One of the most vital skills that you can learn as a recruiter is how to zero in on those clients and searches that will give you the best chance of making a placement and to focus exclusively on them. I once heard that there are three stages in a recruiter’s development in terms of how he defines a client:

Stage one: a client is anyone who will talk to me.

Stage two: a client is anyone who will give me an assignment.

Stage three: a client is someone who will work the way I want to work.

Here are some questions for deciding which clients and assignments should get the full focus of your search efforts:

1. Is there a high degree of urgency associated with this position?

2. Are the key decision-makers cooperative?

3. Are the key decision-makers on the same page in terms of the position specifications?

4. Are we the only firm (or one of a small handful) working on this position or has it been farmed out to everyone?

5. Do we have direct hiring authority contact?

6. Are they responding to our requests within 24 to 48 hours?

7. Is this a marketable position?

8. Is this a marketable company?

9. Is this a hiring manager who will attract top people through the force of his personality?

10. Is the hiring manager willing to sell the opportunity, or is he waiting for someone to come in and dazzle him?

11. Is it a high-salary position?

12. Is it a high-fee client in terms of the fee percentage?

13. Is it a large-enough client to have consistent future business with?

14. Will it be reasonably easy to find candidates for this position or is it a needle-in-a-haystack assignment?

15. Are there similar positions we currently are working on that would double the impact of our search efforts?

16. By working on this position, will we be searching in our preferred hunting grounds or do we have to start the search cold?

17. Do I have a good feeling about this client and my ability to be successful? What is my intuition telling me?

Gary Stauble is the principal consultant for The Recruiting Lab, a coaching company that assists firm owners and solo recruiters in generating more profit in less time. Gary offers several FREE SPECIAL REPORTS, including, “14 Critical Candidate Questions” and “The Search Process Checklist,” on his website. Get your copy now at www.therecruitinglab.com.

Many of the owners and recruiting professionals that I coach have considered refining or changing their niche at some point in their careers. Whether your niche is doing well or not, it’s a good idea to keep your nose in the air so that you can sense opportunities and avoid ending up in a dead field. If you are considering a change, the following nine steps will help you navigate this process.

1. Understand why you should specialize: Everyone wants a specialist. If you need brain surgery, would you seek a generalist or a specialist? It’s the same in business. Specialists make more money, become better known, and receive repeat business more often than generalists. It also makes planning, branding, and marketing much easier.

2. Start with your passion: What are the fields or industries to which you are drawn? Is there a sliver of gold within your current industry to which you feel particularly drawn? What will get you excited about reading an industry rag on a Saturday? What industry will you follow in the business pages daily? If you have a passion for it, you will do much more to be successful, so start your thinking here.

3. Intend to become the “Guru:” You can choose a niche based on industry or the specific position title, but it must be fairly narrow in order for you to become the guru. For instance, “IT” is a broad category, “software developers” is narrower, and “Java developers” is very narrow. You could become the expert in recruiting “Senior Managers for Amusement Parks” or “Executive Directors for Nonprofit Companies.” If you’re in an industry niche now, but not very well known, make a commitment to raise your firm’s brand awareness by becoming a guru. Your marketing efforts then take on a new level of enthusiasm because you are talking to people in an area that you feel competent and interested in.

4. Look to the past: Another important thing to consider is your past experience. You will have more credibility and an easier time learning the ropes if you have some prior link to your chosen field.

5. Swim downstream: No one can accurately predict exactly what will be a robust niche 10 years from now, but you do want to find a field that has positive growth projections. Sales and marketing are areas of every company that tend to be more recession proof than others. Try to pick a niche that combines good growth projections with an area of interest for you. Beware of “hot” fields toward which everyone else is running.

6. Begin your research: Once you have a couple of areas picked out, locate as many of the industry publications within the field as you can find. Immerse yourself in the trade journals so that you can quickly get to know who the players are, what the trends are, etc. Also, compile a list of all the companies in this field by using guides such as Dun & Bradstreet or the Thomas Register. Gather info on specific companies and look to see who is hiring and who’s stagnant.

