How to BeatHow to BeatNegative Negative

RecruitingRecruiting

• Too LiberalToo Liberal

• Higher Higher taxestaxes

• Is he a Is he a socialist?socialist?

• Was he born Was he born here?here?

• Flip-flopperFlip-flopper

• Out of Out of touch touch

• Right wing Right wing nutnut

• Tax cuts for Tax cuts for the rich?the rich?

What is What is the “truth”?the “truth”?

BeliefBeliefvs.vs.FactFact

Belief wins Belief wins out...out...everyevery time. time.vs.Fact

Apply it to Apply it to recruiting:recruiting:

They aren’t really a They aren’t really a “hockey” school…“hockey” school…

That’s pretty far That’s pretty far away…away…

I heard their I heard their coach might coach might get fired get fired soon…soon…

You won’t play You won’t play there for at there for at least two least two years…years…

BeliefBeliefvs.vs.FactFact

The Survey:The Survey:

Did a coach ever use negative Did a coach ever use negative recruiting against another program?recruiting against another program?

““Yes”Yes”DIVISION I 26% DIVISION I 26%

DIVISION II 24%DIVISION II 24%

DIVISION III 37%DIVISION III 37%

• It’s hard to convince us that we should vote for the other guy.

• It’s hard to convince someone they weren’t abducted by aliens.

• And, it’s hard to tell a recruit that they shouldn’t believe what they already believe about you now that your competition has defined you negatively.

What they believe matters more

WHAT WE KNOW:

Secretly, we want to be lied to

WHAT WE KNOW:

It’s happening to25% to 40%

of your recruits

WHAT WE KNOW:

It works.If you don’t define it

first.

WHAT WE KNOW:

Are you writing on their white board first?

OFFENSE

PREDICTDEFINE

TELL

20

Tell a great ongoing story that defines you, Tell a great ongoing story that defines you, your campus, and your hockey program.your campus, and your hockey program.

““What’s the #1 thing What’s the #1 thing you’d need to have you’d need to have answered by me before answered by me before you’d be ready to come you’d be ready to come play for us?”play for us?”

““If you heard other If you heard other coaches try to say coaches try to say something bad about us something bad about us here, what would you here, what would you do?”do?”

DEFENSE

AGREEQUESTIONQUALIFY

dan@dantudor.comdan@dantudor.com

Thank you!Thank you!