More People Are Interested Than You Think

by Matt Mattson

On several occasions lately I’ve had the opportunity to talk with lots of non-Greek students on college campuses.  I’ve learned one clear thing… MORE ARE INTERESTED IN BEING GREEK THAN YOU THINK.

We’ve always known this was true because of our math equation about your chapter’s recruitment potential (see below, or in Good Guys & I Heart Recruitment), but this fact that more students are open to the idea of Greek Life than we often think has been confirmed a lot lately through my conversations and interactions with students.  I don’t know if it is a revived interest in membership organizations by this year’s freshman class, or if they were really always there and we just never asked them.  But I KNOW the interest is real.

Go try it right now. I dare you to talk to 100 people on your campus this week and ask them if they’d be interested in Greek Life (if it was done how Greek Life is SUPPOSED to be done). [try the surveys found here or here... and add names to your Names List as a side benefit!] I think you’ll be  positively surprised by the amount of interest.  I have been.]

P.S. Have you done the math equation lately to determine your chapter’s recruitment potential?  Here’s how.

• Total undergrads minus opposite gender.
• From that total, subtract the individuals that are already Greek.
• Next, subtract 15% from the non-Greek men/women (to eliminate the “never joiners”)
• Finally, divide what’s left over in half (because at least 50% of the time when someone becomes your friend and a “friend of the fraternity/sorority” they typically end up joining).

There’s your chapter’s recruitment potential.  That’s how many students on your campus would be genuinely interested in your organization if you recruited them in the right way.