Recruiting Email Etiquette

While I don't think emails from athletes need to be 100% business, it's critical to understand that an email is not a text message. You want your email to communicate your personality, (this is why it's important for parents to NOT write them) but you also want to be respectful and make sure you are making a good first impression through your email communication.

Here are some really basic and simple ways that you can make your emails better. These are things I encourage athletes to do from the very beginning of their recruiting process and continue doing all the way through their process.

Address the coach by name -

"Coach So-and-so" is perfectly acceptable.

Unless you are on a first name basis with the coach, it's probably a good idea to stay away from that.

Even if you are emailing multiple coaches, use ONE of their names at the top of the email; it helps.

But stay away from just putting "Hey!" or "Hello Coach!" If you can't take the time to put in the name of the coach, then maybe wait until tomorrow to send your email.

Include an email signature -

Mine looks something like this...

Jason Bibler

Parallel Recruiting Initiative

Recruiting Coordinator

Phone Number

Link to my website

My suggestion for athletes would be something like this...

Name

Grad Year, Position

Film Link

Profile Link (if this is different than your film or maybe your club page link)

Contact information

Phone number

Email

You can also add to your signature, your club/high school coach. Whomever the college coach should reach out so they can ask questions about you. Whatever you want to add to your email signature is probably okay. The important thing is that you aren't putting info in ONE email that the coach is going to have to track down months later. Things like your club schedule, film and contact information should be easily and instantly accessible for college coaches. Even if you filled out their "Recruit Questionnaire," make sure pertinent information is always right in front of them.

You can also take a look at the 5 minute video link below.

Ask questions -

Give the college coach a reason to respond. Or at least give them an opportunity to respond. "I'm looking forward to talking to you" is nice, but it doesn't move the needle at all. Remember, you are one of 50 athletes that emailed them on that day. You need to figure out how your email is going to stand out. Give them a reason to respond. Give them something to respond to. Nudge them a little bit and you will increase the chance of getting a response. Remember you need to be respectful, but you also need to be in the driver's seat of your recruiting process.

Take a look at these other EMAIL helping blog posts...

Stop saying this in your emails

Where can they find you?

You shouldn't be too busy

Say What?!

https://youtu.be/FdgCoH75K00