What is working for you in This Economy

What is working for you right now in this economy?

What has worked in terms of an improved style of doing business with your clients?

What have you changed in dealing with our candidates?

What tools are paying off the most?

What skills improvements have rendered the best return?

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Permalink Reply by Maureen Sharib on October 30, 2008 at 3:23am

Working is working for me right now.

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Permalink Reply by Dean Lockett on October 30, 2008 at 10:17am

Good questions, here are a few, but there are many more of course...

What is working for you right now in this economy? ---> Time Management
_Make a daily plan, work the plan - there are a lot of distractions out there and it's easy to get drawn into the social networks, and spend time with everyone to find out that you've lost an hour or 2 on your plan. Set aside some time in the day periodically in 15min - 1/2 hr increments so you get your social fix. (shut off your internet for calling time if you have to, you'll see what I mean)
-Market in the morning, recruit in afternoon - or recruit in morning, market in afternoon - company meetings are in the morning usually to start out the day plan - HM's will have a plan in place usually by mid morning if not before
- Call the HM's 1/2hr - 1 hour before the bell rings in the morning, you'll catch them at their desk catching up on email or prepping for the daily meeting (you don't think brokers just show up on the trading floor right when the bell rings, do you?) Don't forget the 1/2 hr - 1 hr after 5pm too, many people stay at work to avoid traffic and get caught up on things they needed to.
- Make time work for you - I live in CST zone, I start calling East Coast at 6-630am, then when it's end of day for most here in CST, I can still call PCT until 7 or 8 pm CST time - I don't do this everyday, but it can be done 1-3 days/week or what fits into your plan

What has worked in terms of an improved style of doing business with your clients? ----> I'm not a good lip services seller, I call clients/potential clients with my 'A' players, proactive marketing. Tell the client in your presentation that you've been on their side of the fence getting the services calls and that you wouldn't waste their time or yours with that, you have a solid candidate that is worth the time on this call. If client says they aren't hiring, they might be looking at their team to decide if they have 'A' players or not, especially in these times, keep that in mind. Ask HM what other departments are doing...follow the money.
-Don't forget to look at companies your current clients do business with, check with them to see if you find something there.
- Look at your current clients - look up their competitors - sell to them too - that's vertical selling to your market
- If I have a HM speaking mostly doom/gloom, I make note on that file - I'm looking for decision makers, risk takers, think about it, the doom/gloom person will be the same way talking with a candidate or in making a decision

What have you changed in dealing with our candidates?--> keep it upbeat, don't get drawn into the doom/gloom, redirect the conversation, yea it's a tough market, but the optimist sees it differently and makes others feel good about it.
- prep them that the hiring process might be lengthier than it was in the past, but there are still people hiring out there
- Work the references/referrals
- Look at the past employers on the resume, they might be worth calling too

What tools are paying off the most? --> more quality phone calls, time management, RBC (there is a lot of good knowledge in here) - the ERE seminars are good too, but look at these things on your down time, not during your peak time

What skills improvements have rendered the best return? --->
-LinkedIN - look at the area of recent hires, it shows where and when people left a job for the one they have now, it's worth calling into those companies to replace that person and you already know the skills of that position by clicking on the name of the ones recently hired by a company and reviewing their profile. It could also be a source company for you if you see it that way. It also shows a list on the right of places people come from and where they've taken jobs at other companies when leaving the one you are looking at...more potential there too
-diversification, there are a lot of things changing out there, we are seeing some industry changes, be a chameleon, have a good attitude, you have to enjoy doing what you are accomplishing in this business - helping people