7. Find the appropriate associations: Associations are an excellent source of information about a niche. If an association does not exist for the field you are researching, then you probably don’t have a viable niche. You must be able to find a place where your prospects will gather and hang out. Contact the associations and ask for their advice and perspective.

8. Consider fee size: If you are choosing a niche, you might as well pick one that will pay juicy fees. Some niches have odd histories of paying only a flat $10,000 fee or low percentages. Be sure to research this before you get too far.

9. Conduct a survey: Once you’ve selected a possible niche, it’s time to make some calls to people who can give you the inside scoop. Call senior people within these companies and conduct a survey with them, asking about growth projections, areas of most critical need, relationships with recruiters, etc.

Generally speaking, the problem with specialization for most consultants is not that they are too narrow but rather that they are not narrow enough. Go deep into your chosen niche so that you can gain the benefits of name recognition, momentum, and credibility.

Gary Stauble is the principal consultant for The Recruiting Lab, a coaching company that assists firm owners and solo recruiters in generating more profit in less time. Gary offers several FREE SPECIAL REPORTS, including “14 Critical Candidate Questions” and “The Search Process Checklist,” on his website. Get your copy now at www.therecruitinglab.com.

All successful firms have one thing in common – a single-minded dedication to their clients. That means knowing who their clients are, where they are, what their needs and perceptions are, how to communicate with them, and how to attract them. Those things are what a good marketing strategy is all about.

There is a process that leads to successful marketing. It begins with information about your markets and your clients. What you’re really after is insight and understanding about the way your clients and your prospects think, the way they act, and the way they make decisions.

Two essential pillars of a marketing program:

1. Psychographics:

Psychographics seeks to answer the question “How does my client think?” How much can you know about your client if you don’t know how they think? Here are some questions for determining your client’s psychographics:

- How does my client think?
- How do they make buying decisions?
- What is their view of recruiters?
- What are my client’s fears?
- What are my client’s misconceptions?
- What does my client think of me?

2. Demographics:

Demographics is a bit more straightforward than psychographics. It attempts to answer the question “Who is my client?” Here are some questions for determining your ideal client’s demographics:

- Where is my client located?
- What is my client’s income?
- What is my client’s education?
- What is my client’s social status?
- What is my typical client’s age?
- What is my client’s marital status?

Take a look at the last two years’ worth of placements to determine your most probable client profile and then fill in the data below:

My Ideal Company:

Number of employees:
Revenue:
Geographic scope:
Industry:
Culture:

My Ideal Hiring Authority:

Age:
Title:
Education:
Income:
Marital/family status:
Values:

Once you’ve determined your most probable client, answer these questions as well:

1. Who will you not work with (HR only/bad ethics/under 20%, etc.)?

2. What is your ideal fee schedule?

3. What fee terms will you not accept? What are you willing to negotiate?

4. What is the total number of prospects in your potential client universe?

5. How many of those companies do you currently work with?

6. Who are your top five target companies for the next 12 months?

Gary Stauble is the principal consultant for The Recruiting Lab, a coaching company that assists firm owners and solo recruiters in generating more profit in less time. Gary offers several FREE SPECIAL REPORTS, including “14 Critical Candidate Questions” and “The Search Process Checklist,” on his website. Get your copy now at www.therecruitinglab.com.

1. Use the Book

If you are interested in finding a contract researcher, rather than hiring one as an employee, then your first step would be to check out The Directory of Researchers. We sell this directory on our training site (www.therecruitinglab.com/researchersbook.html), and it’s the only one I know of that gives an exhaustive listing of researchers found in the United States. You will get information such as where each researcher is located, what their fees are, what they specialize in, etc.

