Skype/Video Chat & Recruitment

by Matt Mattson

This is a completely random recruitment thought.  What if, however, your chapter used Skype, Google Video Chat, or some other web-based video chat software to connect with the larger inter/national organization while recruiting new members this fall.

I “see” my brother-in-law weekly, and he lives in Poland.  My 18-month-old “sees” her grandparents regularly despite their 1000 mile distance from each other.  If we can figure out the magic of “video-phones” out for my family’s use, there has to be some application for sophisticated college students and Greek organizations in particular.

Often potential members don’t really understand the significance of having brothers/sisters around the country, or a historical headquarters (which many organizations have) that is, if nothing else, pretty neat.  What if we used technology to show them?  Imagine video chatting with your inter/national president in the library/museum of your organization’s historical headquarters (or something else cool like that).  Just seems like an obvious opportunity to connect potential members to the larger idea of fraternity/sorority.

Headquarters could consider using Ustream to broadcast live promotional tours of the headquarters or founding site during heavy recruitment periods so that they could offer the opportunity to a lot of chapters at once.  Combine with streaming #hashtag chat on Twitter, and you’ve got a pretty technologically-savvy recruitment opportunity.  Truthfully, most first-year students won’t be ready for all that this fall, but start simple and consider how you can use these video/web-based services.

Can important successful alumni video chat with high priority potential members to help them understand the life-changing value of your organization?  Can you offer parents of potential members a live virtual tour of your house via Ustream?  Can you Skype with a class at your old high school live from the fraternity/sorority house to give thema sneak peak at the college experience?  Once new members have joined, can you use Skype or other services for new member education?  Could you invite chapter presidents from other schools around the country to “join” your meetings to add new perspective?   Can you broadcast your chapter meetings online so alumni around the country can join?

Dynamic Recruitment System Sneak Peek

by Matt Mattson

I had a realization today that we’ve never shared this over the blog.  Maybe we were trying to keep it a secret, but oh well… here it is (the pic in the blog is a general diagram, to see fraternity and sorority specific diagrams, see the links at bottom). 

I also was thinking that many fraternity/sorority professionals may have only seen the first part of our message that we deliver from the main stage of our programs — this blog gives you a peek at the meat of our recruitment system which, when implemented, drives serious results.

Dynamic Recruitment for Fraternities and Sororities, as taught by Phired Up is about continual social excellence, networking, real relationship building, letting quantity drive quality, gathering horses and getting to work, bold purpose, lots of handshakes, providing value and living values, building a system that consistently drives a higher quantity of higher quality members into the organization, values-based membership selection, and deep respect for the people being recruited.  The system looks like this (this is simplified for the sake of the blog)…

dynamic-recruitment-flowchart

1. Build as many relationships with non-Greek students (your prospect pool) as possible using the 6 Cylinders (“5 Ways” for sororities), and put their information on a Names List.

2. Build meaningful relationships with those new friends that are now on your Names List by engaging them in Small Activities.

3. Once the chapter knows the potential members well enough, they choose which persons to give a bid to using an objective, measurable, values-based selection criteria.

4. A chapter never offers a bid before they “Pre-Close” the potential member to ensure all concerns are covered and the chapter gets 100% bid acceptance.

5. The potential members always say yes when asked in a way that respects their intelligence and respects the organization.

O.K., that’s about the quickest way I’ve ever described this revolutionary operating model for fraternities and sororities.  A lot more goes into it, but that at least provides an overview for those curious about what our year-round, values-based, results-driving, Dynamic Recruitment System looks like.  This is the system that is sweeping North America.  This is the system that is revolutionizing fraternities, sororities, and other purpose-driving membership organizations.  This is the system built by experienced recruiters.  This is the system that gets results.

Attendees at our workshops’ advanced sessions receive a workbook with a template for building an action plan for long-term limitless recruitment possibility.  To see what those look like, check these out.

Fraternity Dynamic Recruitment Action Plan Template

Sorority Dynamic Recruitment Action Plan Template

Social Excellence Makes You Money

by Matt Mattson

Why is it that great service is so rare but seemingly so simple? [And what can that teach us?]

large_waiters_cocktailsI eat at restaurants a lot.  Nine times out of ten the service I recieve is hum drum.  But that one time out of ten, I have a remarkable, memorable experience.  The difference is normally very simple, but always it is an example of Social Excellence.

