This article is Day 18 of the series: 31 Days to Better Fraternity Recruitment.
Some of your brothers don’t want to participate in fraternity recruitment. Let’s be honest, nearly all of your brothers don’t want to participate.
On the surface, you may think it is because of the actual process of rush that puts them off. While that has something to do with it, it isn’t the real reason.
Like anything else in life, if you want someone to put forth effort they need to see what is in it for them.
Chances are your brothers don’t realize what is in it for them by doing a bang-up job during recruitment. Your job as a leader is to make sure they realize the benefit.
Show your brothers the financial impact that having X number of new members will give them. Let them know what events you can have with the larger brotherhood, and what events you cannot have if you stay the same size. Show them that XZY sorority will mix with you if you get to X members, but won’t if you are too small. Show them that you can actually lower dues with more members and have the same great events. Show them the houses that are available for a larger fraternity…
Of course, these are just examples but you see the point. Once your brothers realize why they are recruiting, then they are more likely to participate.
That is only half the battle though. You need to make sure that the positive benefits of their efforts during recruitment are things they actually want.
For example, let’s say your brothers don’t care about mixing with XZY sorority. If that is the case, then dangling the carrot out there that mixing with them will happen if they put forth the effort during recruitment won’t really have much an effect on them.
You need to make sure the carrots you dangle are actually outcomes that the brothers want. Things the brothers place value on.
If you can show the brothers how they will be benefited by an improved rush, and make sure these improvements are things they deeply desire, then your fraternity will have the most motivated recruitment period ever.
To learn more, check out our most in-depth article on fraternity recruitment: The Complete Guide to Fraternity Recruitment.