Selling Is Easier, So What?

I attended the Staffing Industry monthly webinar the other day and they presented a slide based off feedback from staffing companies reporting that selling is now easier for most markets and has been for about 3 months. I have noticed the cycle has started to flip and we are approaching a candidate driven market. I always preferred a client-driven market because I enjoyed the challenge. I am not saying I want to go back rock bottom, I just appreciate what starting out in a client driven market taught me. Although I always agree in adjusting your strategy as cycles alter, DON’T STOP SELLING!

Remember how hard it was to get a sale, 12 months, even 6 months ago? Don’t lose that tenacity you had, instead continue to utilize the things you learned when you had to truly sell your services hard. Some of the best staffing and recruiting firms are those that start with a candidate not a job. So, we know the best way to make a placement is to fill a candidate when a job never existed. But once selling becomes easier again, we go back to what is comfortable, just filling orders. I love the thrill of the hunt and creating a job is much more satisfying then filling an order. I thought I would pass along some of my favorite tips in case you have gone back to the comfortable zone of just filling orders.

• ALWAYS ask a candidate where they would like to work – A conversation with a client or prospect always goes better when you start off with” I just met with somebody that specifically said they want to work for your company.” Do you have a field in Bullhorn to document this? You can even create a field that is a list of companies so you can do a backwards search!
• Search your old (Lost) job orders – Why is it that you find that candidate for an order the day after you lose the opportunity? You never know how that candidate is working out for your competition. For those who didn’t know this, you can actually conduct a detailed search on all your jobs in Bullhorn. Just go to the Jobs Menu and then Search.
• Set a goal – I never used to like doing this activity, but after I made myself make three calls a day it became habit and once I got my first hit… I was hooked!
• And last but not least: managers, create a competition to foster an environment that encourages candidate marketing. After all, if you don’t encourage it, it most likely won’t happen.

So, take a look at your candidates (tearsheets hopefully) and find your top three right NOW. Find out where they want to work and call those clients! True recruiting combines the best of recruiting AND selling!