Military Recruiter
I chose to interview one of the military recruiter on my military base for my final sales report. He has been a recruiter for almost 5 years for the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. The Air National Guard offers members the opportunity to serve in the military in a part time capacity. This offers a larger group in interested individuals. Our recruiting team is nationally recognized as one of the best i country and are always receiving various awards and accolades. There professionalism and reputable sales techniques are highlighted as great practices across the Air National Guard nationally. All recruiters must have a basic understanding of all the jobs offered o the base that they work at. When they have vacancies that need to be filled
…show more content…
they are responsible for matching people and jobs together based on their compatibility. Their basic understanding of all job functions allows them to up individuals in jobs where they are happy and successful while filling a manning requirement. Their job involves skills and sales techniques and principles in many ways, however, their pay is not reflective of most salesperson’s jobs. They are not paid on commission or any other incentive program. Their pay is only reflective of their rank. At the 193 Special Operations Wing where we work. There a handful numerous jobs that he is recruiting for all the time. The 193 SOW is the largest Air National Guard base in the country, and is also one of the busiest. They also have two detached units that they are also responsible for maintaining the manning for. Unlike active duty recruiters he along with the rest of the recruiting team are charged with filling vacancies solely at the 193 SOW. For him, as a recruiter this means that he often has a high turnover rate in high deployment career fields that regularly need filled in addition to filling the regular jobs found on all bases that are most common for all recruiters. He prospects in many ways. As we talked he pointed out that many of them are already set up for him by the military. The main ways that he pursues procurement is through advertising. At the 193 SOW he has many interested individuals coming to him for information. The procurement methods used to generate their interest are billboards along major local highways. They also advertise on the television. Occasionally they set up booths at most public festivals and gatherings. Usually at these booths they offer handouts. Most are pamphlets and informational brochures, but they also will take cups, bracelets, and other items to bring people over to the booth. They actively are engaged with local high schools. In his preparation for going to high schools and public events he prepares in a number of ways. When attending schools he personally likes to take members that are not part of the recruiting team. He finds that they are ore effective at talking about their jobs and creating a more realistic understanding about their jobs and experiences in the Air National Guard. Usually the members he selects come from career fields that are on his priority vacancy list and he prefers to bring a younger induvial to help create a more relatable and connective environment. When attending public events he also pulls younger and more seasoned members to go along. There is an age limit on the age that someone can initially joining, but a transfer from a sister branch is possible at much later ages. Many of the Air National Guard members have come from the Army National Guard as transfers. Determining what potential enlistees are interested in or need is also done by the Air National Guard. It is difficult to research the perspective prospects because they often approach him. He does not see out specific people. There are surveys for feedback that are filled out by members. He also said that they ask people during their procurement process what incentivized them to seek out a meeting with a recruiter. He said that for high school students they advertise the free college benefit that the students would gain if they enlisted. They also talk about the chance for travel and adventure. For crowds that are not in the normal demographics he uses the incentives of patriotic duty, opportunities to travel. He also talks about how the military is a way to expand professional development though training, certificates, and credentials. The current retirement is also an incentive that he uses for some members. However, this requires a 20 year commitment so he finds that the school, travel, and training are more effective incentives. Most presentations are done in informal settings at booths. Regardless of where he is presenting he always makes sure to smile and create an inviting atmosphere. He also emphasized that the recruiting team on base is focused on being honest ad straightforward with recruits. This is important to him because he is not only responsible for gaining new recruits, but also needs to do his best to maintain them for future enlistments. He said that it is critical that the potential recruit fully understand the commitment and job they are interested in. Previously, military recruiters would put people in their most high demand position without fully considering the best placement. This resulted in many unhappy recruits who separated after their first enlistment instead of reenlisting. He usually starts by asking the induvial some open and closed ended questions to gauge their interest level, and what interests them in joining. Some of the open ended questions he likes to ask are, what interests you in joining the military? What benefits are you aware of? Do you have an area of interest that you are looking to find a job in? Tell me a little about yourself? From there he determines what direction to take his sales pitch. Usually he does this taking some of their interested areas, like education, and taking about the great educational benefits. He often will point out a few members that are in attendance with him, and gives the opportunity to share how they use their educational benefits. The presentation is usually concise and to the point.
