virtually with your fellow leaders within your chapter, or even peers from your council, to talk through what needs to happen next to achieve and modify your goals.
You don’t have to wait for the storm to pass, feeling crippled by the lack of certainty of what’s to come. You can take time to reconnect with your chapter brothers and sisters. You can reflect and take stock of your year so far. And you can make a plan to make the plan.
Here’s what we do know: This is an unprecedented time for all of us. We are all doing the best we can with the information we have. No one is quite sure what’s next, but we can count on each other moving forward as we begin making plans for the future of fraternity and sorority in the wake of this watershed moment in our global society.
You have been given an exceptionally difficult task: to remain a leader in this time of great uncertainty. And I’m confident that you can navigate through the gray areas ahead of you to make a plan which will get things in your chapter and on your campus back on track when the time comes.
[EDITED: An updated announcement was posted on March 25th. See updated information here: http://blog.phiredup.com/morefridays/]
Carmel, Ind. — Phired Up will provide completely free on-line education experiences on March 20th and March 27th, 2020 focused on helping fraternities and sororities grow. No registration is necessary, but to indicate interest and get more information, please complete this form: https://tinyurl.com/
During this Coronavirus/COVID-19 “social distancing” period, Phired Up knows that fraternity/sorority members will continue to desire engaging education about how to grow their organizations. This is one small way we can help members, volunteers, and fraternity/sorority professionals do something that feels normal and productive. We’re sure there are more important things every fraternity/sorority member is concerned about, and we also know that perpetuating brotherhood and sisterhood into the future is always a worthwhile endeavor.
“Even if you’re not physically at college, now is still the time to make plans for marketing and recruitment,” said Matt Mattson, Phired Up’s co-founder and President. “Not to mention the importance of learning smart ways to engage your brothers and sisters digitally.”
The schedule of upcoming events can be found below. More sessions might be added. COMPLETE THIS FORM to indicate interest, and Phired Up will send information leading up to the live sessions: https://tinyurl.com/
[Note: Watch the recording of our Facebook Live Announcement.]
Tips for participating: A desktop or laptop works best. Mobile devices might require app download (follow prompts to “JOIN A MEETING” when you click the login link). You might need the “MEETING CODE.” We recommend logging in 10-15 minutes prior to the start. Max 1,000 participants.
FRIDAY, MARCH 20TH
“See The Word ‘RECRUITMENT’ Through Fresh Eyes”
Fraternity & Sorority Growth Fundamentals
by Matt Mattson – 1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
(COMPLETED | FREE RECORDING AND BLOG)
“Recruitment is CANCELLED! Now What?”
Digital Recruitment Principles (Just In Case)
by Josh Orendi & Hailey Mangrum – 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
(COMPLETED | FREE RECORDING AND BLOG)
FRIDAY, MARCH 27TH
“Is Fraternity/Sorority Really WORTH IT?”
Membership Engagement Principles In A Virtual World: We already know that fraternities and sororities have had a membership retention and engagement problem. But it’s worsening by the minute as members are asking “is this really worth it” (especially given the extreme circumstances of the present moment). This live digital training offers insights on how to keep members and how to keep them engaged. The principles delivered during this session are applicable to the extremes of the current moment and the normalcy that we’ll soon (hopefully) return to. Plus, Colleen wants to love on you and let you know that she (and we) are here for you right now!
by Dr. Colleen Coffey-Melchiorre – 1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
(COMPLETED | Free Recording)
“GO GREEK! Is Not A Marketing Strategy!”
Marketing Principles for Fraternities and Sororities: Fraternities and sororities MUST be ready to tell a powerful story about the value and values of our organizations starting immediately! The world is changing quickly, and it’s very noisy out there. Do you have a plan to market to the right audience with the right message and the right tactics that will result in the right new members this upcoming school year? Special time will be spent discussing very practical tactics for increasing the amount of people who demonstrate interest in sororities and fraternities.
by Matt Mattson - 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
(COMPLETED | Free Recording)
April 3rd
Phired Up Human Support (Like Tech Support, but for Humans): Have tricky questions about fraternity/sorority growth you’d like to talk with a professional about? Want to troubleshoot a difficult situation related to the pre-member experience? Want to just connect with someone who believes in sorority/fraternity, and could help stoke the “phire” that is your passion for this work? Login to Phired Up Human Support and we’ll support you… the humans who make up the fraternity/sorority world. (for students, volunteers, and professionals).