I often tell recruiting firm owners that they will want to have contact with several good researchers before they ever need them. This way you have the confidence to take on large search projects knowing that you have an ad hoc workforce ready to pitch in and provide support. This will give you more confidence when selling your services as well. Seek out several contract researchers and negotiate agreements with them in advance.

2. Hire a Pro

You can find and hire professional researchers from either corporate human resources departments or retained search firms. Both of these sources will typically have people who fulfill a researcher-type role within their organizations, although they may go by a different title. The upside is that they come in ready to work, well trained, and experienced. The downside is that they will cost you much more than a person that you would train yourself.

3. Hire a Novice

If you prefer training your own person from the ground up, there are several options available. I have had very good luck with this profile:

A woman in her 30s or 40s who used to work in a business setting but has been out of the workforce for several years while raising children. She now wants to rejoin the workforce, but not at full speed.

Typically these women want a part-time or three-quarter-time position but also want a lot of flexibility in their schedule so they can be available for their children. If you can offer a flexible schedule, this is an excellent group to target, as they are often loyal, seasoned, and professional.

4. Hire a Student

It might sound funny, but I’ve also had good experience with college students and know many others who have as well. Obviously, they will perform lower-level tasks, but if you have a clear system, scripts, and forms for them to use, they can be quite effective. I’ve found that good majors to target are Business (good drive) and English (well-spoken).

Call up your local college and find out about running an ad in the school newspaper. You can often also post a flyer on the bulletin boards and submit your position to the career center. Be sure to interview them via the phone first to test for vocal quality and maturity.

5. Work Your Network

Ask everyone for referrals: neighbors, friends, employees. If you see someone in a restaurant or a store that you think might be a fit, talk to him or her and see if you can make a connection. Post a want ad at the local church or fitness club.

Create an employee referral program to encourage your current staff to join you in looking for researchers. Give them an idea of what your ideal researcher would look like. Provide a cash incentive for anyone they refer who makes it past 90 days.

Gary Stauble is the principal consultant for The Recruiting Lab, a coaching company that assists firm owners and solo recruiters in generating more profit in less time. Gary offers several FREE SPECIAL REPORTS, including “14 Critical Candidate Questions” and “The Search Process Checklist,” on his website. Get your copy now at www.therecruitinglab.com.

1. Work only on high-probability job orders:

- I once heard from a $1 million producer that for every 15 job orders he wrote, only two to three of them would be worthy of a full search.
- Top recruiters are at peace with the idea that they can’t place every candidate and they can’t fill every job order.
- Managers: Require rookies to get permission to work a search.
- Pre-close these items with clients: hiring process, urgency, what happens if it goes unfilled?
- Focus on marketing stars rather than simply filling orders.
- Get comfortable saying no to clients with unrealistic expectations.
- Know your target: If you’re a micro firm, go for higher-end searches where you can have an impact. If you’re a midsize firm, you can target mid-level searches with lots of openings on which you can tag-team.

2. Have a system for defining the best searches to work on:

- Label each job order as an A, B, or C.
- An A must have cooperation, urgency, and marketability. An A search warrants both a database search as well as original research.
- A B is missing one of the above components, and a C is missing two or more. A B warrants a database search only, and a C does not warrant any effort at all.
- Write these orders under a heading of A, B, or C on a white board and update it daily.
- Label your candidates as A, B, or C too, and screen them thoroughly.

3. Tell your clients why it is in their interest to give you timely feedback:

- Pre-close timely feedback: “The clients who get the full focus of my team are those who respond quickly and give us feedback.”
- Remember that your clients will treat you the way you teach them to treat you.
- Let them know why you will be calling: either to clarify specs, present someone, or ask for feedback. Also let them know that most calls will last 5 to 10 minutes.
- Ask them to notify you of any changes so that you can pace yourself.
- Pre-close the issue of timely feedback with candidates, too.

4. Talk to your clients directly about any lack of feedback:

- Remind them of the schedule to which they have committed if they flake out.
- If they are not responding, be clear on the fact that the search is on hold until you hear back.
- Let them know that their decision-making and timeliness are being observed by the candidate.
- Make two calls, then send one fax. If they still don’t respond, move on.

