Originally posted by Novus
Can we just auto-PM Warhawk's post to anyone who buys a team for the first time? Should do nicely.
+1
Can we just auto-PM Warhawk's post to anyone who buys a team for the first time? Should do nicely.
+1
Forum > FAQ's, Player Guides and Newbie Help > Why are agents turning me down?
bhall43
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Should always learn a bit about coordinating and build a bit of a reputation first from some agents around the leagues. Then create a rookie team and try and get those agents to make players for you.
Time Trial
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Start by being a GM for a team you play for. Learn how to build good dots and then how to use them. I wouldn't sign a quality dot with a team owner I didn't know, had never heard of, doesn't have a forum avatar, and who has a half empty team.
Try lhf... he'll sign you a KR so long as you suck badly enough to give him 50 KRs a game.
Try lhf... he'll sign you a KR so long as you suck badly enough to give him 50 KRs a game.
deez11010
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Originally posted by Makntak
Haha! Brilliant Cowboys America. I reckon I've made over 100 offers, so still a long way to go and I should expect rejection until, as BagO'Chips pointed out, I have more experience.
Is there any point in recruiting new dots at low skill levels? Would a level 4 dot (who will get better as the season progresses) play better than a bot dot in Prep league?
100 offers is literally almost nothing.
I owned my team for 23 season before I called it. Starting in the playoffs I would post in the teams looking for players forum for the positions I needed. Day 41 I would send out PMs. Day 42 I would send out offers and PMs. I hated recruiting. I spent probably about 10 hours a day recruiting. Sending offers and PMs. I would send out 50-100 offers per single position needed. So if I needed 2 CBs, I'd send 100-200 offers to CBs. If you're a "casual" player and havent at least had a player or two in the WL so people can get to know your name or are part of a network or whatever they're called, you will spend probably close to 100 hours and thousands and thousands of offers out. Even when my team went 15-1 in the old AAAs I still spent that much time recruiting. TBH, it was the biggest reason I quit being an owner or GM. Didnt seem to matter how good or poorly my team did.
Also, dont forget to use the search function also. When you run out of market place ads and free agents forums, use the search for players function. Look for free agents first, then players on CPU teams (active within last 3 days of course). Dont forget to make sure you arent sending out multiple offers to the same players. Should open up a few tabs if using FF, keep one on the offers sent page, one on the alerts page (for those that rejected) and use Ctrl+F, copy and paste the names into the "find box" so you dont waste even more time sending offers to players who have already rejected or have an offer out from you currently.
Honestly, your easiest way to recruit players is by joining a network. I hate them myself, never joined them. But if you hate recruiting as much as I did, either find a very competent recruiter (and keep on him daily), or join a network.
Haha! Brilliant Cowboys America. I reckon I've made over 100 offers, so still a long way to go and I should expect rejection until, as BagO'Chips pointed out, I have more experience.
Is there any point in recruiting new dots at low skill levels? Would a level 4 dot (who will get better as the season progresses) play better than a bot dot in Prep league?
100 offers is literally almost nothing.
I owned my team for 23 season before I called it. Starting in the playoffs I would post in the teams looking for players forum for the positions I needed. Day 41 I would send out PMs. Day 42 I would send out offers and PMs. I hated recruiting. I spent probably about 10 hours a day recruiting. Sending offers and PMs. I would send out 50-100 offers per single position needed. So if I needed 2 CBs, I'd send 100-200 offers to CBs. If you're a "casual" player and havent at least had a player or two in the WL so people can get to know your name or are part of a network or whatever they're called, you will spend probably close to 100 hours and thousands and thousands of offers out. Even when my team went 15-1 in the old AAAs I still spent that much time recruiting. TBH, it was the biggest reason I quit being an owner or GM. Didnt seem to matter how good or poorly my team did.
Also, dont forget to use the search function also. When you run out of market place ads and free agents forums, use the search for players function. Look for free agents first, then players on CPU teams (active within last 3 days of course). Dont forget to make sure you arent sending out multiple offers to the same players. Should open up a few tabs if using FF, keep one on the offers sent page, one on the alerts page (for those that rejected) and use Ctrl+F, copy and paste the names into the "find box" so you dont waste even more time sending offers to players who have already rejected or have an offer out from you currently.
