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Defrosted Cold Calls

Alan Oaks on Jul. 1, 2004

We all know we have to make “cold calls” to keep our client base fresh. That does not mean it is easy or even that we like it. Probably more important is whether it is good use of our valuable time. Since we only have time to spend I try to spend it the most effective way.

My training (like many others) started with picking an MPC (Most Placeable Candidate) and progressed immediately into a 55 second marketing presentation for that MPC. Over the years and thousands of those presentations I found the following problems:

1. In the IT world where I work finding a true MPC is next to impossible.

2. In the IT world it is difficult for the client to tell you what he needs let alone see the value of that MPC.

3. Voice mail is a killer. Even with innovative approaches and creative messages 5-10% contacts rates are common and very inefficient.

4. The techie managers I am calling are not interested in anything but today’s immediate need.

5. When I do make contact the hiring manager is defensive and the conversation can be strained.

Because of these problems over the years my marketing calls have changed. When I get ready to do marketing I pick my best job order, develop a presentation and start calling hiring managers. The presentation is based on the sizzle for that job whether it is the project, position or company so they will want to hear about it. Here are the advantages I have discovered while using this approach:

1. Especially in a tough market managers like to hear there are still good opportunities.

2. Contact rates are around 25% which is a significant improvement.

3. Sometimes you find that perfect candidate for your open position.

4. After the conversation gets comfortable most clients will give you the job order if they have it.

5. You can start a relationship with a new client/candidate.

For these reasons it can be an easy transition from those “cold calls” to something that resembles warmth as you spread good news. The real key is the opportunity to open new doors in a friendly and upbeat way. The next time your client list needs freshening up give a hot recruiting call a try but keep your ears open for a great job order.

A Balancing Act

Alan Oaks on Aug. 1, 2003

The last two years have been a disaster for many recruiters. For the survivors, stress levels have been high and relaxation a rare treat. To make things worse, most successful recruiters are hard-driving, focused, workaholics. From a business standpoint that is not a bad thing. From the personal and physical side, it can be a recipe for failed marriages and serious illness.The key to long-term success and physical survival of any recruiter is to interject some balance in their life. That balance does not have to be done in a particular way but experience and observation of others indicate that these are viable options.

Time Off. Because we function as stand alone businesses we must plan time off and actually take it. Some balance between leaving the cell phone turned off and having it attached to your ear during “vacations” is needed. Sometimes a few calls in the morning are enough to keep your business rolling in your absence.
Move around. Recruiting is one of the most sedentary of professions because of the strong emphasis on phone time. Some options to this approach include more client visits, face-to-face interviews of candidates, seminars and involvement in professional associations or maybe a cordless headset to allow us to walk around.
Let’s get physical. Running, yoga, aerobics, walking, chopping wood, working in the yard or trying an activity where we actually sweat from the effort (not nerves) helps us deal with the ongoing stress and gives us more energy each day.
Be different. Try to change how we do the job by writing more articles, reading more sales material, watching a training video (even for the third time) and talking to people face to face instead of by phone.
Get involved. Some local association needs your help. It can be a charity, a speakers’ bureau or your local recruiters association, which can give you a new outlet for your creativity.
Finally, we must care for our emotional well being through involvement in our family, community, or religion as it suits our beliefs.

Remember to reach our goals as recruiters we must be more than a “warm body” at our desks pounding the phone. Balance in our lives will allow us to focus the energy and effort our demanding profession requires.

5 Rules

Alan Oaks on Jul. 1, 2003

Greed in a recruiter is not a bad thing but here are 5 rules to keep it pointed in the right direction:

The client pays the bills and specifies the requirements. They may not always be right but we have to listen to them.
The candidate makes it possible for the placement to be made. They need to be respected and will be second priority but not second-class.
Clients and candidates can change positions over time and we need to treat everyone with respect or that can hurt you.
Our job is to manage the hiring process, not make the decisions. If we can make the process easier it is a plus.
Think long term to build and short term to destroy.