Twice this week I’ve had memorable dining experiences. 

First on Saturday night with my wife at a pretty nice Italian restaurant in Denver called Panzanos.  The food was great, the ambience was decent, but the server made the night special.  Simple things… He had an excellent recommendation when I asked for it, he engaged with us in a genuine way, he went the extra mile and gave us a little extra of the gorgonzola sauce we were raving about (which cost the restaurant $0), and he was focused on giving us his best effort — he was sharing a gift with us, the gift of a wonderful dining experience.

Then yesterday morning as I was at the Portland airport I sat down for breakfast at yet another airport cafe (I love a nice egg sandwich before my flight).  My server was spectacular.  Again, she had a recommendation, she made some jokes, she smiled and seemed to be enjoying herself, and then… as I got up to head to my gate, she noticed I was leaving from the other side of the cafe and said, “Thanks Matt, have a great flight.”  That’s right, she used my name (I hadn’t introduced myself, she just saw it on my credit card). 

How hard is that?  Not difficult at all.  But I’m going to rave about those experiences.

When you’re recruiting people into your organization, do you provide experiences like that, or not?  When your members engage with the public on your campus, do they leave people smiling?  Do they provide a remarkable, memorable experience?  Or are they just regular people you come across everyday?  Are they the 9 out of 10 or the 1 out of 10?

Living a lifestyle of Social Excellence includes a commitment to leaving the people you encounter feeling special.  Leaving them with a remarkable moment.  Leaving them with a memory, a surprise. 

People who are socially excellent surprise people all the time in small ways. 

Imagine if your organization made it its #1 goal to surprise someone every day and make people around you smile.

So, those two servers got big tips from me.  I felt GREAT about giving them my money because I had a VALUABLE experience.  They surprised me in small ways and they were rewarded.  I’m sure I’m not the only one they encountered this week that rewarded them with a financial recognition of the value they added to someone’s life. 

Add value to someone’s life and you’ll be rewarded (Social Excellence Makes You Money).

Surprise people in small ways today. Make someone feel special.  Be remarkable. 

P.S. If you think this makes some sense, and you’ve never read Seth Godin’s work before, start reading it. 

Become a Fan of Phired Up on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/PhiredUp.

Bring the Pain!

by Josh Orendi

I remember in college getting a soccer t-shirt that read, “No Pain, No Gain.”  On the pitch I knew that to be true.  Yet, it took me several more years before I realized the t-shirt geniuses weren’t just talking about sports.

The other day I had a realization….  I sincerely cannot recall a moment in my entire life when I grew as a man/friend/professional except for moments that followed feeling uncomfortable.  Literally, it’s the pocket of time that overlaps and follows the pain where improvement is conceived.

Talking with several close friends about this phenomenon, we all seemed to agree that one key factor in our success is that we’re passionate about growing as individuals.  We all choose an attitude that proactively invites the uncomfortable.  In fact, several of us said we “look forward to … even get excited” when the uncomfortable approaches, because we know that growth is on the other side.

It’s the difference between a guy that goes to the gym and a body builder.  Doing one set, one rep, then going home yields no results.  Body builders know that the most important reps are the ones after the burn.  The pain is exciting!  It indicates that growth is about to happen. 

Clarification:  Not all pain is good.  LOL!

As Woody Woodcock often reminds me, it’s all about mindset.  Success in large part is a choice.  Think about your summer recruitment plans — cold calls, meeting strangers, preparing for formal recruitment, etc.  Young leaders face high expectations that come with pressure.  Rather than letting that become stress, consider a new mindset.  Think, “BRING THE PAIN!” because that’s the only thing that is going to make you a better person (the discomfort of working outside of your comfort zone). 

For many, becoming Socially Excellent depends very much on your willingness to first feel the pain of social discomfort.  You’ll feel awkward, clumsy, and scared the first few times you try to adopt an attitude of Social Excellence.  But that’s just the feeling of growing as a person.  Think of the person you want to become, think of the organization you want to create — the only difference between right now and that vision is a small amount of growing pains. 

So, I say BRING THE PAIN!

Go To That Conference

by Matt Mattson

This is a simple blog post with a simple piece of advice.  If you have a chance, GO!

