How do I engage girls not going through recruitment to consider joining a sorority?

[DeltaZeta09]

.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by DeltaZeta09

Informal is right around the corner, yet few girls singed up for the process this semester. Our sorority will be excited to get new girls, but we collectively agree that we need to engage the 80% of non-greek women to learning more about the community. I just have some questions for alumni/recruitment chairs/people with good ideas on how:

1. You approach a girl that you do know about coming to a COB/signing up for informal

2. Approaching a woman you do not know well, but maybe have been told good things about, on coming to a COB without sounding creepy.

Our adviser is encouraging us to think outside of just recruitment, but we need a marketing strategy where the girls can tell we're genuinely asking them as potential members, not just to get our name out. How would any of you suggest both marketing our sorority//talking to girls you think would be a good fit for your sorority but aren't actively pursuing greek life

The quick and dirty answer (because its 3am and I'm too tired for long examples and explanations): be their friends first! .. the sorority will follow.

Worry more about building personal relationships, and less about marketing for your sorority. Because to the girls who aren't really looking to join, all of those Deltas and Gammas and Kappas are just that.. Letters and symbols that they don't understand. They will remember YOU before they remember which sorority you're a part of.

Tomorrow, when I'm more awake, I'll provide some specific ideas

[Titchou]

The chapter where I advise doesn't invite women to "COB" events but rather fun" events such as watching Gray's Anatomy, basketball game the chapter is attending, etc. In other words, to "hang out" with the women. All the events are structured as sisterhood events and not just COB ones. We also do less formally scheduled things like getting a few women to go get pizza, whatever...and the PNM is just invited to go along. This allows them to meet our women in a less threatening environment without any hard sell going on. Informal COB is a soft sell.

[victoriana]

I'm so glad someone posted a thread about this... I think I could really use some help with this too.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Are you allowed to directly invite women to your events? Or are you expected to invite them to some sort of "formal informal" thing where they meet all of the chapters?

[agzg]

In class, if group work is assigned, DON'T be a member of a group/partners with a sister or other greeks.

Seriously - this is how I became interested in sorority life. It's how many women in my chapter were "brought in."

[33girl]

Does DZ still have the policy that all sisters must be members of another on-campus org besides the sorority? This is part of why that policy is in place. Make sure all sisters are following it. JOBS DO NOT COUNT.

If you're asking a woman to a COB event, you should know her well enough to not worry about sounding creepy. If you are thinking of asking a woman who you've only "heard" about and are afraid of sounding creepy...you probably will.

Be their friend first. This takes TIME. You can't talk to someone in class for the first time on Friday and ask her to an open bid party Monday. It makes you look desperate.

And if you're friends with someone...you really don't want to use a "marketing strategy" on them.

[DeltaZeta09]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Does DZ still have the policy that all sisters must be members of another on-campus org besides the sorority? This is part of why that policy is in place. Make sure all sisters are following it. JOBS DO NOT COUNT.

If you're asking a woman to a COB event, you should know her well enough to not worry about sounding creepy. If you are thinking of asking a woman who you've only "heard" about and are afraid of sounding creepy...you probably will.

Be their friend first. This takes TIME. You can't talk to someone in class for the first time on Friday and ask her to an open bid party Monday. It makes you look desperate.

And if you're friends with someone...you really don't want to use a "marketing strategy" on them.

Completely agree. Our DZ policy is you have to be involved outside of just the house. We successfully bid two girls in the last month that were friends of a member

Maybe I'm just trying to think of suggestions otehr than meeting people in class or activities. I guess many girls that are somewhat friends with a few non-greeks don't know how to approach the question of going greek. We do informal events like pizza, where its not an EVENT, but we are seeing how likely she is to get involved. It's just hard to see where the line is between she is cool with getting pizza and wants to be our sister.

My question is also partly how to get non-greeks invovled on campus that we don't know at all because PHC really wants us to get girls to sign up for recruitment in general.

thanks for the advice

[thetygerlily]

I would agree with everyone that advised befriending people to turn them into PNMs. That's really what made me go through formal (we had deferred). An upperclassman was hanging posters in my dorm, and we randomly struck up a conversation. She was so nice and interesting- and then gasp, she was the president of one of the sororities! She invited me over for coffee later and I wound up going through recruitment... and joined her group. She wound up being my big sis.

