This post was written by Dan Tudor. He is the founder of Selling for Coaches, a training program that teaches advanced recruiting and communication skills to college coaches and athletic departments around the country. He will be blogging about recruiting training for Double-A Zone. Click here for more information about the company.

In the middle of March Madness, I thought it would be a good time to remind college coaches around the country that there's another "final four" that they need to pay attention to if they want to sign the best prospects possible.

The final four I'm talking about? The big four factors in how most prospects make that final decision on whether your college is right for them, or if another program is a better fit.

And while none of these "final four" factors are rocket science, they are largely ignored by otherwise smart, successful coaches. If you can incorporate some sound strategy in making these work in your favor, you'll be winning most of the recruiting battles you face.

Here they are:

Prospects judge what coaches tell them over the phone. When prospects talks to a coach over the phone, our studies tell us that they are trying to judge two very important things: First, is the coach being honest with them? Second, are they sincerely interested or just logging in some time on the phone? Coaches that pass those first two tests will be viewed as serious contenders by a prospect. This is one of the big factors in less prestigious programs being able to out-recruit a bigger rival for a top prospect.

Prospects judge what a coach tells them in person. The same study that revealed the importance of what a coach tells a prospect over the phone also stated that an even more important factor in making their final decision revolves around their conversations with a coach face to face. They're making another judgment on whether or not the coach is sincerely interested in them or not. Here's a quick true story to prove the point: At a college that recently invited me to conduct one of our On-Campus Workshops, I had the chance to interview a group of their student-athletes. One of the female athletes told me that she decided against going to a more prestigious program because when she went for her visit, the head coach had forgotten that she was supposed to be there and only spent about ten minutes with her. That sealed the deal for her...she said no to them, and yes to the other school. Think they aren't paying close attention to what coaches tell them in person? Think again. It's one of the most important factors in their decision making process.

Prospects judge what they find wrong with you and your school when they visit campus. It's a really important principle to understand: When prospects visit your campus, they are there to figure out why they should cross you off their list. They're actively looking for reasons to eliminate you from contention. With that in mind, I would make the case to all college coaches that they need to carefully plan their prospect's campus visits. What they see and hear during their time on campus with you and your team is THE number one factor in deciding whether or not to attend your school. And speaking of being on campus with your team...

Prospects judge whether or not they are liked by your team. And they will use that feeling they get from the athletes on your team to make a judgment on whether they will fit in or not. Fitting in is extremely important to all of us, but especially so for today's generation. They will almost always pick the school whose team gives them the "feeling" that they are accepted and belong on the team. If your team gives them that feeling, you stand an excellent chance of getting that prospect.

So, while you watch anxiously to see who makes it to the NCAA Final Four, keep in mind these vitally important "final four" factors in your own program's recruiting. While a win in recruiting won't get the same kind of national television coverage, it will put you in a great position to build a consistent winner. Pay attention to these four factors as you are recruiting your next class, Coach.