He finds that most of the time the people that approach him afterwards had a previous interest in joining.. When he goes to schools his presentation is more formal, and he usually presents at a rally or gathering of students on stage. His formal presentation involves talking about the wing and what they do. He then takes a few minutes to talk about all the benefits that can be gained by the students if they enlist. At a certain point he asks one of the members who came with him to take a few min to talk about their experience in the military, and how they used the benefits. These presentations are usually short in time as dictated by the school. Joining the military can be daunting for many people. He faces many objections and has some ways of heling show a different perspective. Some of the main perspectives that he faces are the physical requirements. Fear of the danger or frequent deployments. The length of time away for initial basic training and technical training. Another objection that he said he faces is the misconception that the work and lifestyle culture will look more like an army soldier then an Air Force …show more content…
airman. He is sometimes limited in his ability to combat some of the objections. What he finds most effective is acknowledging the objection and following with how some other people have worked through the issue. For the physical fitness objection he shows them a designed pre basic training workout program that is designed by the Air Force to help people prep for basic training. When he is faced with the fear of frequent deployments he tries to show them jobs that have a much lower deployment rate. He cannot guarantee that they won’t deploy, but he tries to direct them away from jobs that are guaranteed to deploy. The objection of fear and intimidation is a tough one for him to combat. He tries to do so by discussing the benefits that they will receive, and presents the idea that many people have done it before. The Air Force culture and Army culture are different. Many ties the military culture that is presented in movies is more reflective of the Army or not even of the military. He combats this misconception by talking about the lifestyle that is offered by the Air National Guard. His closing techniques are simple and straightforward. He never wants to come across as pushy and intimidating. So he usually gives them a business card and tells them to call him with any questions, but also lets them know that he has limited vacancies in certain positions and if they are interested in a specific popular job that they may have to make a decision quicker. Unlike other sales commitments this involves more than money and resources. He is never interested in pushing someone to the decision if they aren’t interested. Usually, if they are interested he either signs with them that day or in the next few days following. His success is high, but not necessary because he has a good closing technique. He feels that his success comes from his closing techniques, but from his honest and laid back sales approach. However, he does find that his is more successful when a potential recruit is on the line when he offers a potential timeline to their decision. He is very attentive to his follow up techniques. The primary one that he uses is calling back the potential recruit. He usually does this through a series of calls. The amount of calls he makes is usually based on the interest level of the individual. For someone who he fills is very interested he will call in a few days. If it is someone who he does not fee is as interested he will wait a week to follow up. As stated before, it is his focus to make sure that he is not coming across as to pushy. He still wants to maintain that he is available to answer any questions that the recruit has. As I was unable to observe him at an actual event or with a perspective recruit, therefore, I cannot talk to his mistakes and successes. However, I have observed previous sales techniques from recruiters. One of the mistakes that I have seen military recruiter make is in the atmosphere that they create when talking to potential recruits. I have seen them become unapproachable to involve not smiling and not taking time to talk to the recruit about their interests and wants. This made the recruit feel that they were not wanted, or that they were not important to the recruiter. While recruiters are recruit for the military they also need to present the idea that they are still humans and not robots. Another mistake is putting too much pressure on a prospect to make their decision. They did this through telling them that the job would not be there in the next 24 hours. This can be an effective technique, but if used incorrectly it can push a prospect away. The other observation that I have noticed is dishonesty in the presentation of the job description and in the timelines of the training ad demands. While this can effectively get them to sign at times. It often if discovered creates an immediate negative opinion. These recruiters have lost that prospect completely. I would have handled this situation of above in a few different ways. First off honesty would need to at the root of whatever sales and closing technique I used. I would also try to be as approachable as possible. The prospect does not need to feel intimidated by the recruiter. I think a smile and genuine interest would be essential. I would also focus o my body language to make sure that it reflected a positive position. I think my base has a great recruiting team and exhibit many successful strategies and techniques. The primary one is their honesty in presenting, and meetings. They also are successful in taking time to get to know people and matching them to their best job possibility. Many of the people that I serve with have a positive view of the recruiters and are happy in their current position. They plan on reenlisting when their contract is up because of the great job done b their recruiter. I would approach my closing techniques with care. If I felt the situation would be met with some pressure of a deadline I would use it, but I would avoid using it if I felt that it would push the prospect away. I would take time to get to know what the individual was like, and to understand their interest level. If I felt that they would not react well to the timeline I would use follow up calls. Overall, the whole recruiting team does a great job and there are very things I would do differently. I learned a lot from the experience.
