SHIPPING ATTAINMENT.– The terms shippers, accessions,  and  One  Navy  goal  all  identify  our  real purpose in recruiting. This is the number of enlistees we actually   send   to   basic   training.   This   critical   goal originates  at  Bureau  of  Naval  Personnel  (BUPERS)  as mandated  by  Congress.  Shortfalls  in  shipping  attainment cannot  be  recovered  in  subsequent  periods. ITINERARIES Itineraries are developed to increase awareness of Navy  opportunities  and  produce  enlistments.  Itinerary Data  Cards,  NAVCRUIT  Form  1133/49,  are  developed by each recruiter, reviewed by the RINC, and approved by the ZS. They should be evaluated after every run of the itinerary during the RINC’s daily production review (DPR) and periodically by the ZS. Evaluating the New Itinerary The RINC should actually run the new itinerary with the recruiter to review stops and make recommendations. The ZS need not run the itinerary before approving it, but  should  make  inquiries  to  evaluate  its  effectiveness. The ZS should conduct training by making an annual check   ride with   each   RINC. The   following considerations  should  be  made  whether  actually  running the itinerary or reviewing the itinerary data card. GEOGRAPHIC  COMPOSITION.–  You  should look  at  the  total  geographic  area  of  the  recruiter’s assignment.  Does  the  itinerary  cover  a  significant portion  of  that  territory?  Have  considerations  been  made for difficulty in travel? Do weather conditions have an impact  on  the  itinerary?  Is  the  itinerary  rural, metropolitan, or a combination? You want to ensure the itinerary is viable in relation to time and distance. TIME.– The recruiter should not be spending more than half of the entire itinerary time behind the wheel of a car. Windshield time should be kept to a minimum to maximize  the  time  spent  at  each  stopping  point,  where the  actual  recruiting  evolutions  are  accomplished.  Look closely at the driving time and stopping time for each destination.  Another  time  factor  to  consider  is  the  total time required to conduct the itinerary. Some of the most productive itineraries are all-day trips. The recruiter spends the entire day out in the territory being covered. This provides enough time to adequately canvass the area as well as conduct some interviews on the road. FLEXIBILITY.–  Arrival and departure times on an itinerary are sacred and should not change except for the most pressing of reasons. How then do we allow time for  developing  new  centers  of  influence  (COIs), personally   developed   contacts   (PDCs),   and   the evaluation  of  potential  target  market  centers?  Flexibility must be built into the itinerary. Some stopping points or target market centers may be listed as areas instead of specific establishments. This provides the recruiter with built-in time to hold interviews, prospect, or get to know the  area  better.  The  use  of  this  flexible  time  should  be planned in advance of each itinerary. MILITARY AVAILABLE.– Check data from the STEAM  reports  to  determine  percentages  of  the  target market covered by the itinerary. Time spent in an area should  be  in  direct  proportion  to  the  percentage  of military available located in that area. An area that contains  a  small  portion  of  the  market  may  be  covered on an itinerary, but run less frequently than an area with a  greater  percent  of  the  market.  Review  all  service accession data to see how productive the area has been for  all  services  and  how  the  Navy  compares.  All segments of a recruiter’s territory do not necessarily need to be covered on an itinerary. There are areas that are best  covered  by  phone  prospecting,  school  visits,  or LEADS  center  support. TARGET MARKET CENTERS.– The next step is to  take  a  look  at  the  actual  stopping  points  on  the itinerary. Ask yourself if the stops are logically a source of  prospecting  activity  or  leads  generation.  Activity centers  are  locations  where  the  recruiter  can  generate new prospects, such as schools, arcades, and fast food restaurants.  Lead  generation  centers  are  locations  where the   recruiter   can   generate   leads,   such   as   media establishments  and  locations  where  literature  and take-one racks can be placed. Each location should be evaluated  for  its  probability  of  success,  suitability,  and best time for visiting. Some target market centers have specific times of the day when a visit can be productive. For instance, a stop at the local burger joint at 0900 would doubtfully produce a PDCing opportunity. The same  establishment  may  be  thriving  with  opportunity during  the  lunch  hour  or  after  school.  Encourage recruiters to select target market centers that reflect their personal interests. If the recruiter is an avid fisherman, bait and tackle shops and sporting goods stores may be excellent target market center choices. This gives the recruiter  a  sense  of  familiarity  and  makes  initial conversation  more  comfortable. 5-17