I need help with teaching girls how to rush PNMs!

[AnchorAlumna]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

Nobody is born knowing how to recruit any more than they are born knowing how to be a sorority member.

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Given my experience with a certain segment of Southern society in which girls are indeed taught, almost from birth, all they will need to know about rushing, I feel a strong urge to say "Bless your heart."

Senusret hit it.
There is a "certain segment" who train from birth, but it's a very, very small segment.
The rest of us have to learn!

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna

There is a "certain segment" who train from birth, but it's a very, very small segment.

So I have been told.

[Titchou]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna

Senusret hit it.
There is a "certain segment" who train from birth, but it's a very, very small segment.
The rest of us have to learn!

I would beg to offer a different slant. I just think that certain people are taught, from childhood, how to great someone pleasantly, put them at ease and have a lovely and lively conversation with them. Now, if that's training from birth for recruitment, so be it. I call it properly raising a child to be a gracious adult.

[Gusteau]

Originally Posted by Titchou

I would beg to offer a different slant. I just think that certain people are taught, from childhood, how to great someone pleasantly, put them at ease and have a lovely and lively conversation with them. Now, if that's training from birth for recruitment, so be it. I call it properly raising a child to be a gracious adult.

This. (I still hate using "This." by the way)

The really good recruiters are always friendly, social people who can hold a conversation - they're socially excellent to use a Phired Up term. If you give already socially excellent people a few tactics and get them to think about recruitment constantly they can recruit an entire pledge class. The trick is teaching more reserved individuals to be socially excellent.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Gusteau

This. (I still hate using "This." by the way)

This.

Originally Posted by Gusteau

The really good recruiters are always friendly, social people who can hold a conversation - they're socially excellent to use a Phired Up term. If you give already socially excellent people a few tactics and get them to think about recruitment constantly they can recruit an entire pledge class. The trick is teaching more reserved individuals to be socially excellent.

I see what you and Titchou mean and partly agree.

Howeverrrrrrrrrrr, there are people who would be socially awesome under any other circumstances but it doesn't work well in a membership intake environment. I'm speaking in terms of NPHC right now but that probably also applies to non-NPHC. For instance, I know of men and women who seem really cool, charming, funny, and friendly. Part of it was their "natural" charm and the rest was excellent upbringing. But, it was TOO MUCH for membership intake both when they were aspirants and when they were members bringing in new members. It was interpreted differently. Also, what many people consider being a "lady" or "gentleman" (I kind of hate those terms) doesn't fly well with everyone. Another instance of relativity.

This is why we have training. I don't want anyone thinking they already have "it" and therefore they don't have to worry about the dos and don'ts of the process. These people often fail miserably and are humbled big time.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

This.



I see what you and Titchou mean and partly agree.

Howeverrrrrrrrrrr, there are people who would be socially awesome under any other circumstances but it doesn't work well in a membership intake environment. I'm speaking in terms of NPHC right now but that probably also applies to non-NPHC. For instance, I know of men and women who seem really cool, charming, funny, and friendly. Part of it was their "natural" charm and the rest was excellent upbringing. But, it was TOO MUCH for membership intake both when they were aspirants and when they were members bringing in new members. It was interpreted differently. Also, what many people consider being a "lady" or "gentleman" (I kind of hate those terms) doesn't fly well with everyone. Another instance of relativity.

This is why we have training. I don't want anyone thinking they already have "it" and therefore they don't have to worry about the dos and don'ts of the process. These people often fail miserably and are humbled big time.

I agree! No one is that perfect that they can't take a few helpful hints and pointers to smooth out the edges.

[Gusteau]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

This.

This...is why I hate you

Originally Posted by DrPhil

I see what you and Titchou mean and partly agree.

Howeverrrrrrrrrrr, there are people who would be socially awesome under any other circumstances but it doesn't work well in a membership intake environment. I'm speaking in terms of NPHC right now but that probably also applies to non-NPHC. For instance, I know of men and women who seem really cool, charming, funny, and friendly. Part of it was their "natural" charm and the rest was excellent upbringing. But, it was TOO MUCH for membership intake both when they were aspirants and when they were members bringing in new members. It was interpreted differently. Also, what many people consider being a "lady" or "gentleman" (I kind of hate those terms) doesn't fly well with everyone. Another instance of relativity.