5. Ask your clients for concrete commitments:

- Get interview times in advance. This tests your client’s urgency and also motivates you to take immediate action.
- Add a “client responsibilities” section to your agreement letter.
- Get exclusives or retainers from your clients.
- If nothing else, get a $2,000 engagement fee.
- Schedule follow-up calls while your client is on the phone with you.

Gary Stauble is the principal consultant for The Recruiting Lab, a coaching company that assists firm owners and recruiters in generating more profit in less time. Gary offers three FREE SPECIAL REPORTS on his training website, including “The 3 Things That Lead to Placements.” Get your copies now at www.therecruitinglab.com.

Are you making the same marketing calls to prospects that you’ve made for years? If all recruiters call and say, “We will find you the best candidates,” the phrase starts to lose relevance in the client’s mind because they have heard it so many times. Put yourself in your clients’ shoes; they are getting loads of calls from your peers, who are saying very similar things, and they have less time to evaluate recruiters than they had in the past.

So the question for the smart recruiter becomes “How can I engage this hiring authority in a conversation where they see me as a human being and a solution provider rather than just another salesperson?”

Many retained firms diligently work to position themselves well in the minds of their potential clients before they ever make a sales call. This is a relationship-building method as opposed to a transactional sales method. It takes more time, but it builds more loyalty and profitable referrals over the long haul. Referrals are the very best marketing method that a consultant can develop, and these come only through a relationship built on trust.

The survey as a marketing call:

One way to build trust with high-level people is to ask for their participation in a survey or interview for an article that you are writing. What are the trade journals and publications that your target market reads? Contact those publications and tell them that you are thinking of writing an article on a topic of interest (current hiring trends, management’s perceptions of recruiters, etc.) and ask if they would be interested.

Most will say yes, as you are an expert in your specialty area and they are usually eager to get outside material. If you cannot get a response from your industry publications, try writing for a recruiting publication on a topic such as “What our clients really think of us.” Between print, online publications, newsletters, and e-zines, finding a place to accept your article will not be difficult.

Once you have decided on a venue for your article, you then want to construct a brief presentation and questions for your target contacts. Your contacts should be high-level hiring authorities with whom you want to do business. The call needs to be sincere in that you are actually doing research for your article, but on the other hand, you are also engaging in a business conversation (rather than a sales conversation) with somebody that you want to build a relationship with.

The Initial Call:

Start the conversation by introducing yourself and saying, “I’m not calling to do business with you but rather to see if you would be able to share some knowledge about ____ for an article that I am writing. We would probably need about 10 minutes.” This way, you take the pressure off them (and you) and also set an expectation for how long it will take. You can ask if they are available now or if they would prefer to schedule another time.

At this point, many hiring authorities would ask, “Who are you writing the article for and when does it come out?” It is important that you have done your homework and can answer this question. Once you have permission to go ahead with the call, you are then able to demonstrate your professionalism to this potential client in a nonthreatening environment.

The best selling takes place by asking excellent questions. You are judged by the quality of your questions. If you ask an intelligent question, you are perceived to be intelligent; if you ask a mediocre question, you are seen as mediocre. Be sure to stay within the time frame that you stated initially, or if you are going to run over, to acknowledge it and ask if he has time to continue. This demonstrates, in a subtle way, that you can be trusted to deliver on what you promise.

Here is a sample script that you could use with a potential client:

“The reason for my call today is that I’m going to be writing an article for______ on ________, and I’m conducting a brief survey with a select group of people who I thought may be able to shed some light on the subject. If you could grant me about 10 minutes of your focus to answer a couple of questions, it would be very helpful. Are you able to do that now?

