Recruitment Greek Speak

ASUADPi · #1 01-12-2011, 09:49 PM

I'm the recruitment advisor for the local chapter where I live.

They do monthly greek speaks and I'm doing this one's. The topic is recruitment. Now, my recruitment experience (when I was in college) was lacking as I went through spring and didn't affiliate.

Hence my asking y'all for advice.

If you were the advisor what would you tell them? Any horror stories, success stories. What to do and what not to do.

I would love to take the suggestions you guys give me and tell it to the greeks at the school.

Thanks!

AXOrushadvisor · #2 01-13-2011, 09:53 AM

Be prepared. Recruitment takes an entire year to prepare. If they are not holding monthly workshops for to get their new members prepared they need to get those on the calender now. Conversation, conversation, conversation. It is all about making the PNM feel warm, invited, welcomed *chosen*. We have a list of topics that the girls can cover every day. Then practice those conversations- pair some of your active members with new members who don't know each other well. If you can pair up with another group that works too.

Was this the type of stuff you were looking for? Is this for your Chapter specific or all the Chapters? If it is for all the Chapters I would do more of a Panhellenic slant to it.

ASUADPi · #3 01-13-2011, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AXOrushadvisor

Be prepared. Recruitment takes an entire year to prepare. If they are not holding monthly workshops for to get their new members prepared they need to get those on the calender now. Conversation, conversation, conversation. It is all about making the PNM feel warm, invited, welcomed *chosen*. We have a list of topics that the girls can cover every day. Then practice those conversations- pair some of your active members with new members who don't know each other well. If you can pair up with another group that works too.

Was this the type of stuff you were looking for? Is this for your Chapter specific or all the Chapters? If it is for all the Chapters I would do more of a Panhellenic slant to it.

Thank you! That is a great suggestion that I didn't think of. You rock!

Barbie's_Rush · #4 01-13-2011, 09:37 PM

Relax.

Be gracious to every PNM. Even if it's obvious she would never fit in with your chapter or even if she's being rude and making it obvious that she's much too good for your chapter.

Smile until your cheeks hurt.

Look PNMs right in the eye when you talk to them.

Be sincere and interested.

Practice your conversation skills. Keep a couple of sure fire questions tucked away in the back of your mind for those times when your brain freezes or the PNM is difficult to talk with.

Really listen to what the PNM is telling you.

honeychile · #5 01-13-2011, 10:22 PM

FWIW, the skills you learn to become an ace recruiter are skills that will help you more than you'll ever realize for the rest of your life. I was once at a convention for something totally non-greeek related, and a man said that we all needed to treat the newbies just as we wouild treat a rushee. Afterwards, about six of us spoke to him, and each of us were greeks who had been good at rush/recruitment.

The more sorority women who realize that Recruitment is a Life Skill instead of a once a year stressor, the better they will become at getting what they'd like out of life.

DubaiSis · #6 01-14-2011, 03:57 AM

I couldn't agree more. I don't know how many times I've been "working" a cocktail party and thanked my sorority (in my head, of course) for the skills it taught me about how to enter and exit a conversation, as well as how to make a thorough and graceful introduction.

ProudandTrue · #7 01-14-2011, 11:31 AM

All great advice...the only thing I always wonder is when we are giving advice for how to recruit and working on one's conversation skills, HOW exactly do we do that? Barbie's Rush, can you give some examples of sure-fire questions (besides major, year, etc.) that you can share?
And honeychile, I love how you point out that these are skills that will be used for a lifetime, not just when recruitment rolls around. So true.
I advise a chapter. It's really easy for me to meet and talk with people, but sometimes I have a hard time giving tangible conversation advice to chapter members. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Sorry, I didn't mean to Hijack this thread. I thought the info might also be helpful in OPs Greek Speak presentations, especially if she is discussing recruitment. : )

33girl · #8 01-14-2011, 01:26 PM

I have a Don't: Don't keep barraging the PNM with sorority facts, chapter or national. If you get off on a tangent and have a really good conversation about (ex) Bath & Body Works, more than likely that PNM will feel more positive about the chapter than the PNM who was stuck with a rusher who was so afraid of "forbidden" topics that she brought everything back to sorority facts.

honeychile · #9 01-14-2011, 01:56 PM

Okay, some suggestions:

-Everyone should have at least 2-3 ancedotes she can use, in the right context. They shouldn't contain anything too racy or involve heavy partying and should only be a few minutes long. Think of a few fun times you've had, and work on them until they're genuinely funny, and have a few "entrance points" (tie-ins with other topics). You may also want to think of a few to steer the conversation AWAY from the Boys, Booze, Bucks & Bible. If someone asks about how much, direct them to the disclosure sheet then IMMEDIATELY change the subject to how you almost bought a pair of shoes for $400 when you thought they were $4, then gravitate to shoes. Practice, practice, pratice to make this all sound effortless.

-Know your sisters! How are you going to steer a PNM to the sister with similar values or likes if you don't know them? If a PNM mentions that she's a Steelers fan, make sure that she at least meets the sister whose ancedotes include the time she got a chance to kiss the Super Bowl Trophy! This works for almost anything - classes, professors, high schools, future plans, pets, etc.

-Never, ever chew gum! The only exceptions are: 1) to take a few chews to cleanse your breath, then spit it out and 2) playing a tramp at a Fifties party or other role-playing time. If you're mature enough for college, you're too mature to chew like a cow.

-Don't spend valuable time putting other GLOs, parents, or other people down.

-Relax! If you've practiced enough, you're ahead of the game. You're already in, and you're talking to women who would like to be where you are. Exude confidence in yourself, in your sorority, in life, and it will show. Power is the ultimate high to others!