To get people to do what we want them to do, we need to give a clear understanding about how we work and ensure that the client and candidate are willing to comply. Then we ask questions throughout the process to make sure that everything is on track. Such questions include “Has anything changed since [...]
Two years ago I was watching a documentary on PBS about monkeys who lived by a river. When they showed how a monkey went about foraging for his food, I felt as if I was watching a big billing recruiter work his magic. The monkey was looking for insects underneath river rocks. He would [...]
To win the confidence of your clients and candidates, you need to win over their trust. Trust is a byproduct of rapport. Rapport is a byproduct of common areas of interest. So it seems like all we have to do to win their trust is develop a rapport with them. [...]
A friend of mine started his career in executive search several years ago. I mentored and coached him and, in his first twelve months, he billed over $300,000. What made his early success even more remarkable was that he had never been in a sales career before. He had poor sales skills, was [...]
You need confidence when you deal with high level decision-makers, strong candidates, and even stronger gatekeepers. If you don’t sound like you have it, they won’t even take your call. And if you do get through, they’ll think you’re an amateur. Have you ever heard a mousy recruiter on the phone? It’s so sad and [...]
from the The Fordyce Letter archives
Big Billing Core Competency #3 - Study to Master the Basics
May 1st, 2006
To achieve big billings on your desk, all you have to do is do what big billers do. Think the way they think. Treat your clients and candidates in the way that they treat their clients and candidates. Close the deals the way they close the deals. Plan the way they plan. Study the business [...]
I’ll never forget the most miserable hour of my day when I first started in the business. It was ‘plan time.’ This dreaded hour was spent hand-writing names and numbers of those people who I was going to call, and if I didn’t call them, then I’d have to spend an entire hour [...]
from the The Fordyce Letter archives
Core Competency #1: Specific Goals of Achievement
March 1st, 2006
Tenure is not a requisite for success in the search business. A desire to achieve, persuasiveness, ethics, and competence in mastering the fundamentals are the four skill areas that catapult big billers to the top. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in the business to achieve big billings. Experience helps, but what really matters is [...]
When I first joined the recruiting business ten years ago, there was a veteran recruiter in the office who shared with me his “secret” for recruiting success. “Scott, when it comes to candidates and clients, remember this: “T. A. L.”. I asked him what “T. A. L.” stood for and he said, “They all lie.” [...]
I felt like someone kicked me in the stomach. I just left the third message for the candidate without a getting a single call back. He had a great background and the first time I talked with him two weeks ago he said there were some pretty important issues motivating him to consider other things. [...]
from the The Fordyce Letter archives
Should I Take That Search Assignment From This New Client
August 1st, 2005
Before you start calling those candidates, ask yourself a few of these questions. Use this matrix to test each prospective client. Rank it on a scale of one to ten, with ten the best rating, one the worst. Add up your score and judge the likelihood of you filling the position and getting paid for [...]
Last week, a friend of mine asked me if recruiting was the toughest job I’ve ever had. I thought about it for a minute, then told him that recruiting was a piece of cake compared to serving on the military funeral honor guard in Norfolk, Virginia, when I was a naval officer fourteen years ago. Most [...]
When I first joined the recruiting business in 1995, there was a fellow named Patrick in the cubicle next to me who kept saying over and over again, “Man, I can’t believe a company will pay me such a big fee to place someone. I just can’t believe it. I just can’t.” He didn’t make it [...]
You can have the greatest attitude, a strong telephone presence, and the best recruiting and client development skills. But if you lack strong work habits, you are destined to failure. Work habits are comprised of the following components: First, the Plan The plan is how you are budgeting your time. Your time is fixed and limited and deserves [...]
from the The Fordyce Letter archives
How To Respond To “But Your Competitors Are Cheaper”
April 1st, 2005
“I deal with recruiters who charge half of what you charge.Why should I deal with you at your fee of thirty percent?” Hey, that’s a real good point, I thought to myself. I would probably ask the same question if I were in my prospective client’s shoes. He was a sharp and intelligent seasoned professional [...]
from the The Fordyce Letter archives
How To Respond To “But Your Competitors Are Cheaper”
April 1st, 2005
“I deal with recruiters who charge half of what you charge.Why should I deal with you at your fee of thirty percent?” Hey, that’s a real good point, I thought to myself. I would probably ask the same question if I were in my prospective client’s shoes. He was a sharp and intelligent seasoned professional who [...]
The client called me and said he was wanted to help me fill a position in his firm. “Hey, cool,” I thought to myself. “This business really works.” I tried not to sound like a babbling idiot and attempted to shield my excitement so I came across like these types of calls [...]
Is your desk really ready for 2005? Take this assessment and find out. On a scale of 1 10, with 10 being the highest score, rank yourself on the following: 1. Have you discussed your upcoming year with a coach, mentor, friend, colleague, or consultant? In other [...]
from the The Fordyce Letter archives
Clarify Expectations And Follow Up With Those Tough Questions
January 1st, 2005
To get people to do what we want them to do, we need to give a clear understanding about how we work and ensure that the client and candidate are willing to comply. Then we ask questions throughout the process to make sure that everything is on track. Such questions include “Has anything changed since [...]
Six months ago I talked with a frustrated owner who was telling me about his two top producers. “They are like poison in the office,” he told me. “The only reason I let them stay here is because they pay the overhead. But over the last eighteen months their sloppiness, arrogance, and condescending attitude [...]
Success in recruiting starts with success in your head. If you start to think like a big biller, you will eventually become one. It’s not the other way around. First, decide that you will become one, and second, find out how to do it. It really is that simple. Where most people [...]
If you could be like Superman and spin the world in the opposite direction and go back in time, would you have taken on that recent loser client? I’ll never forget my worst client. He always seemed to call me with a big fat retainer check every time I needed the money. [...]
I’ll never forget the most miserable hour of my day when I first started in the business. It was ‘plan time.’ This dreaded hour was spent hand-writing names and numbers of those people I was going to call, and if I didn’t call them, then I’d have to spend an entire hour the [...]
“I got nothing out of your program,” he told me after my presentation. It was a speaker’s worst nightmare. Rats, I thought to myself. Maybe he has a point. Let me find out what he’s talking about. “Tell me why you say that,” I said. “My people are all veterans. They’ve been in this business longer than [...]
Each week on your desk needs a customized strategy. This is how you do it. You look at your entire week of pending deals and follow these steps. Do this at the beginning of the week. Spend some quiet time thinking about your clients and candidates and do it while you have your activity list [...]
Recent Comments