Honestly, your easiest way to recruit players is by joining a network. I hate them myself, never joined them. But if you hate recruiting as much as I did, either find a very competent recruiter (and keep on him daily), or join a network.
Originally posted by Warhawk
More specifically, do what the agent says in their ad (if you're responding to an ad). If they say "no PMs", don't send a PM. If they don't say, or say you must send a PM, send one. Unless the agent asks that you not do so, sending a well-written PM can't hurt. But the value of PMs always takes a backseat to the ability to follow instructions. If you can't adhere to an agent's requests when recruiting their player, it signals to them that you're not likely to listen to their concerns and suggestions when they're on your team.
As for sending PMs, and really recruiting in general, here's my tips:
1. Don't be too brief. If you send a PM that basically just says "yo you shud join my team we rock", you're probably better off not sending one at all. The fact that you're sending the player an offer says you want them on your team, the PM is there to tell them why they want to join your team.
2. Don't be too long-winded either. Nobody wants to hear about how you played football in high school (and presumably scored 4 touchdowns in a single game for Polk High in the championship), or about how you named your cats Mo and Bernard because, y'know what, **** the Patriots, or how you came up with the idea for the team name from the October 1984 issue of Mad Magazine (which is obviously assuming you've decided to name your team Inbanana Jones and the Temple of Goons, which is starting to sound better and better the more I think about it). But things that you should talk about include:
3. Brief descriptions of what you bring to the team as an owner. Now, highlighting every game you've won in dramatic fashion and all your lolgm trophies (if you have any, I certainly do, and they are a blight on my trophy page - a BLIGHT!) is probably not a good idea, but a short outline of your relevant experience can help - and even the admission that you are not especially experienced can work in your favor too. Agents aren't necessarily looking for someone who's owned dozens of championship winning teams, they want to see that you have a certain amount of perspective on your abilities as a future team owner. The worst thing for an owner in the position of the OP, with only a limited amount of experience in the game, to do is to talk up how great an owner he'll be, and how dominant the team will be under his ownership. But on the other hand, if I see a PM from a new owner saying "Hey, I'm new at this, but I'm really looking forward to learning how to operate a team, and I would welcome advice from the more experienced agents on my team," I'm going to give that guy strong consideration, because he sounds like someone who will probably get better as he learns, and someone I'll probably want to know a few seasons down the line when I'm recruiting for my team.
4. Form PMs are NOT bad, despite what some people say, but they have to be handled with a relatively deft touch. Now, a good PM is a good PM regardless, so writing a good form PM can save you a lot of time and a lot of headaches, but you need to connect with the person you're sending it to on some level. That means, while you can copy and paste the stuff that applies to everyone you recruit, you have to do at least some mad-libbing. Stick the player's name in there (and I usually put it in the subject line as well). If you can, say something about the player himself (even if it's just a comment on the player's name). Say something about how the player will be used if it's not obvious (and ESPECIALLY do this if the agent says he wants the player to be used in a certain way). This also leads to...
4a. Don't accidentally send a PM to an agent with another agent's player's name in it. I did that once. Immediately sent a PM apologizing and joking about my use of form PMs. And while you're at it, don't send the same one to an agent when you see they have another player you want. Keep track of the agents and players you're trying to recruit (I use Excel). If you realize they have another player on the market you want to recruit, send them a PM saying "Hey, I sent you a PM regarding _____ earlier, but I just noticed you also have a DT/CB/whatever who is looking for a team. We'd love to sign him as well!"
5. Assuming you're sending a PM, all you really have to put in the offer text box is something saying "Hi, I sent you a PM" and possibly (I do this) "Let me know if you have any questions!" In point of fact, that's a good idea for the PM too. If you extend an invitation for the agent to PM you back with questions, concerns, or statements of interest in your team, they'll be more likely to get back to you. It's a psychological thing - you're signaling that you're open to conversation with them, and not just a faceless recruiting robot. Plus, there's the chance that they'll read that and think "I actually don't have any questions... I guess that means I'm at the 'sign with this team' stage!"
6. Be friendly! Hell, be downright cheerful. Write in a way that sounds like you're smiling as you're talking. Be excited. Why say "we would like to sign your player" when you can say "your player would be a fantastic addition to our team!"
