Question of the day: How important do you think sales skills are in relation to your success as a recruiter?

From Today's RBC Daily:

How important are sales skills? Twenty CEOs said without sales skills it is impossible to achieve success in any field. This is what Jeff Harden learned writing his latest Inc. article entitled Without This Skill, You Won't Succeed. Do you agree? Perhaps it’s based on how you define 'selling'. In this article it’s about defining the logic and the benefits of a decision versus manipulation or getting the upper hand. With this definition it could be argued that this is a skill set most recruiters utilize every day. The article goes deeper to make the connection between sales skills and its relationship to communication. In the end this is what separates a good recruiter from a great one. I highly recommend this quick read to start your morning.

Question of the day: How important do you think sales skills are in relation to your success as a recruiter?

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Permalink Reply by kevin on April 3, 2012 at 7:25am

From the moment a small baby reaches up her hands to her mother, and her mother then picks her up she's "selling".

I don't think it's anything to be uncomfortable about, and selling is a key skill for everyone, particularly jobseekers who have to get the job done when they're at interviews.

For us recruiters, it's vital that we enthuse and direct that energy via our sles skills.Often it's the difference betwen a high billing consultant and a lesser earning one with the same opportunities.

As long as we're ethical and well intentioned, then we should be proud to be labelled "salesmen (saleswomen, salespeople etc).

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Permalink Reply by David Jansons on April 3, 2012 at 12:56pm

I always think of sales as just being able to speak to people. It is a double bonus if you can make a good impression on them and they like you! I certainly would not condone "slippery sales patter" or trying to trick the client, be yourself, be honest and produce what you promise.

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Permalink Reply by Hassanah Rudd on April 3, 2012 at 4:11pm

Recruitment is sales. You sell your services & expertise to your clients, your candidates to your clients, and your clients to your candidates. When you enjoy sales & are passionate about being a recruiter..the rewards follow.

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Permalink Reply by Valentino Martinez on April 4, 2012 at 9:13am

It's actually "closing the sale" skills that matter in any discipline and particularly in recruitment. All else is blather, blether, chatter, chit-chat, babble, blah-blah, twaddle, gab, prattle, BS, jive, bogus, bosh, nonsense, rubbish, drivel and piffel.

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Permalink Reply by Taylor Key on April 4, 2012 at 9:16am

The ability to be a knowledgeable, compelling sales person is crucial to being a great recruiter. You can have a great process, the best technology and a cutting-edge social media strategy, but if your recruiters can't get on the phone and communicate the value of coming to work for you over your competitors, you're sunk. Hiring recruiters with an innate sales mentality, and training them consistently has been one of the keys to our success as an RPO provider.

With hiring back on the rise, and the best candidates juggling multiple offers, you can't afford to rely on just a good brand or a great benefits package to get the job done!