How to improve our social reputation during recruitment?

[optimisticgreek]

My chapter is considered the ugly, anti-social, weak one at my school. We do have shy girls but at the same time, a lots of fun and outgoing sisters. That reputation is very unfair.
Other sororities on campus emphasize on social aspect (fun but not trashy) but for my sorority, for some reasons, didn't talk about socials at all. This year is different. We are trying our best to prepare for recruitment and repair our negative image. We want to show the campus that we are cool girls to hang out with.
It's heartbreaking for me to see PNMs cry when they receive bids from us because they don't want to be associate with our chapter.
Please help me with tips/advices/ideas on how to showcase our social life during recruitment ?
How did you decor your "party/social" room during house tour ?
What topics did you talk about with PNMs ?
How did you make PNMs to want your chapter ?
I love my chapter and I want this recruitment to be a successful one.

optimistic greek

[victoriana]

You could tell PNMs about all of the fun socials you have planned for the year. I would emphasize that your chapter is growing and making positive changes and that this year will be different from the past.

[AXOrushadvisor]

Originally Posted by optimisticgreek

My chapter is considered the ugly, anti-social, weak one at my school. We do have shy girls but at the same time, a lots of fun and outgoing sisters. That reputation is very unfair.
Other sororities on campus emphasize on social aspect (fun but not trashy) but for my sorority, for some reasons, didn't talk about socials at all. This year is different. We are trying our best to prepare for recruitment and repair our negative image. We want to show the campus that we are cool girls to hang out with.
It's heartbreaking for me to see PNMs cry when they receive bids from us because they don't want to be associate with our chapter.
Please help me with tips/advices/ideas on how to showcase our social life during recruitment ?
How did you decor your "party/social" room during house tour ?
What topics did you talk about with PNMs ?
How did you make PNMs to want your chapter ?
I love my chapter and I want this recruitment to be a successful one.

optimistic greek

OK, you want to change your image on campus. If you want to show your social activities you can do that in many ways. Have pictures up that show your social activities. If you do a slide show have a section in there on social activities. Beware of going over board. Social activities are one aspect of sorority life.

Your decorations should be on par with what other Chapters on campus are doing. A good way to find this out is by asking people who have recently been through recruitment what other Chapters are doing. If your still doing "themes" pick things that are topical and things the PNM's will get. Be creative.

Conversation is huge during recruitment. Go through every day and list some topics your women can talk about. Day 1 and Day 3 conversations should look totally different. During Preference you should talk to these women about why they would be great members AND why you want them. Make them feel special. Think of things that make your Chapter unique like you could be President your sophomore year or other things that would be more difficult in another Chapter.

Making PNM's "want" your Chapter is by doing all the right things. Making changes is hard for a lot of Chapters in your situation (some people don't want to change and want the Chapter to stay as it is) To be competitive you have to look and feel like other houses on campus. Think about what an 18 year old HS freshman is doing the music, clothing, TV shows ect. Make sure that the items of clothing you are choosing are universally flattering on different body types. And that the clothing choices are similar to what other Chapters are doing. I worked with a Chapter one time that wanted to wear tuxedos when every one else on campus was in sun dresses- it was a bust.

I'm not sure why you feel your known as the "ugly" house on campus, but you could do a beauty day where you have someone come in and show you how to do make up, take care of your skin and body- it is a fun way to spend a recruitment practice. Then maybe the Chapter could do a sisterhood event of going and getting manis and pedis? You need to stress that the girls have good hygiene and look very put together for recruitment. Do dress checks so that your girls are not wearing clothing to tight or to big and that they are appropriately dressed each day.

I wish you the best of luck. You are in a difficult but not impossible situation.

[DubaiSis]

AXOrushadvisor is a wise woman. I might add that you should really use the girls you have who are better at rush to your benefit. Pick out the girls you really want (being realistic) and set the best girls on them! Over the course of several days the conversation should be able to grow and personalize, and when you get to preference something addressing your reputation and your desire to change and how this girl is the key to that change (just spit-balling here) could help her see that she is really wanted and that there is value in choosing (or accepting) that smaller house. If you do this carefully and well, you may not double your chapter in one rush, but by carefully selecting your new members you could have big improvements over time.