7. Be a bit picky. Yes, if the next season is looming large you may be fine with taking a player who's build you're not enamored with, but if you have a good recruiting pitch and a good plan, you'll do a lot better percentage-wise than you think. If there are, say, 6 players on the marketplace fitting a position & archetype you need, and 2 have builds that are clearly better than the others, just send an offer to those 2. Don't worry that you'll miss out on those 2 and the other 4 will have already signed (unless a few days go by without getting any response from those 2). 90% of the time, those 2 players will get signed first, because they get the most offers. The lousy builds will probably still be there if you get desperate later. And in the case the lousy builds do get signed first, that's also good for you - it means that some other owner out there probably sent offers to all of them and ended up getting one of the bad ones, and thus there's less competition for the good ones.
All of that.
Work the players looking for teams forum and the marketplace ads first. Then if you are into cold calling, do a search for dots, active agents (logged on in last three days) and free agents only. The latter is a low payoff but works some times.
My only caveat as to number 7 is that you need to pay attention. First off do not be tooo picky if you are not a contending team trying to fill your third or fourth slot at a position. AND if the agent has five other dots you can use, sending an offer to his sad sack might be a way to get all six. But always ask to see closed builds (sometimes I break this rule with a known agent who builds good dots and the EL lol bars tells me the dot will be okay for my purposes but I shouldnt and have sometimes been surprised).
But if you do only send those two offers okay but make sure you stay on top of it especially at positions like TE or C where the pickings can be slim.
And the biggest thing to do is - work your own players. Check their stables for open dots. Ask them if they know anyone. The players who are most likely to sign with you are the ones who already have, or the friends they reccomend you too. And for THAT reason always be good to your players. Do not cut someone for a minor advantage, or for going inactive for a short period of time. And chat it up on the forums. That can be frustrating when not every one or many or any players participates. But its still a good idea.
And try to get into a network. Being a part of a group means more access to shared players on top of alot of good advice and more enjoyable chatter.
More specifically, do what the agent says in their ad (if you're responding to an ad). If they say "no PMs", don't send a PM. If they don't say, or say you must send a PM, send one. Unless the agent asks that you not do so, sending a well-written PM can't hurt. But the value of PMs always takes a backseat to the ability to follow instructions. If you can't adhere to an agent's requests when recruiting their player, it signals to them that you're not likely to listen to their concerns and suggestions when they're on your team.
As for sending PMs, and really recruiting in general, here's my tips:
1. Don't be too brief. If you send a PM that basically just says "yo you shud join my team we rock", you're probably better off not sending one at all. The fact that you're sending the player an offer says you want them on your team, the PM is there to tell them why they want to join your team.
2. Don't be too long-winded either. Nobody wants to hear about how you played football in high school (and presumably scored 4 touchdowns in a single game for Polk High in the championship), or about how you named your cats Mo and Bernard because, y'know what, **** the Patriots, or how you came up with the idea for the team name from the October 1984 issue of Mad Magazine (which is obviously assuming you've decided to name your team Inbanana Jones and the Temple of Goons, which is starting to sound better and better the more I think about it). But things that you should talk about include:
3. Brief descriptions of what you bring to the team as an owner. Now, highlighting every game you've won in dramatic fashion and all your lolgm trophies (if you have any, I certainly do, and they are a blight on my trophy page - a BLIGHT!) is probably not a good idea, but a short outline of your relevant experience can help - and even the admission that you are not especially experienced can work in your favor too. Agents aren't necessarily looking for someone who's owned dozens of championship winning teams, they want to see that you have a certain amount of perspective on your abilities as a future team owner. The worst thing for an owner in the position of the OP, with only a limited amount of experience in the game, to do is to talk up how great an owner he'll be, and how dominant the team will be under his ownership. But on the other hand, if I see a PM from a new owner saying "Hey, I'm new at this, but I'm really looking forward to learning how to operate a team, and I would welcome advice from the more experienced agents on my team," I'm going to give that guy strong consideration, because he sounds like someone who will probably get better as he learns, and someone I'll probably want to know a few seasons down the line when I'm recruiting for my team.