(Livestream Link for all discussions on April 3rd: https://tinyurl.com/puphumans) | Meeting Code: 313-400-968
April 10th
The Future of Fraternities and Sororities: To say the world has changed in the last month would be an understatement. But it was rapidly changing anyway. It’s time for the leaders of fraternities and sororities (students, volunteers, and professionals) to be forward looking. We can’t worry about the “events scheduled for next week.” We need to be strategizing for the seismic shifts of the next 5-10 years. During this session, Phired Up will discuss our industry-wide guidance for the way people will join fraternities and sororities in Fall 2020 and beyond (and discuss the potential impacts of COVID-19 on overall fraternity/sorority membership).
by Matt Mattson – 1pm Eastern Daylight Time
(Livestream Link: https://tinyurl.com/fraternalphuture) | Meeting Code: 012-060-664
Phired Up Human Support (Like Tech Support, but for Humans)… Technology Edition: Have tricky questions about fraternity/sorority growth technologies (CampusDirector, ChapterBuilder, MyVote, PNM Companion App) you’d like to talk with a professional about? Want to troubleshoot a difficult situation related to the pre-member experience (especially technology stuff)? Want to just connect with someone who believes in sorority/fraternity, and could help stoke the “phire” that is your passion for this work? Login to Phired Up Human Support and we’ll support you… the humans who make up the fraternity/sorority world. (for students, volunteers, and professionals).
by Erin Chatten, Hailey Mangrum, and Matt Farrell – 3pm Eastern Daylight Time
(Live Stream Link: https://tinyurl.com/humantechfriday) | Meeting Code: 524-184-569
COMPLETE THIS FORM to indicate interest, and Phired Up will send information leading up to the live sessions: https://tinyurl.com/
About Phired Up Productions: Phired Up Productions helps fraternities and sororities grow. The company’s products, services, and brands are creating the future of fraternities and sororities by transforming the way people join. The company delivers relationship-focused, data-driven, results-producing TECHNOLOGY, EDUCATION, and STRATEGY solutions for every aspect of the pre-member experience from first-impression through initiation.
by Colleen Coffey-Melchiorre
I am scared right now.
What are we going to do? As a professional who supports fraternities and sororities, my mind immediately goes to chapter operations. People have cancelled all intake. No more meetings. No Greek Week. No philanthropy events. Schools are closing. Organizations are halting travel. Staff is working remotely. What about initation? Recruitment? Essential/non-essential gatherings? What about our seniors… is this really it for them?
But then I get a sense of clarity.
Brothers and sisters, we are more than just roommates and event planners. Here is where we have the opportunity to thrive…
Your brothers and sisters need to laugh… to be told it’s all going to be ok… and they need connection now more than ever. Sisterhood and brotherhood isn’t built in a day, whether it’s in-person or on-line. Reach out. Care for one another. Be there for each other.
I know I’m grateful for the people in my life who are being both responsible and relational. We all have the capability to be both right now. Especially as sisters and brothers.
Oh, and wash your hands.
by Dr. Colleen Coffey-Melchiorre
It’s March now and for many of you Spring is in the air, and graduation is on the horizon. Spring is a season of Greek weeks and finals preparation, saying goodbye and getting ready to do the “summer thing”. It is also a perfect time for chapter evaluations to take place. This is a really good time to ask your members what they liked about this past year, and what they did not like. This gives you time and space as a leader to look at and analyze results, and actually think about how you are going to apply those results.
Our curriculum on membership retention highlights the importance of evaluation by sharing some simple sample questions with chapter leaders. Use these as you wish to evaluate the pulse of your membership. Once you are done, scan the results for common themes and consider how you will act on those themes. Don’t take answers too personally, and if you can keep them confidential, just use constructive feedback to make your chapter better.
Try these questions:
What is your favorite part of being in the fraternity/sorority?
What is your least favorite part?
What can we do to help you learn and grow next semester?
Ask these in an online form, do a focus group with a small section of your chapter, or ask people to talk about this openly in your next chapter meeting. HOW you ask isn’t as important as it is THAT you are asking, and WHAT you do about it.
The question about learning and growing is particularly important. Lots of people (who are way smarter than me) have studied work and organizational cultures for a long time. Learning and growth are two fundamental pieces of engaging people. Why? Because folks are anxious to learn new things, and they need to be challenged to feel like they are really making a difference. People need to sense forward progress in themselves and in their organization to feel like it’s worth it.
Often leaders in fraternal organizations are well engaged, in-part because they must be, but also because they are challenged and praised. In other words, leaders have a job to do, and in that job they are learning and growing. The rest of the membership can get complacent, not because they are lazy letter-wearers, but because sometimes stuff just gets old. Consider the senior who is engaged to be married: does he really want to keep going to mixers? What about the 4.0 students who are asked to sit through yet another study skills workshop, or the non-drinker who is reprimanded as part of a larger group for poor behavior? These things are not relevant to these individuals. It’s not what they need, and it doesn’t push them or challenge them.
I think about my own sorority experience. I love to dance, but was never quite good enough for a college level dance team or cheerleading squad. In sorority, however, I got to be a part of the dance competition during Greek weeks. It was challenging and fun, and probably a bit of a headache for my sisters who were really amazing dancers to have to teach me a little more. But, it helped me engage in the organization in ways that made my membership meaningful to ME. That’s what you should be striving to do for each of your members.
The question about learning and growing is most simply: what do you want out of fraternity/sorority? How can we help you stretch and become better? What do you want to do? Paying attention to answers, and acting on requests within reason, yields a more active and engaged membership. We don’t know if we don’t ask, so use this time to ask and listen, take the summer to plan, and use the fall to implement.