Dialed In: The Fastest Way to Engage New Students
by Matt Farrell
Your fraternity & sorority community is probably thinking about these three things right now.
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What’s the plan for recruitment?
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How are we supposed to meet people?
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Who is going to join?
Rather than sit back and wait for clear answers, Drury University (in Springfield, Missouri) took matters into their own hands. After a recent Phired Up coaching call, they got to work.
Fraternities & sororities knew all of their big questions involved one simple starting point: new relationships with incoming students. The next steps they took are three things any team of committed fraternity & sorority leaders can do RIGHT NOW:
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Reach out to the Dean of Students to partner
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Get the list of new students/phone numbers
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Pick up the phone and start making new friends
Some final stats from ONE night:
269 phone calls made, over half the list picked up, and most calls turned into 5+ minute conversations. 137 follow-up calls were set for after the session.
Our Phired Up team picked up on three themes from this exciting night – let’s hear them directly from those who made it possible.
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Sharing the Gift with Future Students
Collins Ray, IFC President: Those calls didn’t feel so much as about recruitment, they were about making genuine connections with future leaders within my community. So many talked about how they originally never thought about going Greek but are all requesting information and are excited about seeing the opportunities presented to them.
Macayla Schebaum, Panhellenic President: It gave us the opportunity to make them feel comfortable by providing a personal contact to ask questions, voice concerns, and get information.
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Reinforcing the Gift for Current Students
Granvill Adkins, Coordinator for Greek Life and Student Activities: Getting to see the smiles on the officers faces as they made those connections with the incoming freshmen students. The stories that they would tell me after of the joy it brought….
Collins: My favorite part of calling all the new students was making a strong initial connection with everyone. I love meeting new people and especially making the new students feel important and wanted.
Chip Parker, Assistant Dean for Student Success and Campus Engagement: I believe our students received more positive feedback from our new students than they expected and I know that made our students feel very happy and proud to be promoting Greek Life.
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Driving Results
Macayla: This experience allows us to introduce organizations we are so passionate about while also giving the incoming freshman that first personal interaction with a member of our communities. The individual will remember this experience and it will have an impact on their life when they get to campus.
Collins: You must have an honest conversation with them, not so much as a telemarketer for Greek Life but as a future colleague and friend sharing your honest experience. No one wants to be lied to about an organization they are joining for the rest of their lives. Having these calls and conversations makes me wish I was called going into my first year.
Chip: I think schools across the country should be making phone calls so they can share the real benefits students receive from being associated with a Greek organization… Students need to know how Greek life can help with future career goals, teaching leadership roles and organizational skills needed to enter into the workforce or graduate schools in the near future.
Nobody is better equipped to boost admissions, enrollment, and overall student engagement right now than fraternity & sorority members. Phired Up is here to help – read this to see another great example and contact us to build a plan together.