One of many vs one of a kind
The importance of standing out from the crowd
There are 30,000 recruitment agencies in the UK… so how can recruiters stand out from the crowd?
The first thing I did when I took over the marketing department at Reed Recruitment was to change the way consultants described the business.
It was essential that consultants moved away from saying “Reed is a specialist recruitment agency” because that described literally thousands of recruitment firms.
I changed the phrase to “Reed is the UK’s number one recruitment brand”, which put us in a category of one.
Imagine a client considering which agencies to approach with a new role. If they have a list where every agency sounds the same, they could choose any one. However, if one of the agencies is “number 1” then you have to think of a good reason not to talk to them.
OK, so this example involves one of the biggest recruitment agencies in the country… but you can do it too.
Once you stand out from the crowd, clients will have to find a good reason not to come to you. Plus you’ll be able to win more exclusive and retained business, and charge higher fees.
In order to stand out from 30,000 recruitment agencies, simply find where you’re number 1.
Already in a niche? You might be the only one… in which case you’re number 1!
If you’ve got competitors in your niche, think about what separates you from the rest. Are you the friendliest? The fastest? Do you have the best tech? Are you hyper-focused on one geography?
You need to do this, because clients don’t have the capacity to remember that you’re ‘quite good at a range of things’. You have to be remembered for something… so make sure you’re number one at it!
If you want advice on identifying your niche and standing out from the crowd, I’m here to help. Simply reply to this email and I’ll come back to you with some ideas.
Jon
P.S. I’ve helped the biggest recruitment firms and the smallest solo recruiters to differentiate themselves from their competitors and win more exclusive business at higher fees.
So if you want advice on identifying your niche and standing out from the crowd, I’m here to help. Simply reply to this email and I’ll come back to you with some ideas.