After talking to them I realized how commonly known the techniques were. I always figured that there was more to gaining prospects then what met the naked eye. The job that they do is involved and takes a lot of skill and time, but as long as they are honest and take time to get to know the potential recruits they have little left to do in the sales area. I also learned that a majority of the interested prospects come to them. They gain far more recruits from current members talking to their friends and contacts, then they do from going out to schools and public events. Sometimes in sales it is not about always seeking out specific prospects, but about adapting to the people who approach you. Sales are part of every industry, business and professional workplace. It was interesting to take time to see how it applies to my job and the profession that I am
in.
they are responsible for matching people and jobs together based on their compatibility. Their basic understanding of all job functions allows them to up individuals in jobs where they are happy and successful while filling a manning requirement. Their job involves skills and sales techniques and principles in many ways, however, their pay is not reflective of most salesperson’s jobs. They are not paid on commission or any other incentive program. Their pay is only reflective of their rank. At the 193 Special Operations Wing where we work. There a handful numerous jobs that he is recruiting for all the time. The 193 SOW is the largest Air National Guard base in the country, and is also one of the busiest. They also have two detached units that they are also responsible for maintaining the manning for. Unlike active duty recruiters he along with the rest of the recruiting team are charged with filling vacancies solely at the 193 SOW. For him, as a recruiter this means that he often has a high turnover rate in high deployment career fields that regularly need filled in addition to filling the regular jobs found on all bases that are most common for all recruiters. He prospects in many ways. As we talked he pointed out that many of them are already set up for him by the military. The main ways that he pursues procurement is through advertising. At the 193 SOW he has many interested individuals coming to him for information. The procurement methods used to generate their interest are billboards along major local highways. They also advertise on the television. Occasionally they set up booths at most public festivals and gatherings. Usually at these booths they offer handouts. Most are pamphlets and informational brochures, but they also will take cups, bracelets, and other items to bring people over to the booth. They actively are engaged with local high schools. In his preparation for going to high schools and public events he prepares in a number of ways. When attending schools he personally likes to take members that are not part of the recruiting team. He finds that they are ore effective at talking about their jobs and creating a more realistic understanding about their jobs and experiences in the Air National Guard. Usually the members he selects come from career fields that are on his priority vacancy list and he prefers to bring a younger induvial to help create a more relatable and connective environment. When attending public events he also pulls younger and more seasoned members to go along. There is an age limit on the age that someone can initially joining, but a transfer from a sister branch is possible at much later ages. Many of the Air National Guard members have come from the Army National Guard as transfers. Determining what potential enlistees are interested in or need is also done by the Air National Guard. It is difficult to research the perspective prospects because they often approach him. He does not see out specific people. There are surveys for feedback that are filled out by members. He also said that they ask people during their procurement process what incentivized them to seek out a meeting with a recruiter. He said that for high school students they advertise the free college benefit that the students would gain if they enlisted. They also talk about the chance for travel and adventure. For crowds that are not in the normal demographics he uses the incentives of patriotic duty, opportunities to travel. He also talks about how the military is a way to expand professional development though training, certificates, and credentials. The current retirement is also an incentive that he uses for some members. However, this requires a 20 year commitment so he finds that the school, travel, and training are more effective incentives. Most presentations are done in informal settings at booths. Regardless of where he is presenting he always makes sure to smile and create an inviting atmosphere. He also emphasized that the recruiting team on base is focused on being honest ad straightforward with recruits. This is important to him because he is not only responsible for gaining new recruits, but also needs to do his best to maintain them for future enlistments. He said that it is critical that the potential recruit fully understand the commitment and job they are interested in. Previously, military recruiters would put people in their most high demand position without fully considering the best placement. This resulted in many unhappy recruits who separated after their first enlistment instead of reenlisting. He usually starts by asking the induvial some open and closed ended questions to gauge their interest level, and what interests them in joining. Some of the open ended questions he likes to ask are, what interests you in joining the military? What benefits are you aware of? Do you have an area of interest that you are looking to find a job in? Tell me a little about yourself? From there he determines what direction to take his sales pitch. Usually he does this taking some of their interested areas, like education, and taking about the great educational benefits. He often will point out a few members that are in attendance with him, and gives the opportunity to share how they use their educational benefits. The presentation is usually concise and to the point.
