THS #097 - The Goal Board: What My Old Football Coach Taught Me About Winning in Recruitment
Apologies for the delay this week, we started the summer program for the highschool football team I am coaching on and I feel behind on writing. With the start of the season though it sparked an article I had ready last season, but never hit publish on. It is about my college football days, the lessons I learned, and how they can apply to your BD activities. Let’s jump in.
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My old college football coach retired last year, after 30+ years of leading the program. I was able to attend his last game back in November, and was able to walk through the locker room that I once was a player in.
It was there I came across the goal board, a week to week breakdown of the games and goals set out. It had been 16 years since I had seen the board, but instantly when I saw it I fell back in love with it.
The reason being, it clearly laid out what the team wanted to accomplish week over week. It reminded me as well of what needs to happen to be successful in recruitment.
Why This System Worked
That board wasn't decoration—it was our roadmap to victory. Every player could see exactly where we stood at any moment. No confusion, no excuses, just clear expectations and transparent accountability.
The board tracked offensive metrics (first downs, red zone efficiency), defensive goals (third down stops, sacks), and weekly objectives specific to each opponent. Each metric was color-coded—green for goals met, red for areas needing improvement.
My coach understood something most people miss: systematic execution beats random effort every time.
The Recruitment Problem
Most recruiters operate like a team without a goal board. They work hard, make calls, send emails, and chase opportunities. But they're working without clear direction, hoping effort alone will translate to results.
Meanwhile, top producers think like championship coaches. They know their numbers:
20 qualified prospect conversations generate 4 solid leads
4 solid leads produce 2 new client relationships
2 new client relationships create 1 retained search
1 retained search converts to $30K in revenue
They track these metrics religiously and adjust based on what the data tells them.
Your Recruitment Goal Board
Track what matters:
Business Development:
New prospect conversations per week
Discovery calls scheduled
Proposals sent and accepted
Delivery:
Candidate interviews conducted
Shortlists presented
Interview-to-offer ratios
Pipeline:
Total pipeline value
Deals in each stage
Monthly placement targets
Make it visual. Update it weekly. The format matters less than the consistency.
The Real Power
When you track metrics weekly, patterns emerge. You discover Thursday calls have higher connect rates. You realize certain industries respond better to LinkedIn than cold calls. You identify that your close rate drops when you skip the second discovery call.
This data becomes your competitive advantage. While others guess, you know.
Stop Winging It
Too many recruiters suffer from "hope and pray" syndrome. They work harder when things get tough but never examine why things got tough.
The best recruiters eliminate guesswork. They build systems that produce predictable results, then execute with discipline.
Your Challenge
Start with your annual revenue target, then work backward:
How many placements does that require?
How many offers does that need?
How many interviews must you facilitate?
How many candidates do you need to source?
How many client conversations must you have?
Break it down week by week. Make it visual. Track it religiously.
The difference between recruiters who have good months by accident and those who build predictable success isn't talent—it's systematic execution.
One group wings it and hopes for the best. The other builds their goal board and executes their way to victory.
Which team are you on?