A matter of perspective

Winning more business with 'outside-in thinking'

My favourite trend from the first six months of 2025 has been the number of recruitment leaders who tell me they want to shout about their value “in our clients’ language”.

Recruitment is a hugely valuable service, but I often see agencies making the expensive mistake of ‘thinking inside-out’ when they try to communicate this value. In other words, recruiters are using recruitment language and talking about things that are important to recruiters - rather than their clients’ language, and focusing on what their clients value most.

The cost of inside-out thinking

You pay twice when you ‘think inside-out’ in your sales pitches. First, you lose the attention and interest of your clients. We live in a noisy world, and if your pitch isn’t engaging then you lose attention quickly… which means losing the deal.

Second, you show your clients what is important to you. Your business strategy should absolutely be focused on winning upfront fees at higher margins, but your clients are going to run a mile if they hear that! And yet when you introduce “our retained service” you’re telling your clients that you’re focused on that upfront fee, rather than what’s important to them.

Think outside-in and win

If you want to create a winning pitch deck, you need to use ‘outside-in thinking’ to get your clients to understand how valuable you are to them.

When you speak their language, and show that you understand what’s important to them, you keep their attention. They become interested in what you can do for them, and you build demand for your services… which puts you in pole position to win the business on your terms (with that upfront fee you wanted).

The power of outside-in thinking

Using ‘outside-in thinking’ transforms your message. Interestingly, the agencies I work with rarely need to invest in new technology or offer more to their clients. Instead, we work on how they communicate their value in a way that engages their clients.

I read a lot of client feedback about recruitment, and one of the most valued traits is consistently this: “They understand us”.

There is no better way of showing that you understand your clients than by using their language, and focusing on what’s important to them.

Examples of outside-in thinking

Everything you write and say to a client can be improved by using ‘outside-in thinking’. The title page of your proposal could be “Recruitment Solution” (what you do), or it could be “Growing your business” (what they’re interested in).

Your ‘About Us’ page could talk about how many years you’ve been a recruiter, what markets you work, and the geographies you focus on. Or you can use ‘outside-in thinking’ to identify what your client is interested in and your experience in delivering those outcomes.

Review your message

Ironically, it is easy to spot when someone is ‘thinking inside-out’ when you’re on the outside. The challenge is noticing when you’re doing it yourself, and then putting yourself in your clients’ shoes in order to speak their language.

It’s a challenge worth doing. When you use ‘outside-in thinking’, you’re doing to stand out from your competition, engage your clients, and win better business on your terms.

If you want an external review of how you could win more pitches, just reply with your pitch deck attached - I'll analyse your language and send you a personalised Value Review video (from me, not AI).

Jon

P.S. I caught up with an agency owner last week who put his prices up this year and had almost no pushback from his clients. In fact, his clients are picking up on his confidence and are less likely to negotiate with him on price.

If you want an external review of how you could win more pitches, just reply with your pitch deck attached - I'll analyse your language and send you a personalised Value Review video (from me, not AI).