He finds that most of the time the people that approach him afterwards had a previous interest in joining.. When he goes to schools his presentation is more formal, and he usually presents at a rally or gathering of students on stage. His formal presentation involves talking about the wing and what they do. He then takes a few minutes to talk about all the benefits that can be gained by the students if they enlist. At a certain point he asks one of the members who came with him to take a few min to talk about their experience in the military, and how they used the benefits. These presentations are usually short in time as dictated by the school. Joining the military can be daunting for many people. He faces many objections and has some ways of heling show a different perspective. Some of the main perspectives that he faces are the physical requirements. Fear of the danger or frequent deployments. The length of time away for initial basic training and technical training. Another objection that he said he faces is the misconception that the work and lifestyle culture will look more like an army soldier then an Air Force …show more content…
airman. He is sometimes limited in his ability to combat some of the objections. What he finds most effective is acknowledging the objection and following with how some other people have worked through the issue. For the physical fitness objection he shows them a designed pre basic training workout program that is designed by the Air Force to help people prep for basic training. When he is faced with the fear of frequent deployments he tries to show them jobs that have a much lower deployment rate. He cannot guarantee that they won’t deploy, but he tries to direct them away from jobs that are guaranteed to deploy. The objection of fear and intimidation is a tough one for him to combat. He tries to do so by discussing the benefits that they will receive, and presents the idea that many people have done it before. The Air Force culture and Army culture are different. Many ties the military culture that is presented in movies is more reflective of the Army or not even of the military. He combats this misconception by talking about the lifestyle that is offered by the Air National Guard. His closing techniques are simple and straightforward. He never wants to come across as pushy and intimidating. So he usually gives them a business card and tells them to call him with any questions, but also lets them know that he has limited vacancies in certain positions and if they are interested in a specific popular job that they may have to make a decision quicker. Unlike other sales commitments this involves more than money and resources. He is never interested in pushing someone to the decision if they aren’t interested. Usually, if they are interested he either signs with them that day or in the next few days following. His success is high, but not necessary because he has a good closing technique. He feels that his success comes from his closing techniques, but from his honest and laid back sales approach. However, he does find that his is more successful when a potential recruit is on the line when he offers a potential timeline to their decision. He is very attentive to his follow up techniques. The primary one that he uses is calling back the potential recruit. He usually does this through a series of calls. The amount of calls he makes is usually based on the interest level of the individual. For someone who he fills is very interested he will call in a few days. If it is someone who he does not fee is as interested he will wait a week to follow up. As stated before, it is his focus to make sure that he is not coming across as to pushy. He still wants to maintain that he is available to answer any questions that the recruit has. As I was unable to observe him at an actual event or with a perspective recruit, therefore, I cannot talk to his mistakes and successes. However, I have observed previous sales techniques from recruiters. One of the mistakes that I have seen military recruiter make is in the atmosphere that they create when talking to potential recruits. I have seen them become unapproachable to involve not smiling and not taking time to talk to the recruit about their interests and wants. This made the recruit feel that they were not wanted, or that they were not important to the recruiter. While recruiters are recruit for the military they also need to present the idea that they are still humans and not robots. Another mistake is putting too much pressure on a prospect to make their decision. They did this through telling them that the job would not be there in the next 24 hours. This can be an effective technique, but if used incorrectly it can push a prospect away. The other observation that I have noticed is dishonesty in the presentation of the job description and in the timelines of the training ad demands. While this can effectively get them to sign at times. It often if discovered creates an immediate negative opinion. These recruiters have lost that prospect completely. I would have handled this situation of above in a few different ways. First off honesty would need to at the root of whatever sales and closing technique I used. I would also try to be as approachable as possible. The prospect does not need to feel intimidated by the recruiter. I think a smile and genuine interest would be essential. I would also focus o my body language to make sure that it reflected a positive position. I think my base has a great recruiting team and exhibit many successful strategies and techniques. The primary one is their honesty in presenting, and meetings. They also are successful in taking time to get to know people and matching them to their best job possibility. Many of the people that I serve with have a positive view of the recruiters and are happy in their current position. They plan on reenlisting when their contract is up because of the great job done b their recruiter. I would approach my closing techniques with care. If I felt the situation would be met with some pressure of a deadline I would use it, but I would avoid using it if I felt that it would push the prospect away. I would take time to get to know what the individual was like, and to understand their interest level. If I felt that they would not react well to the timeline I would use follow up calls. Overall, the whole recruiting team does a great job and there are very things I would do differently. I learned a lot from the experience.
After talking to them I realized how commonly known the techniques were. I always figured that there was more to gaining prospects then what met the naked eye. The job that they do is involved and takes a lot of skill and time, but as long as they are honest and take time to get to know the potential recruits they have little left to do in the sales area. I also learned that a majority of the interested prospects come to them. They gain far more recruits from current members talking to their friends and contacts, then they do from going out to schools and public events. Sometimes in sales it is not about always seeking out specific prospects, but about adapting to the people who approach you. Sales are part of every industry, business and professional workplace. It was interesting to take time to see how it applies to my job and the profession that I am
in.