Welcome to The Fordyce Letter:
Cold Calling From Scratch
So you like the idea of finding the candidate you need through cold calling — but what happens when you don’t have a starting point for your cold call?
Let’s say that you’re recruiting for a job within an industry or location that isn’t familiar to you. In this situation, you’re competing against other recruiters that have an advantage. They know the job, the industry, the location and the people. What can you do when you’re at this kind of disadvantage to give yourself a running chance? Cold call. Even with all of this information, your competition is less likely to use the cold call to source.
Where do I start?
As always, research is the starting point for any cold calling expedition.
LinkedIn is a great source of information and can help you identify some targets. Begin by searching for companies within a 50 mile radius of where your client is located. You can sort by industry and even company size if those are important factors in your particular search. Using these filters may exclude some improperly categorized (but usable) results, so your mileage may vary. Experiment with different variables to see if it nets any different results. Of course, don’t just rely upon LinkedIn. Spoke, ZoomInfo, Manta and other information aggregates are also rich sources of information. In addition, you can research potential target companies through local business directories such as offered through a local Chamber of Commerce chapter.
In addition to researching companies, you can research potential groups or organizations that may help lead you to your candidate. This approach is a bit more complex and long term and probably best suited for developing a talent pool, not a quick hire. If you decide to join a group or organization, don’t be the pink elephant in the room. Participate and engage with the members and stick to the content of the group. Establish trust and get to know the group members before plowing into your sales pitch that they aren’t ready to hear.
Remember, recruiting isn’t just a strategy, it’s an art. You must have strong social ability, strong search ability and strong sensibility – or this will just be a miserable waste of time. However, if you cultivate your groups and relationships properly, they can be a valuable source of talent.
Ok, I’ve done my research. What’s next?