1. What methods do you typically use to locate exceptional staff?
2. What have been your toughest challenges with either finding or retaining employees?
3. For what percentage of your searches do you use retained vs. contingent?
4. How would you describe your level of satisfaction with each?
5. How has the current economic climate affected your business?
6. What innovative ways have you found to reward your staff or inspire greater loyalty?
7. How do you define excellence in your team’s performance?”

When you finish the interview, be sure to thank them, and engage in any business-related discussion to which they might be receptive. Offer to be a resource by stating something like the following:

“Feel free to call if you need to keep a pulse on what the market looks like for certain skill sets or if you would like us to research salary comparisons for your current staff. I provide this for my clients at no charge and would be happy to do this for you as well. I will contact you when the article comes out and will get a copy to you.”

This builds rapport and trust and opens the door for future conversations.

The Follow-Up Call:

You now have the perfect follow-up method, which is to contact them when the article comes out and to send them a copy. You may even quote them in the article if it makes sense (people LOVE this). Premeditated follow-up is the most important part of this method. During the follow-up call you can move toward more of a sales question by asking, “Are there any types of candidates that you’d like me to keep an eye open for in the next 90 days?”

Send the client other articles that you have come across that may be of interest to them, and stay in touch regularly. There are many other back-door methods that you can use besides a survey; the point is to give yourself as many options as possible to position yourself well in the mind of your potential client. When there is an opening, you want to be seen as a trusted ally that they will call on first to offer an exclusive contract.

Gary Stauble is the principal consultant for The Recruiting Lab, a coaching company that assists firm owners and solo recruiters in generating more profit in less time. Gary offers several FREE special reports, including “14 Critical Candidate Questions,” on his website. Get your copies now at www.therecruitinglab.com.

What do your recruiters look for in an employer? The list below comes from a study done with employees in several types of companies and will give you a good idea of what makes most employees happy and content. The list appears in order of importance.

1. Vision:

The number one thing that employees look for according to this study is clear vision for the future. This surprised me when I first read it, as it is rated as being more important than compensation. However, it makes a lot of sense if you give it some thought.

We all want to be a part of something exciting, something of value, and something with direction. Many recruiting firms have a vision that reads like this: “We want to make more placements.” That statement is a goal, but it isn’t an inspiring vision. Recruiters who share in the vision of a company are easier to manage, motivate, and retain.

2. Contribution:

The opportunity to make a contribution was number two on the list. Again, this one surprised me. How can your people make a contribution to your firm? If the only way for them to do that is by making another placement, you are going to have a frustrated workforce, as even a good recruiter is only making 2-plus placements per month.

Contribution can be measured by attitude, energy level, and many other factors. Activity tracking is a good way to measure contribution. Bonuses or contests based on strong activity numbers reinforce the value of that contribution.

3. Appreciation:

People crave sincere appreciation. Not cheap flattery but rather true appreciation. Appreciation costs the manager nothing yet pays big dividends in terms of employee satisfaction and retention.

People rate appreciation as being more important than compensation. Appreciation breeds loyalty and higher self-confidence. High self-confidence is a hallmark of all top-producing recruiters.

4. Fair Compensation:

It’s interesting to note that the word fair was used. People care about being paid what they are worth but are less concerned about money than one might assume. We always say that candidates don’t usually move just for dollars, and this study bears out that wisdom.

The average total compensation for a permanent recruiter is somewhere between 40 and 45% of the revenue they produce. This would include whatever combination of salary/draw/bonus/com-missions, etc. If you are paying in this range, you’re in the “fair” category.

5. Fun:

We all want to have fun at work. If you enjoy your environment, the day speeds by and the work is more satisfying. I know of an office here in Northern California that has arcade games in their break room. This atmosphere fosters a very fun work environment. Fun is all about attitude, and it is the owner or manager who sets that tone.

6. Quality Environment:

This final category relates to the actual physical environment of your office. Your computers, your desk configuration, and the view out the window all matter to your people. You don’t have to be extravagant, but you also cannot appear to be cheap.

Do you serve Folger’s or Starbucks in your break room? Are your recruiters provided with the software and database tools they need to be successful? Is your training library of the highest quality available?

