Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity :: Other Recruitment Skill Activities

Other Recruitment Skill Activities

Here are some other activities that will be helpful in getting Fraters to think about membership recruitment and some effective techniques and ideas.

Killer Questions
This activity gives Fraters a chance to practice answering some of the tough questions that prospective members ask. Take 3x5 cards and write one of the following questions on one side of each of the cards, and a number from 1-25 on the back. Distribute them randomly to the Fraters, and then ask the person with #1 to stand up, read the question, and answer it for the group. After he's answered, give feedback on his response and discuss other ways to answer the question. Continue with the rest of the questions.

Are you really close to all the brothers in the chapter?
How much does it cost to join your Fraternity?
Why is your chapter so small/large?
I heard that another Fraternity are real jerks. What do you think of them?
What do you do for community service? Do you have to do it?
My girlfriend is in a sorority. What do you think of them?
I'm worried about my grades. What can your chapter do to help me in school?
Why do you have to send all that money to National?
What do I have to do to be initiated?
My parents think Fraternities are just an excuse to party. What can I tell them to change their minds?
My brother was a Teke at University. Does that mean I automatically get in here?
How much does it cost to be a member?
I don't drink. What are your parties like?
My parents don't want me to join a Fraternity. What if I just didn't tell them?
I'd like to join, but I don't think I can afford it. What can I do?
I really like you guys, but I don't think I want to join. I can still hang out with you, right?
My girlfriend doesn't want me joining a Fraternity. What should I do?
I don't think I have enough time to join a Fraternity.
What happens in your candidate education program?
What do you do with your alumni?
I have friends who want to join other Fraternities. Will I still be able to hang out with them?
Isn't being in a Fraternity like paying for your friends?
If this chapter hadn't been here, which Fraternity would you have joined?
Has the chapter changed since you joined?
Are you still close with your friends from before you joined a Fraternity?

Who Got You?
Ask all the chapter members to name the Frater who was most instrumental in getting him to join. Have them think back to the time when they joined what they thought and felt. Ask questions like:

How did you meet this Frater?
How did you get to know him?
How did he demonstrate his interest in you?
What got you to say yes?

Make a list of the Fraters who are named most often. If they are present, have them talk about what they did to get members to join. Ask questions like:

How did you meet these Fraters?
How did you know he would make a good Teke?
What did you do to make him a friend?
What did you do to influence his decision?

Selling the Product
In order to sell, you've got to know what your product is. You've got to know the benefits of joining and all the wonderful things about Tau Kappa Epsilon and you've got to be able to help a prospective member understand that this is a product he truly wants to own. As a chapter, compile a list of selling points of your chapter.

Be specific with the points you bring up - it's the details that are most convincing. Be honest with this exercise; don't try to sell something you can't truly offer. If you find at the end of this exercise that you don't have very much to offer, maybe you need to reconsider what you're doing as a chapter. Some topics to consider:

Chapter activities and achievements
Your members' interests and personalities
Leadership and management opportunities
Ways your chapter can fit the new member's needs and interest
Community service involvement
Academic support and success
Social offerings and opportunities
Intramural involvement opportunities
Alumni networking and support
Housing opportunities
Chapter heritage and tradition
Brotherhood and friendship

TKE Jeopardy!
This activity will review some essential Fraternity facts that people often ask about and your members should know. It's important that your members know the right answers and are all saying the same thing. This is an entertaining way to make sure that your chapter has got it together. Set this game up like the Jeopardy! television show. Have three players and one host. For the game board, you can use a large sheet of paper. Create a square grid of 36 boxes, six across by six down. In the top row, mark six categories and put point values of 1 to 5 in the boxes below each category heading. For categories, you may want to use TKE History, Chapter History, Chapter Operations, Chapter Facts, and The Candidate Period. Next, prepare answers for each category that all chapter members should know. As with the television show, the Fraters should answer in the form of a question. Some answers could include:

TKE History: When TKE was founded. Where TKE was founded. The number of chapters in TKE. Famous TKE alumni. Five chapters in the area.
Chapter History: When this chapter was founded. The number of alumni of the chapter. When the house was built? Awards the chapter has won. Notable chapter alumni.
Chapter Operations: The initiation fee. Chapter GPA requirement. Dues each term. House capacity. Most significant chapter tradition.
Chapter Facts: Number of members in the chapter. Chapter GPA last term. Candidate GPA last term. Number of different majors represented in the chapter. The name of the Chapter Advisor.
The Candidate Period: The candidate fee. The length of the candidate period. Requirements of candidates. Purpose of candidate education program.

Involve all members in this and make it a competition. Give prizes to the winners, and distribute a sheet with all the correct answers and questions.