Hiring managers vs internal recruiters
How to offer value when clients value different things
"If someone pitched on job boards and databases they would lose me straight away, because I already have that" - internal recruiter
Assuming your clients all want the same service is a high risk strategy.
As recruiters, we have far better access to job boards than an average hiring manager. It's a different story when it comes to internal recruiters.
You can try and guess what each of your clients wants before you pitch to them. But you won't always be right.
You can tell them you can do whatever they want. But we all know clients who don't know what they want.
The most effective approach is to offer clients a menu of well packaged services, and let them choose the option that works for them.
As it happens, this method also gives you the best chance of improving your fees because your clients are happy to pay for what they need.
The last word goes to the internal recruiter, who tells us what they value:
"I want to hear about market knowledge, people I cannot reach. I use specialist firms and honestly believe they follow the market for years as the pool of candidates is so niche."
If you’re looking to create a menu of services in a way that wins you more business and higher fees, simply reply to this email and I’ll explain how I can help.
Jon
P.S. You have probably experienced the same thing the internal recruiter told me about. A sales person reeling off ‘great’ features that you already have, or don’t value.
You can probably think of examples when you’ve been pitching to a client and you can feel they’ve drifted away. They just don’t value what you’re telling them (even though you know it’s good!).
You can avoid this situation by creating a menu that lets clients tell you what they want to talk about. No more glazed eyes and excuses about ending the pitch early. Lots more engagement and consultative conversations.
If you’re looking to create a menu of services in a way that wins you more business and higher fees, simply reply to this email and I’ll explain how I can help.