  • Do you have a fraternity/sorority conference or convention this summer?  Go.
  • Do you have a chance to attend UIFI, Leadershape, or some other life-changing experience like those in the next year?  Go.
  • Does it sound like a cool idea to go do service in Central America with a bunch of other Greeks this winter? Go.

And yes, this does have something to do with recruitment.  If you attend really any of the above opportunities (or anything like them) you’ll get at least these three things from it  a) you’ll understand your organization a million times better, b) you’ll learn from other people doing recruitment (among other things) better than you, and c) you’ll have cooler stories to tell potential members. 

You’ll get other stuff as well.  I can honestly trace the impetus for my career success back to two experiences.  The first national fraternity conference that I attended was in Norfolk, Virginia.  It was there that I met two alumni that helped me understand the true scope of what fraternity was all about (Thanks Stuart and Kevin, if you’re reading this).  Then I attended Leadershape the next summer and learned what it really means to boldly lead with integrity. 

Both of those were dramatic life changing experiences for me.  Both of which I could have easily chosen to not attend — I had a summer job, I had a girlfriend, I had a softball team, I had some summer classes, I had very little money, I had stuff to do… I had excuses.  But I chose to go.  I’m glad I made that choice.

Seriously, Go. 

I ask students nearly everywhere I go whether they’ll be attending their organization’s inter/national conference or convention during the upcoming summer.  The typical answer is either, “I don’t know” or “I’m not sure I can afford it.”  Fair enough.  I’ll just say this…  Making that decision has led me down a path of personal fulfillment and a deeper understanding of and connection to my organization.  So, you should go.

Research Supports It – Join A Fraternity

by Matt Mattson

Visit this website today: www.nicindy.org/fraternityrights.  Seriously.

We’ll let that website tell the good news, but here’s a sneak peek…

LEGITIMATE RESEARCH SHOWS…

“Students who choose to participate in the fraternity experience gain a significant advantage to non-participants in many formative measurements that apply greatly to civic engagement, relationship building, and professional leadership skills.”

“Students who choose to join a fraternity leave college better prepared for immediate impact in the workplace and involvement within the community than those who do not.”

And interestingly, this research shows that campuses with deferred recruitment policies are keeping men from important first-semester opportunities that could help them maximize their full potential.

Thanks to some leading organizations who took bold steps to ask some powerful questions of their members, there is now research to back up what we believe — fraternities are a powerful positive force in the lives of their members.  The massive UniLOA study that this data comes from is an exciting advancement for Greek Life.  This represents new information that all the leaders in our interfraternal movement need to understand and utilize in their work to advance Greek Life.

As you are shaping recruitment strategies for the coming year, consider how this information might be taught to your members, shared with key stakeholders on campus, used to help students (and their parents) make life-changing decisions to “Go Greek,” etc.

Phired Up challenges the fraternity/sorority world to look at this new data as a jumping off point for where we can go together.  If we jointly choose SOCIAL EXCELLENCE (for example) as our shared focus and purpose, imagine the even more dramatic transformation students will see after joining fraternities/sororities compared with their non-Greek counterparts.  Imagine if we start intentionally and strategically preparing our members to be great social hosts, bold social leaders, and confident, vulnerable, compassionate social communicators. 

Of course this data should also challenge us to look critically at ourselves in other ways.  If this study is true and we really do provide this level of value in the lives of our members — despite our many transgressions — imagine if we leaned into the behaviors that created these positive results and agressively addressed the behaviors that detract.  Imagine what the depth of our impact might be then? 

Further, the reasons for deferred recruitment policies on campuses across the country are likely a) the health and well-being of first-semester new members and b) the lower academic performance during the first semester of membership in a fraternity.  These two factors are currently outweighing the positive attributes of fraternity membership in the minds of many administrators (so much so that they’re willing to risk backlash regarding freedom of association to protect their students).  If we could cooperatively and boldly (really boldly) address these two very real risks AND get the results reported in this study, imagine the possibilities.  This is a call for a new approach to the first-semester experience in Greek Life. 

Let’s celebrate, but let’s be humble and honest as well.  Greek life is doing some things wrong and we need to address them, but we also have the potential (as proven by this early data) to quite literally improve lives in ways no other opportunity on campus provides.  This is huge. 

Thanks to the NIC and all the organizations that have put their effort and energy into this research.

[UPDATE: Here is the official release from the NIC.  It is a helpful read.]