Sources And Resources

Alan Oaks on Jun. 1, 2003

Information is the lifeblood of a recruiter. Much of the information is obtained in a random manner as we wander through the marketplace talking to people and reading about our business. The more systematic the recruiter is in gathering and storing this information, the more effectively it can be used to impact business.Resources are the items, which contain the information we need. Some examples include:

The recruiter’s database
Trade magazines
Newspapers
Directories
Web pages (corporate and personal)
Annual reports
Company information on benefits, etc.
Resumes

This is not meant to be a complete list but a point of departure. It is how each document is used which defines its value. When recruiting, the recruiter needs to know about benefits, company financial data or company cultural norms these are critical to a prospective employee. The resources provide the foundation of information to build your business and its activities.The finishing touches to this information are provided by sources. They are the people we rely on to have the last critical piece of information. Sources fall into several categories:

Experts in technical areas
Suppliers of candidates (in a geography, skill or industry)
Other recruiters
Reporters/editors
Salespeople (they see trends first)
Real estate and relocation experts
Resume writers
Human resources (so we understand the other side, explain salary issues, etc)
Career planners/Outplacement
Company/Industry experts

Sources include people who are in a position of knowledge and willing to share information with you. We all have the informal communication channels open through our extensive network. Focusing on those communications can lead to a true goldmine.These sources of valuable information do not just appear on our desk but must be developed over time by building mutual trust and sharing help and information both ways. Some ways to develop these sources include:

Help a spouse or friend
Stay in contact with a candidate you have placed because there is an existing bond.
Help someone prepare for an interview when you are not involved in the deal.
Help a client build a job description or set a salary level on a position you will not get a chance to fill.
Share market information with clients and candidates alike.
This is the hardest: ASK FOR HELP!!!!!

The network we build will bear fruit over the years but it has to be built by both sides and nourished with regular contact and injections of information.Information gathering has to become a priority. Once that is the case, the recruiter must develop a routine method for storing it. For years we have been told to get something out of every phone call. That something is information. General information should be an everyday goal. Specific information becomes the priority when the business dictates that we find a detail or a specific person or an explanation of the latest new technology breakthrough.The storage of the information is more difficult. We all rely on our memory for the big stuff and the juicy bit of gossip, but it is the minutiae that can be the challenge. If you are using a database, then that is the logical place to deposit it. But remember retrieving it in a logical manner is what makes it valuable. The other thing to remember is that not all information is valuable and you never know when it will become valuable.

Resurrecting Dead Deals

Alan Oaks on Feb. 1, 2003

The only certainty in recruiting is uncertainty. The least likely placement happens while the dead lock does not. That can be frustrating at times and a pleasant surprise at others. One thing it should teach us is to be prepared for the unexpected.In the office, I am known as the one recruiter specializing in “Lazarus Deals.” Those are the deals dead and buried but they can be brought back to life with the proper timing and a reminder from the recruiter. The keys to this are being prepared for the possibility and a willingness to work through all the issues. The first thing to consider is why deals fail because that is where you start to resurrect them. Deals fail for the following reasons:

Poor offer
Counteroffer
Unrealistic candidate
Unrealistic client
Poorly closed deal (client extending the offer could be the culprit)
Process took too long
Candidate finishes second
Candidate is too expensive

The deals that fail the first time can come back like Lazarus in certain cases. The most common source of these deals are second place finishers, hiring freezes, minor stumbling blocks in negotiating and clients and candidates who like each other but the skill match was not perfect. The key issue here is to catch the client as he has to reopen a search and be prepared to ask if he would reconsider a candidate. If the client is open to the candidate, the second test is your relationship with the candidate and whether he will trust you to try again. With this in mind here are the some of the ingredients needed to remake the deal:

The first time must have been a close call
The candidate was qualified but finished second
One side must have had continuing interest
Timing must be right and the process must be very quick
A second similar opening exists
The candidate was the first choice and too expensive but the second choice was not qualified so price can be negotiated

Once the process starts again the dealings with both client and candidate need to be carefully thought out and handled in a very measured way. Remember these two have been jilted or at least stood up at some point so there are more emotional issues than usual to be considered. Because of this the following must be done:

Qualify the candidate again
Qualify the client again
Assume it will not happen and perform extra due diligence
Treat it as new deal, perform every step of the process as if both sides are hesitant

Obviously theses deals are fragile and there are many things to worry about to include:

What you do not know, have not been told or lied to about
What was the “real” reason it failed the first time
This is an emotional deal with the previous jilting looming in the background
This is a low percentage deal compared to a normal one
You must close more often and harder than you usually would

Just remember these deals come by on a very sporadic basis but should not be dismissed until all issues have been addressed and the final bullet has truly killed the deal.