Recruiters DON’T sell – Thank god!

As a Recruitment professional let me let you in on a little secret…. My husband Frank is a Sales person’s worst nightmare (and he could also be your Hiring Manager.)

Why do I share this with you? I share, because Recruiters might not like to sell, but that doesn’t mean they can’t pick up the phone and develop a friendship with a hiring manager. Let me show you how easy it could be:

Every year since 1990 Frank has received a card and a calendar from the Realtor who sold him our home. EVERY year I hear from Frank, “This is the reason I remember Jo-Ann (Jo-Ann Dube from J And J Homes). IF we sell, we’ll call her. Other Realtors come and go but not Jo-Ann. She is still in the game and she remembers me every year.”

As a born and raised hard charging sales person myself, I am surprised Jo-Ann can develop such loyalty from Frank with such a small sentiment. On the other hand, in my role as a Recruiting Professional I am relieved that with such a small sentiment, I too can develop such a strong relationship.

Recruiting Professionals that hate to sell, you and Frank (who is like many hiring managers) will get along just fine without the “smarmy” sales person. If you follow Frank’s “hates to be sold to” guiding principles, you should find it even easier to pick up that phone.

Frank’s “hate to be sold to” Guiding Principles:

Be genuine and sincere.
Supply solutions to his specific needs.
Help him to buy. Don’t try to “win” at the game of selling.
Know your products and/or services well enough to answer questions accurately.
Give him time to make up his mind.

Just like every hiring manager out there, Frank has no special training when it comes to buying staffing / recruiting services. When faced with a “trained” Account Executive trying to push a service, it doesn’t go well with him. As with him, hiring managers may try to avoid the “classic” sales person, but will often work well with a person who has the actual hands on experience.

In the Recruiting Industry that person would be YOU, the Recruiter!

If you ever had a thought about picking up the phone to develop a new client, you really should do it. I can ensure that if you follow “Frank’s Guiding Principles” you will quickly find hiring managers that would hire from you for the rest of their careers.

Cheers,

Rebecca B. Sargeant

The Recruiter’s Coach

P.S. Always find an excuse to send a Thank you card via snail mail!

Comment by Terence on August 30, 2012 at 9:02am: I understand what you're trying to say but it's semantics recruitment is a selling job and always will be

Comment by stephenbooth.uk on August 30, 2012 at 9:34am: There are different sorts of selling and some work better for some people than they do for others, both the sales people and the people being sold to. A lot of people think you need to be a hard charging, type A, hyper confident sort of person to do sales. Maybe in some environments you do, but in others that would be a real turn off.

I feel that reecruitment probably suits a more consultative selling approach. When approaching a potential client don't go in with "Hey I've got this Rockstar developer, just come on the market. You really should hire him.". Open by asking them about what's going on and what their challenges are right now. If you've got someone who could solve that problem make them aware of that, get more details and offer to set up a conversation, if not be honest about it and just say you'll keep an eye out/ear to the ground then put out some feelers. The really links into Rebecca's point 2, you're talking about the hiring managers needs and helping them to find a solution.

This is also an arguement for treating candidates well and keeping in contact. I have literally lost count of the number of recruiters who have tried to get me to go for jobs I'm not suited for or are at companies I don't want to work for. Next time I'm looking to change jobs how likely do you think it is I'll call them? Also, when I'm in a postion to hire people how likely am I to turn to the recruiter who tried to get me to go for a job at a company I was a bad fit for and didn't want? Remember, today's candidate might be next year's client.

Comment by jerina vincent on August 30, 2012 at 9:56am: Thanks for sharing. I have thought about it. I am sending e-card to my entire client, consultants and suppliers a thank you note at end of year. But the e-card is not enough. I should be sending thank you note and my business card in mail.

Comment by Daren J. Mongello on September 6, 2012 at 3:46pm: So there is selling to the Franks and there is selling to everyone else.

Some want to be taken to lunch, others are all business.

The trick is learning which clients respond to which techniques. :)