Conclusion

Unfortunately, I’ve misplaced the reference to the original study, but the six items listed above will provide you with a workable reference point to see how your office is measuring up in each category. You may want to give yourself a score, from 1 to 10 on each of the six items, and see what you can do to improve each. The best people to get feedback from on how to improve are the ones working for you right now.

Gary Stauble is the principal consultant for The Recruiting Lab, a coaching company that assists firm owners and solo recruiters in generating more profit in less time. Gary offers FREE special reports, including “The Search Process Checklist,” a 17-step recruiting tool, on his website. Get your copy now at www.therecruitinglab.com.

Do you love what you do for a living? I remember hearing this quote when I started out as a recruiter, “If you love what you do, you’ll never have to work another day in your life.” I recall feeling drawn to those words but not knowing exactly how to apply it to my work life.

In my work as a coach and business consultant, I’ve noticed that a consistent theme with high performers is that they love what they do. Meaning they follow their bliss. They love their niche. They love their clients. They love the process of recruiting.

Consider this quote from Joseph Campbell:

If you follow your bliss, you put yourself on a track that has been there all the while, waiting for you. When you can see that, you begin to meet people who are in your field of bliss, and they open doors to you. Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls.

When I started in the business, I worked in Los Angeles for a firm that did contingency IT recruiting. I noticed that when I went on client meetings, I’d often find myself yawning uncontrollably when my clients talked about various aspects of their information technology goals and needs. It was boring.

Then by accident, I began doing some searches for large law firms. I found that when I went to meet with department heads within law firms, my ears perked up and I was very interested in learning about their business. To this day, I’m not really sure what the attraction is. I just know that I enjoy working with them.

So after several years of being bored by IT searches, I decided to take a stand and declare my firm a firm that works only with law firms, and on a retained basis. This seemed like a bold move at the time, but it was where my passion was leading me and I felt excited by the challenge. My billings and enjoyment of the business skyrocketed when I finally decided to follow my bliss and work the way I wanted to and with the clients I wanted to.

How to apply this to your desk or office:

1. Follow your bliss when selecting the clients you’ll work for.

2. Follow your bliss when deciding what niche or subniche to focus on.

3. Follow your bliss when it comes to the parts of the recruiting process to focus on vs. the parts you’ll outsource to others.

4. Follow your bliss when it comes to the new projects, strategic alliances, or business relationships to take on.

5. Follow your bliss when deciding what terms you’ll accept.

6. Follow your bliss when setting goals and deciding how large or small your business should be.

7. Follow your bliss in regard to work/life balance and time off.

Gary Stauble is the principal consultant for The Recruiting Lab, a coaching company that assists firm owners and solo recruiters in generating more profit in less time. Gary offers FREE how-to articles, tools and special reports online to assist you in building your firm. Learn more now at www.therecruitinglab.com.

Referral benefits for you

Referrals are, by far, the best way to find top talent and separate yourself from the weaker recruiters who simply troll the job boards. Your ability to tap your network for referrals gives you impressive credibility when selling your services. This also increases your confidence in the value that you can provide.

Referrals create instant trust with the referred candidate and therefore shrink the process of having to sell yourself. Referred candidates tend to be more open with recruiters and less evasive. Referrals are also highly targeted as they come from direct communication with someone in the field.

Benefits for the person who refers

Do people really benefit from referring candidates to you? The answer is yes, in some small ways they do. First off, they feel good by being able to help connect people whom they respect. It tells them that they are a person “in the know.” Finally, they will likely get better treatment from you if they refer quality people to you.

Benefits to the referred candidate

Talking about your career with a stranger can be an intimidating process. When the candidate realizes that you have been referred to them by a trusted friend or coworker, they feel safer. Their anxiety drops and they open up about what they really want in their next move. Being referred also saves them time in evaluating different recruiters to work with.

