Prep Baseball Report

Recruiting Essentials: Make Phone Calls Count



Phone calls can be tough. There is a skill to becoming good on the phone. Of course, some are better than others, as it is built into their personality, but very few people grow up dreaming of making cold calls for a living. 

Personally, as a recruit and then as a coach, I had to work to become adequate on the phone. At the end of my first ever phone call as a high school recruit, my parents pulled me into the living room and very calmly suggested that I work on my phone call etiquette. Lucky for me, the coach on the other end called back and as I spoke with individual coaches more and more, I became a lot more comfortable on the phone. Flash forward five years, and now I am making the phone calls to recruits. For me, it was equally horrifying early on… What would we talk about? How would I get the information I wanted out of the recruit? How can I sell my school? Again, as I made more phone calls as a coach, it can become more enjoyable. 

Last week we talked about writing emails and capturing the attention of a college coach. While we discuss phone calls, we will be hitting on some of the same factors. When you begin to receive, and make phone calls, keep in mind these items:

College coaches are busy
Have a point to the phone call and make it
While on the phone, you are in a business meeting – treat it that way

Becoming Better on the Phone

As I was coming through high school, we did not have cell phones with us. I know how old this makes me seem, but it really was not that long ago. In order to run a friend down, we had to pick up the phone and call. I actually knew most of my friends’ phone numbers by heart. If I wanted to communicate with my girlfriend at night, I had to call. On that call, I may have to speak to her father first. I was not great on the phone as a high school senior, but I had practice using a phone.

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