Fliers = major fail. (1) They look desperate and (2) No one ever reads them
Same thing with facebook ads.
What worked well for our chapter: (These outside of formal, PHA recruitment activities and confined to COB so we didn't have any recruitment infractions. You, as not part of PHA, don't have this problem).
1. Compile a database of PNMs your sisters personally know. Invite these girls NOW to start hanging out with you.
To compile the database, think of all the girls in your engineering and science classes, who you work with, study with, etc. Think of friends' sisters who are going off to college. Ask fraternity friends for suggestions.
Then, start forming
friendships.. Go for coffee dates, ice skating, bike rides, shopping trips, and more. Build a friendship. Introduce the sorority by bringing sisters to hang out. Carry your tote bag and wear your letters. Invite them shopping with you and pick up a dress for formal while your out. Don't ever force the sorority on them, but keep it open for discussion.
It works really well. We used google docs to have a web-form all actives and alumnae could fill out. Women would peruse it and look for names they knew, or girls they had things in common with, such as major.
It is TERRIFYING to do, but a cold call is great, especially to incoming freshman. They are so pleased to hear from someone, they are open for conversation.
Phiredup.com has a cold call "script" along with a million other free resources I suggest you use, along with a million other perfect resources (phiredup.com). I also highly suggest the book I <3 Recruitment. It is designed for COB events, perfect for us!
2. Your biggest resource: your most recent candidate class. Have them all fill out a survey with the following.
(a) How they first heard about the sorority
(b) recruitment events they loved and why
(c) recruitment events they hated and why
(d) why they decided to accept the bid and undergo Candidate Initiation
(e) why they followed through with sister initiation
(f) Friends they would like to recommend.
These surveys will be highly helpful. Use (f) to help compile your database. These girls have many friends who are great candidates for candidates (tee hee).
Plan recruitment based on these answers.
3. Make your "formal" recruitment short, but intense.
Advertise well in advance of events. Personal invites (phone calls, not e-mails) work best. Offer to personally walk a girl to an event. Going alone to an event, even one with free food, is terrifying, so they generally accept the invitation openly.
Don't stretch recruitment beyond 2 weeks. Everyone is just exhausted. If you aren't where you want to be about 1 week in, intensify the
advertising not the number of events.
And remember COB. You have fun events anyhow, so invite PNMs to it.
4. Utilize the time after Panhellenic's Formal Recruitment. There will be many, many disheartened girls around who didn't get bids/ dropped out/ turned down bids.
5. Pay close attention at Convention (or tell your delegate to). There's a great recruitment presentation happening.
6.
Recruitment is 24-7-365. This means you (a) need to start planning/advertising for fall NOW. (Get your PR advisor on this ASAP
). (b) Carefully guard your reputation. Watch how you wear letters, facebook pages, etc. Get cute recruitment attire ordered now. (Get your PR advisor on this too, lol). (c) Remember the value of COB
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