Plant referral seeds

The key to getting referrals is to make their acquisition into a daily process in your office. You can plant referral seeds in many subtle ways. For instance, you can add a signature line to your email such as:

P.S. I grow my client list through quality referrals from people like you. Do you know anyone who could benefit from my services?

Another example of an easy method for getting referrals is to send a card to thank your clients just for being a client. Send it out of the blue, for no apparent reason. When people feel appreciated, they are more likely to refer.

Seven-point referral request method

1. Make it part of your agenda; plan to ask on a specific call.

2. Remind the person how you met: “We’ve been working together for two months. How did you first hear about me?” This reinforces referral value if they themselves were referred to you.

3. Ask a value-seeking question: “What has been the benefit of working with me?”

4. Ask for help and advice: “I’m glad that you’ve gotten value. Can I ask for your help and advice on something?”

5. Ask for the referral: “Who do you know who may appreciate the same type of relationship?”

6. Help them by getting specific: “I believe you know several programmers from Oracle . . .”

7. Move from lead to referral: “Would you mind sending Tom an email before I give him a call?”

Gary Stauble is the principal consultant for The Recruiting Lab, a coaching company that assists firm owners and solo recruiters in generating more profit in less time. Gary offers a FREE special report, “The Search Process Checklist: A 17-Step Recruiting Tool,” on his website. Get your copy now at www.therecruitinglab.com.

1. Rehearse your presentation: Rehearse a verbal and mental presentation of your meeting. Memorize the key points that you want to cover. Nothing adds to your self-confidence like preparation and rehearsal.

2. Set the framework for the meeting: Say something like this to your client: “I’d like to ask you some specific questions to see if we can be of service, then I can answer any questions you have about us. We’re probably looking at 30 to 40 minutes. Does this work for you?”

3. Use intense listening: The great thing about client meetings is that what the client really wants is simply to be heard and understood by you. This means that you must be an intense listener. Follow this simple guideline: they talk 80% of the time.

4. Ask quality questions to expose their wounds and gather info: Ask “what” questions like these:

- What do you like most about your current relationships with other search firms?
- What do you like least about your current relationships with other search firms?
- What qualities do you look for when you are selecting a search partner?
- What are your perceptions about us?
- What do you know about our firm?
- What strengths do you perceive our firm to have that led you to invite us to speak with you?
- What have you tried so far? How has that worked? Were you happy with the results?
- What happens if this job remains unfilled (qualify urgency)?

Asking these types of questions would almost certainly reveal the prospect’s misconceptions and will help you to influence their decision-making. Before you try to influence a prospect’s decision-making, find out what they’re already thinking and why.

5. Find the gap between what they really want and what they have: This is Sales 101. You must find the gap and then sell only to the gap (need) that they describe. Change your presentation to specifically address their concerns and needs.

6. Give a brief bio of yourself and your firm: You can use all or some of the following:

- Recruiter and company background.
- Describe results (save time, save money, increase quality of hires).
- Scope of your contacts.
- Niche expertise.
- Candidate-screening process.

7. Review your search process: Briefly walk your client through your search process. Include the number of steps you follow and give them a hard copy. Be sure to follow each step with this statement: “And the benefit to you is . . .”

8. Set expectations: If the client has agreed to work with you, be sure to pre-close issues of timely feedback, hiring manager contact, open communication, etc., so that you have set the tone for the relationship.

9. End the meeting: End the meeting with this question: “Do you have any concerns about our ability to perform this search? If so, I’d like the opportunity to address them now.” Finally, be yourself and have fun with this. Be sure to approach the meeting from a position of preparation, market knowledge, and confidence, as these attributes are attractive to clients.

Gary Stauble is the principal consultant for The Recruiting Lab, a coaching company that assists firm owners and solo recruiters in generating more profit in less time. Gary offers a FREE special report, “The Search Process Checklist: A Simple, 17-Step Recruiting Tool,” on his website. Get your copy now at www.therecruitinglab.com.