Get a DEFINING STATEMENT for your campus club or organization and boost your recruiting efforts

“No, we are not the Circle K that is the convenience stores.” “We are not a dude ranch with horses.” “We don’t dance in circles, although you can if you want to.”

That was part of my normal speech when I was the District Administrator for the Georgia District of Circle K International. I was responsible for 28 chapters, including helping them to effectively recruit members. I went to campus after campus and watched our student leaders struggle with trying to explain what Circle K was—and what it was not!

If you belong to a club or organization on campus or are the advisor for a group and had to tell people the name of the organization and then have to explain what it means over and over again – you know the feeling. It really became a problem. That is until I came up with the idea of having a defining statement.

Tell people what you do, rather than using the name of the organization. For Circle K in Georgia, we went from asking students, “Would you like to join Circle K?” to “Are you interested in community service?” Our positive response rate went from “Huh?” to 85%!

Belong to a fraternity or sorority? I suggest using “Are you interested in leadership development? Or “Do you want to make lifelong friends?” If you spout out the name, it might all just be Greek to them. (Oh yes, I did just go there!)

Watch the accompanying video and the audio interview below for even more for more ideas. Feel free to share your defining statements below and I’ll give you some feedback.

Yours in service,

Dave “Gonzo” Kelly

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THE COLLEGE SPEAKER SERIES

“What is your campus organization’s defining statement?”

You can listen to this FREE audio here (9:26)…

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About Dave "Gonzo" Kelly (37 Posts)

Dave "Gonzo" Kelly, America's student leadership Trainer™, has been working with students on leadership development since he was a student himself. As an experienced college speaker and trainer his programs maximize student retention by linking student success through extra-curricular activities.