But work work work on conversation skills. Those awkward pauses are deadly at the small chapter. Yes, they happen at the big chapters too, but it's a fluke when it happens at their house and is indicative of why you suck at the small chapters.

I do wish you the best of luck! Let us know how it goes for you. There's a FANTASTIC thread here somewhere about a chapter that was struggling and what they did over a 2 year period to fix that. I think it was an AST chapter, but I'm sure somebody knows which thread I'm talking about and can jump in.

[DTD Alum]

Watch out for the "oversell" though. Nothing can make a chapter look like they have no social events more than the "OH MY GOD we LOVE our socials!!! WE HAVE SO MANY, we love our social events, our social events are AWESOME, all the fraternities ask us" conversations.

Also, keep in mind that if you emphasize social events as a major part of your chapter and you DO get some girls who are really into socials, they are going to very disappointed when they learn that is something you are actually re-building. They are probably going to leave and/or be disgruntled members. So I'd say focus on authenticity and finding the girls early on that will really understand/desire the atmosphere your chapter provides. Also, focus on things that will get girls who are into getting involved and re-building a chapter, not the girls who think everything will already be done for them...I feel like "top" chapters can have girls who don't really want to contribute because there are enough girls that do, but chapters that are weaker need to make sure all members are committed because guys/girls can't "fall through the cracks" and will likely have to shoulder responsibilities early on.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by DTD Alum

Watch out for the "oversell" though. Nothing can make a chapter look like they have no social events more than the "OH MY GOD we LOVE our socials!!! WE HAVE SO MANY, we love our social events, our social events are AWESOME, all the fraternities ask us" conversations.

Also, keep in mind that if you emphasize social events as a major part of your chapter and you DO get some girls who are really into socials, they are going to very disappointed when they learn that is something you are actually re-building. They are probably going to leave and/or be disgruntled members. So I'd say focus on authenticity and finding the girls early on that will really understand/desire the atmosphere your chapter provides. Also, focus on things that will get girls who are into getting involved and re-building a chapter, not the girls who think everything will already be done for them...I feel like "top" chapters can have girls who don't really want to contribute because there are enough girls that do, but chapters that are weaker need to make sure all members are committed because guys/girls can't "fall through the cracks" and will likely have to shoulder responsibilities early on.

This entire post is absolutely spot on. The last thing you want to do is pretend you're something you're not. But you can target girls who are more social - who might even scare some of your shyer sisters. Don't assume they'll go to another chapter. They might really dig the idea of being able to turn things around by injecting something new into the mix.

Do your sisters hang out with the same fraternity ALL. THE. TIME? If so, STOP. Not saying blow them off because I'm sure they're awesome guys that have supported you for a long time - but when you get associated too closely with one fraternity it can turn girls off who don't like them. Also, stop being afraid to go to different fraternities. To quote Wayne's World YOU'RE WORTHY!! Broaden your social calendar with mixers and with just regular parties (not sure how those work nowadays, but if you can get into someplace, go there). Yes there are going to be girls from the other sororities that will look down their noses at you. Yes you might feel intimidated by them. I offer this very true quote: "No matter how hot a girl is, someone, somewhere, is tired of her shit." Those guys in the "top" fraternities might be sick of the girls in the "top" sororities for a variety of reasons.

Get involved in other campus activities. These help people to see you as you, rather than just as an XYZ member. Once they realize how cool you are, they'll feel silly saying "all XYZs are dogs" or something of the like.

Try pairing with another sorority and two fraternities for a double mixer. It takes a lot of the pressure off and they still can see that you're out and trying.

I know I'm not really talking about recruitment, but the honest fact of the matter is, this really isn't something you can fix just by doing different things during the week of rush. As AXOrushadvisor said, make your decorations and such on the same par with other chapters, but don't make it seem like you go out 5 nights a week when the fact is you haven't had a mixer in a month.

[ElieM]

^^^ what 33girl said

Recruitment is an all year round thing