Welcome to The Fordyce Letter:

The Fordyce Letter

Straight Talk for the Recruiting Profession


Robin Eads

Robin M. Eads is the co-founder of JobShouts.com. Connect with her on LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/in/robineads), Twitter (http://twitter.com/imjustagoyle), or call her directly at (813) 671-7553.

Articles by Robin Eads

Cold Calling

Why Cold Calling is Imperative to Your Success, Part 3

by on Jul. 8, 2010


Robin-Eads-photo

Now that we’ve discussed how to go about cold calling candidates, let’s rewind just a bit and discuss cold calling for business.  Obviously without business, you’d have no reason to cold call candidates! A lot of the same principles apply in both types of cold calling, so why not put your skills to work on both sides of the desk? I realize that not all third party recruiters handle business development but a well-rounded recruiter should definitely be capable of doing so. The most successful recruiters are those that control both ends of the placement equation, thus resulting in more earned fees.

Smart recruiters will seek relationships with clients where they can have direct interaction with hiring managers, allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of the client’s needs and environment beyond just a job req.  Instead of competing with hundreds of vendors on VMS requisitions, targeting smaller environments where these relationships can be built is a great way to position yourself for long term success. While I certainly would never discourage big business, relationships make the best placements. Period.

That being said, what’s the best way to go about cold calling for business? The same way you would if you were looking for a candidate.  Research!

Keep reading »
3 Comments

Uncategorized

Why Cold Calling is Imperative to Your Success, Part 2

by on May 28, 2010


fordyce-default

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?


Keep reading »
6 Comments

Uncategorized

Why Cold Calling is Imperative to Your Success, Part 1

by on May 20, 2010


DSCN0728-1

Editor’s note: This is Part 1 of a multi-part, weekly series on cold calling. Look for Part 2 next week.

Even if the economy isn’t in turmoil, gaining new business has always been a tricky task in the recruiting industry.

Some say it’s a numbers game. For example: make 100 calls to submit 10 candidates to schedule four interviews to get two hires.

We can argue the stats, but this line of thinking and measurement is perpetuated among recruiting management like a plague.

I can remember a time when my recruiting performance was measured by phone time. That’s right; my employer at the time actually tracked the amount of time we spent on the phone during the day. What this led to, of course, were recruiters and account managers trying to “cheat” to meet management’s expectations.

I’ve got news for you: recruiting isn’t about numbers. It’s about skill. You want more placements? You want to earn more money? You want the respect of your clients? Then you need to master the art of cold calling.

This is a phrase that makes some recruiters cringe. They perceive cold calling as pushy and invasive.

Keep reading »
19 Comments