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Things That Aren’t New

by Matt Mattson

In our fast, loud, modern world full of exciting new things all the time, it’s important to remember… Some things are classic. They never go out of style.

A lot is changing in fraternity/sorority life. A lot is NEW! Especially in recruitment. The prospects are changing. The demographics and psychographics are changing. The finances are changing. The technology for managing, communicating with, and voting on prospects are changing. The processes and systems are changing. The rules are starting to change. So much is changing.

But so much is staying the same.

  • You still can’t recruit who you don’ t know.
  • People still join people.
  • Personal conversations are still the only way to actually recruit.
  • The choice to join is still almost entirely emotional, not logical. Just as it always was.
  • Still… the more people your chapter knows, the more people it can select from.
  • The best way to recruit remains Handshakes, Phone Calls, and One-on-One Meetings.
  • T-shirts still won’t recruit for you.
  • Fraternity/sorority is still made up of two parts: People and Purpose

These are the classics. These never go out of style.

You know, we wrote our first book, GOOD GUYS, about a decade ago (by the way, I think we’re putting out a 10th Anniversary Edition next year). That book is so simple. Silly in parts, but I’m really proud of what’s at the heart of that book — basic, simple, results-producing truths.

We’re constantly trying to invent, to innovate, and to create new ways to grow fraternity/sorority life at Phired Up (and through our sister companies). But any new invention we come up with shares its DNA with GOOD GUYS. Which, by the way, shares its DNA with so many smart recruiters and fraternal leaders that have worked to grow the movement before. We dedicated GOOD GUYS to “Louis Manigault — The guy who recruited the guy who recruited the guy… who recruited us.” He’s the founder of our fraternity. Truly, recruitment –at it’s core — hasn’t changed much since Louis’s days in the mid 19th century. It’s still a relationship business. It’s still done through human connection. And the best recruiters are still the ones who can efficiently systemize their relationships and let a high quantity of friendships yield yigh quality members.

Some things are new. Some things aren’t.