4. Form PMs are NOT bad, despite what some people say, but they have to be handled with a relatively deft touch. Now, a good PM is a good PM regardless, so writing a good form PM can save you a lot of time and a lot of headaches, but you need to connect with the person you're sending it to on some level. That means, while you can copy and paste the stuff that applies to everyone you recruit, you have to do at least some mad-libbing. Stick the player's name in there (and I usually put it in the subject line as well). If you can, say something about the player himself (even if it's just a comment on the player's name). Say something about how the player will be used if it's not obvious (and ESPECIALLY do this if the agent says he wants the player to be used in a certain way). This also leads to...
4a. Don't accidentally send a PM to an agent with another agent's player's name in it. I did that once. Immediately sent a PM apologizing and joking about my use of form PMs. And while you're at it, don't send the same one to an agent when you see they have another player you want. Keep track of the agents and players you're trying to recruit (I use Excel). If you realize they have another player on the market you want to recruit, send them a PM saying "Hey, I sent you a PM regarding _____ earlier, but I just noticed you also have a DT/CB/whatever who is looking for a team. We'd love to sign him as well!"
5. Assuming you're sending a PM, all you really have to put in the offer text box is something saying "Hi, I sent you a PM" and possibly (I do this) "Let me know if you have any questions!" In point of fact, that's a good idea for the PM too. If you extend an invitation for the agent to PM you back with questions, concerns, or statements of interest in your team, they'll be more likely to get back to you. It's a psychological thing - you're signaling that you're open to conversation with them, and not just a faceless recruiting robot. Plus, there's the chance that they'll read that and think "I actually don't have any questions... I guess that means I'm at the 'sign with this team' stage!"
6. Be friendly! Hell, be downright cheerful. Write in a way that sounds like you're smiling as you're talking. Be excited. Why say "we would like to sign your player" when you can say "your player would be a fantastic addition to our team!"
7. Be a bit picky. Yes, if the next season is looming large you may be fine with taking a player who's build you're not enamored with, but if you have a good recruiting pitch and a good plan, you'll do a lot better percentage-wise than you think. If there are, say, 6 players on the marketplace fitting a position & archetype you need, and 2 have builds that are clearly better than the others, just send an offer to those 2. Don't worry that you'll miss out on those 2 and the other 4 will have already signed (unless a few days go by without getting any response from those 2). 90% of the time, those 2 players will get signed first, because they get the most offers. The lousy builds will probably still be there if you get desperate later. And in the case the lousy builds do get signed first, that's also good for you - it means that some other owner out there probably sent offers to all of them and ended up getting one of the bad ones, and thus there's less competition for the good ones.
All of that.
Work the players looking for teams forum and the marketplace ads first. Then if you are into cold calling, do a search for dots, active agents (logged on in last three days) and free agents only. The latter is a low payoff but works some times.
My only caveat as to number 7 is that you need to pay attention. First off do not be tooo picky if you are not a contending team trying to fill your third or fourth slot at a position. AND if the agent has five other dots you can use, sending an offer to his sad sack might be a way to get all six. But always ask to see closed builds (sometimes I break this rule with a known agent who builds good dots and the EL lol bars tells me the dot will be okay for my purposes but I shouldnt and have sometimes been surprised).
But if you do only send those two offers okay but make sure you stay on top of it especially at positions like TE or C where the pickings can be slim.
And the biggest thing to do is - work your own players. Check their stables for open dots. Ask them if they know anyone. The players who are most likely to sign with you are the ones who already have, or the friends they reccomend you too. And for THAT reason always be good to your players. Do not cut someone for a minor advantage, or for going inactive for a short period of time. And chat it up on the forums. That can be frustrating when not every one or many or any players participates. But its still a good idea.
And try to get into a network. Being a part of a group means more access to shared players on top of alot of good advice and more enjoyable chatter.
Edited by yello1 on Oct 18, 2012 02:40:40
Originally posted by yello1
But always ask to see closed builds (sometimes I break this rule with a known agent who builds good dots and the EL lol bars tells me the dot will be okay for my purposes but I shouldnt and have sometimes been surprised).
A little ego stroking can't hurt here either. On the occasion I ask someone if I can see their build, I don't say that I want to see it to see if their player is good or not. I say I want to see it so as to best develop the team's gameplan to fit that player's strengths.