This is why we have training. I don't want anyone thinking they already have "it" and therefore they don't have to worry about the dos and don'ts of the process. These people often fail miserably and are humbled big time.

I definitely see what you're saying. I think at least in a northern, non-traditional NIC context you need to be "out there" because you're trying to reach out to a recruitment pool that may not be opposed to fraternity membership but is probably not actively interested in it. We do train all of our members to learn how to dynamically recruit regardless. But recruitment and intake are obviously not the same thing.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Gusteau

This...is why I hate you

This...is why I'm hot.

Originally Posted by Gusteau

I definitely see what you're saying. I think at least in a northern, non-traditional NIC context you need to be "out there" because you're trying to reach out to a recruitment pool that may not be opposed to fraternity membership but is probably not actively interested in it. But recruitment and intake are obviously not the same thing.

I see. Can't that fail miserably if you are going toooooo far for a bunch of PNMs who already think that GLOs try too hard to be relevant and sell themselves?

[Gusteau]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

I see. Can't that fail miserably if you are going toooooo far for a bunch of PNMs who already think that GLOs try too hard to be relevant and sell themselves?

Yes, it certainly can, but if it does you're probably not doing it right. The dynamic recruitment philosophy emphasizes meeting people and making friends outside of the fraternal context, so your goal as a recruiter is to become someone's friend without the fraternity as the focus. You should introduce them to your friends (ahem, brothers), and theoretically by the time you talk to them about joining the fraternity they like you enough to see the value in fraternity membership and how much you've gained from the experience. However, if you try to hard it will undoubtedly backfire.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

I see what you and Titchou mean and partly agree.

Howeverrrrrrrrrrr, there are people who would be socially awesome under any other circumstances but it doesn't work well in a membership intake environment. I'm speaking in terms of NPHC right now but that probably also applies to non-NPHC. For instance, I know of men and women who seem really cool, charming, funny, and friendly. Part of it was their "natural" charm and the rest was excellent upbringing. But, it was TOO MUCH for membership intake both when they were aspirants and when they were members bringing in new members. It was interpreted differently. Also, what many people consider being a "lady" or "gentleman" (I kind of hate those terms) doesn't fly well with everyone. Another instance of relativity.

This is why we have training. I don't want anyone thinking they already have "it" and therefore they don't have to worry about the dos and don'ts of the process. These people often fail miserably and are humbled big time.

This was pretty much me in a nutshell as an undergrad. I could converse with random people I met at parties, in class, etc - but when it came to rush I often downright sucked. My sorority did so much for me that when it came to putting across why I wanted other people to share it with me, it was nearly impossible to convey. It's like being in love with someone so much that you just turn into a blithering idiot.

There was a really good article in our magazine one time about being frustrated at rush - the line that resonated with me was something along the lines of "Throwing open our bonds to everyone, many of whom are often rushing only to pick you apart, is not easy."

[AnchorAlumna]

I was NOT raised to be a good communicator - my dad was, but I guess the parents just thought we would pick it up, or that it was natural. My sorority training was very helpful, but I wish we had had a LOT more emphasis on conversation.

[AXOrushadvisor]

Not everyone is a natural at holding conversations. Some people are socially awkward and recruiting is difficult for them. Those are the women you want to pair with socially strong women so that you don't have a PNM talking to a lousy recruiter the entire time they are at your party (sure fire way of them not ranking you on top.) Sometimes you don't know who recruits well and who doesn't until after the first day. You need to watch what is going on. So how do you prepare? I always tell the girls that you treat a PNM the way you would treat a guest in your home. Welcoming, warm and inviting. Have a list of topics they can talk about for each day (and not the what is your major questions) of recruitment and the ones to stay away from. Above all make sure your promoting your Chapter and what is so great about it (not over the top). Recruiting is like a job interview. You have to ask questions to get to know these PNM's. The more you know the better you will be able to "choose" your New Members. Practice makes perfect. If you can do mock recruitment with splitting your house in 2 to have 1/2 be the PNM's and half be active members do it. If you can work with another group on campus to do the same thing- great. The important thing is to prepare your women with what they will need to be able to successfully communicate to the PNM's. It takes a lot of pre work and planning to have a successful recruitment. Good luck!