Another consideration is how visibly active the members are around campus. The more non-Greeks see Greeks doing the same things they're doing (going to class, the cafeteria, library, sporting events, etc) the less strange or foreign they will seem. It's especially good for a chapter, but even better for an entire Panhellenic system. Pick a couple of days a week where everyone wears Greek apparel (and change it up since you see a different group of people every day). When you are thinking of favors or other group-wide items, think about anything that you use frequently that others will see: totes, water bottles (nice ones!), jackets, or travel coffee mugs. Picture frames, glass jars, mugs, and the like will be great in your bedroom but probably won't be walking around campus with you. Something that works double duty as a PR tool is always going to be a good option, as long as it's decent quality that you'll actually use.

Otherwise I think it's just about being outgoing... taking the initiative to strike up conversations, invite someone to sit with you in the cafeteria, ask someone to go to coffee, join a group going to see a movie. If you can get past small talk with classmates or coworkers you can play off shared interests to push the relationship further. It's similar to what you do in recruitment- "oh, you love XYZ? You have to meet my sister Susie- she absolutely loves XYZ too!" That's a great skill that if you hone it well in college, it'll serve you very well in your career. I'm really only so-so at going deeper with people (one of the areas I constantly work on, I'm not super outgoing) but every job I've had after college was came from a connection. It's been a lot easier than it otherwise would've been because of my sorority experience... but I wish I had known then how much it'd come into play in the real world!

[33girl]

Originally Posted by DeltaZeta09

My question is also partly how to get non-greeks involved on campus that we don't know at all because PHC really wants us to get girls to sign up for recruitment in general.

#1 is definitely put a stop to any inter-sorority trash talking, name calling or backbiting. This doesn't win any new girls for your sorority if you do it...it turns people off to Greek life who might have been thinking of it before.

Do you have a Greek preview weekend in the spring for girls who are starting college in the fall? You might want to think about doing that.

[TinyDancer98]

Originally Posted by DeltaZeta09

Maybe I'm just trying to think of suggestions otehr than meeting people in class or activities. I guess many girls that are somewhat friends with a few non-greeks don't know how to approach the question of going greek. We do informal events like pizza, where its not an EVENT, but we are seeing how likely she is to get involved. It's just hard to see where the line is between she is cool with getting pizza and wants to be our sister.

My question is also partly how to get non-greeks invovled on campus that we don't know at all because PHC really wants us to get girls to sign up for recruitment in general.

Your question seems to be mainly focused around women who are not particularly interested in Greek life. A lot of these women would (and do, eventually) make excellent sisters, but they also require more work to recruit than those already interested. Don't be afraid to bring up the topic of Greek life, but don't force it down their throats. As other posters have stated, getting to know the women you would like to recruit casually is the first step- invite them to a few meals, one-on-one and then with a few sisters coming along. After she has gotten to know some sisters and you have a better idea of whether or not she'll fit in, invite her to some of your more structured "recruitment" events. Women should know they're being recruited at this point; a surprise bid is a shock and usually a negative experience for both the PNM and the sisters. Of course, there are other women that will show up to COB events without needing to be warmed up- they are interested in Greek life and your chapter. It is very important to recognize and welcome these women because even if you don't end up extending a bid to them, they might bring their friends and help publicize for you, bringing in some women you do want (and maybe even some of those tentative ones). I'm assuming you have a few open COB events- if you don't, consider it. There are usually women out there that are interested in certain chapters but won't bring it up to sisters outright. Open events allow them to come by and get to know you, even if you don't know they're there.

In terms of general Panhellenic interest, I agree with 33girl 100% on the trashing and competition. Many people are turned off to Greek life because of negative stereotypes, and the best way to break these down is to prove (not tell) that they are false. Additionally, pre-recruitment events that feature both the Panhellenic council and all the sororities can help bolster interest. A panel discussion led by the council, all-Greek letter days, a Panhellenic social for PNMs to mingle with sisters (not wearing letters, to promote general interest), and things of that nature are great to get women excited and interested for recruitment.