But always ask to see closed builds (sometimes I break this rule with a known agent who builds good dots and the EL lol bars tells me the dot will be okay for my purposes but I shouldnt and have sometimes been surprised).
A little ego stroking can't hurt here either. On the occasion I ask someone if I can see their build, I don't say that I want to see it to see if their player is good or not. I say I want to see it so as to best develop the team's gameplan to fit that player's strengths.
Originally posted by Time Trial
Start by being a GM for a team you play for. Learn how to build good dots and then how to use them. I wouldn't sign a quality dot with a team owner I didn't know, had never heard of, doesn't have a forum avatar, and who has a half empty team.
Try lhf... he'll sign you a KR so long as you suck badly enough to give him 50 KRs a game.
Somebody seems jealous. I guess it's because I've never put in the time and money to build an entire team designed around STs but I've still had 10x the success with my KRs as you.
Start by being a GM for a team you play for. Learn how to build good dots and then how to use them. I wouldn't sign a quality dot with a team owner I didn't know, had never heard of, doesn't have a forum avatar, and who has a half empty team.
Try lhf... he'll sign you a KR so long as you suck badly enough to give him 50 KRs a game.
Somebody seems jealous. I guess it's because I've never put in the time and money to build an entire team designed around STs but I've still had 10x the success with my KRs as you.
BagO'Chips
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Let's not start arguing. Makntak is looking for answers, not a couple of ignorant fucks arguing in his thread. Take it to PMs or somewhere else, not here. New players want to learn how to have fun playing this game, not how to look like an asshole.
Originally posted by BagO'Chips
Let's not start arguing. Makntak is looking for answers, not a couple of ignorant fucks arguing in his thread. Take it to PMs or somewhere else, not here. New players want to learn how to have fun playing this game, not how to look like an asshole.
If he's not looking for ignorant fucks, then he probably shouldn't be listening to you. TT and I know more about this game than you could learn if you were to play it until it dies.
Let's not start arguing. Makntak is looking for answers, not a couple of ignorant fucks arguing in his thread. Take it to PMs or somewhere else, not here. New players want to learn how to have fun playing this game, not how to look like an asshole.
If he's not looking for ignorant fucks, then he probably shouldn't be listening to you. TT and I know more about this game than you could learn if you were to play it until it dies.
Edited by Longhornfan1024 on Oct 18, 2012 08:48:26
BagO'Chips
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Originally posted by Longhornfan1024
If he's not looking for ignorant fucks, then he probably should be listening to you.
Thanks pal
If he's not looking for ignorant fucks, then he probably should be listening to you.
Thanks pal
Originally posted by BagO'Chips
Let's not start arguing. Makntak is looking for answers, not a couple of ignorant fucks arguing in his thread. Take it to PMs or somewhere else, not here. New players want to learn how to have fun playing this game, not how to look like an asshole.
+1
Let's not start arguing. Makntak is looking for answers, not a couple of ignorant fucks arguing in his thread. Take it to PMs or somewhere else, not here. New players want to learn how to have fun playing this game, not how to look like an asshole.
+1
jdbolick
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Originally posted by Longhornfan1024
If he's not looking for ignorant fucks, then he probably shouldn't be listening to you. TT and I know more about this game than you could learn if you were to play it until it dies.
And I know more than you & TT put together, but BagO'Chips is correct that this isn't the thread for bitch-fests.
If he's not looking for ignorant fucks, then he probably shouldn't be listening to you. TT and I know more about this game than you could learn if you were to play it until it dies.
And I know more than you & TT put together, but BagO'Chips is correct that this isn't the thread for bitch-fests.
Originally posted by Novus
Can we just auto-PM Warhawk's post to anyone who buys a team for the first time? Should do nicely.
This. Great post Warhawk
Can we just auto-PM Warhawk's post to anyone who buys a team for the first time? Should do nicely.
This. Great post Warhawk
Originally posted by jdbolick
And I know more than you & TT put together
lolno
Originally posted by jdbolick
, but BagO'Chips is correct that this isn't the thread for bitch-fests.
Then why post the above? Hypocrite.
And I know more than you & TT put together
lolno
Originally posted by jdbolick
, but BagO'Chips is correct that this isn't the thread for bitch-fests.
Then why post the above? Hypocrite.
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