Posted: 12/3/2007 9:03:35 AM EDT
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So I just finished up OSUT at Ft. Benning, and since it's so close to Christmas Exodus, and my airborne school doesn't start until January, they sent me home early with HRAP (hometown recruiting). Thing is, I need 2 names/leads every day to turn in to my recruiter. He just sent me off and told me to do my own thing. I'm not so good at approaching random people about joining the military.. and I'm not the kind of guy that believes in pressuring and harrassing people about it, so I was just wondering if any of you guys had any ideas or tips for this sort of thing. Would be a big help! |
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Go eat lunch or dinner in your uniform at some place like Chilis or Ruby Tuesdays. Then when you go to the bathroom, come out with toilet paper attached to your shoe. This will draw attention to you and people will probably approach you. Use that opportunity to talk with them and see if they are intrested. Or just talk to your recruiter and see if you cant get the 2 weeks or so off.  |
Tell the recruiter to blow smoke up someone else's ass. It is the recruiters job to take you along so you can talk to any prospects about your training so far. That is what hometown recruiting is. Call IG on his ass. Otherwise, call some friends, tell them that the recruiter is going to call them. When and if he/calls, they can tell him they are no longer interested. Fucking recruiters...they never change |
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Make a list of the names and numbers of all your friends. Call each of them and ask for the numbers to "Oh, you remember so-and-so? Whatever happened to them?" Compile a giant list of names and numbers and feed the recruiter 2 or 3 every day to keep him off your back so you can screw off. It's a game about quantity, not quality, so dont bother actively scouring the planet looking for the best people who desperately want to enlist. |
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Have you visited any of your old friends? Gone to any old hangouts? Shouldn't be too difficult especially if you're in uniform. When you see your buddies and get to talking you just mention how weird it is to come home and see that everyone is still doing the same thing they were doing before and that you figure they'll be doing the same things 10 yrs from now (and they will be). Mention how nice it is to get away and do something exciting, pay and bennies are good for a young single guy or gal. You don't have to go up to anyone and strongarm their phone # from them. Just talk about what you've done so far, how much fun it has been (stay away from the parts where you got your ass smoked) be positive about your experience, future plans, etc. Your buddies and others will ask plenty of questions. If they seem interested just explain that you'd like someone more qualified to give them more details. Look for their hot buttons- know somebody that has trouble with college money? you talk about GI bill know somebody that likes to spend money hopping up their car or something similar? you talk about bonuses know somebody that has always thought they were billy-badass? talk to them about Airborne, Air Assault, Rangers, etc. Just talk to people about it, you're not harassing them, they'll be interested if you relate it to what THEY want out of life. |
Some people might have a problem lying to their friends (part in red) but otherwise it's good advice. 
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This is kind of the plan so far. It will work for a little while, but I have 20 days of recruiting ahead of me... so I'm gonna have to find a few extra names/numbers somewhere. Good thing I have good friends that will play along. 
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Hell, when I joined at 17 with only a high school education and being from a small town, I thought it was pretty good. Of course if I were to reenlist at this point in my life I would most certainly and immediately go bankrupt. |
The way I heard it explained by Recruiters was that the HRAPpers were only temporarily assigned and thus ineligible. You had to be an actual recruiter for the bonuses. At least the HRAP kids can help make a Sergeant some extra money! 
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I am a recruiter (on leave this week) if your assigned recruiter is not going lead by example ( as any NCO is supposed to do ) and take you out and actually show you what to do, then open up the phone book up and start copying. I played this game with an old NCOIC who played leads to enlistment numbers game with us. My exodus soldiers report in to me on day one to process paperwork, check on their uniforms and overall appearance. I brief them on whats expected, safety briefing, teach them a few basic recruiting skills then I then send them home until the scheduled event. They work the event, go home and enjoy the rest of the time home and return back to training with a properly signed leave slip for HRAP. I always get workable leads out of them because I do not overwork them on exodus. They are proud to be back home in uniform and want to show it off to family and friends. Also, while active assigned to recruiting you do not get the recruiting incentive bonuses. Good luck and enjoy your time back home. Wear your class A's to church for Christmas service if you celebrate Christmas. I wear my Dress Blues every year to church service. My church usually has a few of us from differant branches. |
Awesome. Thanks for insight. I've heard a lot of recruiters will sign off on the leave form and only 'use' the soldier at large events or trips to the college a few times and call it good. Wish I had someone like you around here. About copying numbers.. wouldn't this be pretty obvious? Could I get in trouble for this? I honestly don't mind working to obtain some leads, but like I said.. I've never done this type of thing before, and I'm not comfortable pressuring people for information. I just figure that most people that are interested in the military will head to their recruiting station on their own. I didn't join until I was 23, and I was constantly annoyed when recruiters would come up to me and pressure me to give them my personal info so they could harrass me before I intended to enlist. |
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I spent 16+ ball-busting years with the US Army Recruiting Command, from December 1985 until I retired in April 2001. I retired an E-7 because I would not "play ball" the USAREC way. Ask anyone who knows about recruiting and they will tell you that if I were not a producer, I would not have lasted 16 years (read between the lines). It's a tough fucking thankless job that draws a lot of negative comments, as already shown by some of the ones above. I sure you are professional enough to do your best with integrity, go out each day and simply talk to folks. Try going to areas you like in order to contact folks with your likes... Yes, some recruiters are quick to lie and bend the truth... they are under extreme pressure each and every day... no excuse though. Do your best and let the chips fall where they may. Good luck and THANK YOU for your service to this great country. |
A lead is a name and number nothing more needs to be done to qualify. You could ask him for his High School lists and call people for him. Otherwise to truly go out, you have to be very outgoing to get cold leads. It is not hard once you get started. Go to a local mall. Walk up to people and just politely ask them if they are in the Army? You will get many differant answers, I always ask the ones that say no, why not? Let them talk you will key in on things that the Army can do for them. Just be polite. If they respond I got out a while back, ask them when they are coming back in? If they are totally against joining leave them alone, don't harass them just leave off with... well if you know anyone that might be interested let me know I will be here for a while and I just got out of training so I can shed some insight on how boot camp is. Be creative and have fun with it. You meet some really nice people, and you meet some really whacked out individuals in recruiting. I think its fun and it is why I am a successful recruiter. Good luck. |