#5 Military Recruiting: A New Dawn of Opportunity
Co-Authored by Jeffrey Gitomer & Henry Biemann
The challenge facing military recruiting today isn't a crisis; it's an extraordinary'opportunity for renewal and refocus.'
The decline in willingness to serve isn't just about numbers or recruitment goals. It's a signal to re-engage America in a conversation about the value and dignity of military service, particularly in a world rife with misinformation. The solution isn't merely throwing more dollars into advertisements or relaxing enlistment standards; it's about recalibrating the way the Army positions itself in the collective American psyche, and how to recruit and retain the best possible candidates.
The Real Challenge: Dispelling Myths and Selling Personal Success
The fundamental problem that recruiters face is a decline in the understanding of, and the willingness to serve. This decline is driven by perceived negative aspects of military life compounded by a lack of clear and concise information reaching potential recruits. Myths about the Army and military service proliferate in our modern information age, with perspectives often shaped more by pop culture, social media, or hearsay rather than facts. The solution starts with an intensive training program that shifts the focus from just "selling the Army" to "selling individual success." Traditional training modules at the Recruiting and Retention College have limited utility; they focus too much on telling the "Army Story” and cold calling. The new approach must shift to "selling individualized success stories” and aligning with modern sales techniques. We must teach recruiters how to recognize individual motivations of potential recruits, provide value up front, and identify how the Army fits into the recruit’s personal success story.
Investing in Training and Technology: The Time is Now
The idea of retraining our recruiting force is not a reactive measure to a crisis, but a proactive approach to an opportunity.
By switching the focus from 'selling the Army' to 'selling success stories,' we can tap into the underlying motivations that drive people to seek employment, education, and fulfillment. The first step in this direction is to reframe our training modules and sales pitches to adapt to this new paradigm. One that focuses on the success of the individual.
Instead of the stereotypical "high school career fair" approach, envision recruiters that are trained to host workshops that help students understand how military service could be a steppingstone to various successful career paths.
Henry Biemann: I am a former Regular Army recruiting officer who consistently exceeded recruiting missions and was selected as the Medical Recruiting Brigade Officer of the Year for FY21. As someone who's been on the frontlines of recruiting, I've seen firsthand the challenges recruiters face and the need for additional training in modern sales methods, presentation skills, and value first approaches.
Jeffrey Gitomer: "People don't like to be sold to, but they love to buy." The same principle is applicable in recruiting. We can lead prospective recruits 'buy into' a future where they're not just Soldiers but future leaders, educated professionals, and inspired citizens. It's about creating a situation where the recruit feels empowered through an incredible presentation that talks about attitude, belief, and success. We issue them a uniform, boots, a rucksack, and a success package.
Henry Biemann: In the age of analytics, our recruiters should be leveraging digital tools to make every pitch a home run. We should be considering technologies like AI driven analytics to better understand and segment our audience and explore channels to offer social proof of the value of Army service. The idea here is to equip every recruiter with the tools to make every recruiting pitch personalized, based on real data and real stories that resonate with people far more than hypothetical scenarios.
Jeffrey Gitomer: With the right tools, a sale isn't just a transaction; it's a relationship. By building this relationship from the start, we're not just making a one-time "sale"; we're creating lifetime advocates for the service. One recruit will lead to another.
The Cost Benefit: A Revolution in Efficiency
According to the Army Recruiting Command, the average cost per enlistment can cost anywhere between $10,000 to $15,000, considering the overhead, marketing, and man-hours invested.
These figures are not just staggering; they're unsustainable, especially when considering the scale at which we aim to recruit. Imagine if we could cut that cost by even 10% through more effective, targeted approaches. We're potentially saving millions of dollars annually.
Now, think about how those saved funds could be reinvested in the force — better equipment, better training, better quality of life for our service members. It's a win-win situation for everyone involved.
Jeffrey Gitomer: Sales is not just a numbers game, it's an efficiency game, a loyalty game, a referral game, and a profit game. Even slight improvements in the 'recruiting process' can translate into exponential growth (and reduced costs) in conversion rates. Traditional recruitment training can be overhauled to include sales training modules, specifically focused on relationship building, identifying client needs (in this case, the needs of potential recruits), and long-term follow-up.
Henry Biemann: What if we treated our potential recruits less like numbers to attain and more like clients to serve? That's where the shift in training comes in. Better training and techniques don't just improve mission numbers, they can save millions that can be reinvested into the lives of our servicemen and women. That's an ROI any Commander would get behind.
What Sets This Idea Apart: A Synergistic Assertive Approach to Recruiting
We offer a unique blend of deep-rooted recruiting experience, loyalty to service, and time-tested sales techniques. Our proposed solution isn't just another program; it's a comprehensive training platform accessible on multiple devices, designed to make every recruiter a powerhouse in engagement and conversion. This training would encompass interactive online courses, built in coaching from Jeffrey Gitomer himself, and continuous on-the-job support. This isn't just about ticking boxes; it's about filling toolkits with invaluable skills that last a lifetime and empower recruiters on the front lines to CRUSH IT!
The real shift we're advocating for goes beyond methods or numbers—it's cultural. We're looking to change the narrative about what it means to serve, not just for the recruits but for society at large. It's not just about how many people we recruit but how we recruit them — it’s how those people view their roles and contributions to society once they're part of the team.
With our unique vantage points and skill sets, we believe that we are perfectly poised to make this cultural shift a reality. This is far from a crisis. It's a paradigm shift waiting to happen. It's a story that needs to be told and an action that demands immediate execution. It's not just about filling quotas; it's about enriching lives and ultimately making both our military and our nation stronger. It’s time to start seeing this challenge for what it truly is: an incredible opportunity for transformative change.
Are you ready to join us in leading the way?
Yours in Sales and Service,
