It was suggested to me by a recruiter that ‘making outbound calls is old school’.
I actually laughed – He’d just spent 20 minutes moaning that he couldn’t afford to post jobs, no-one looked at his website and he couldn’t justify a LinkedIn Recruiter licence….
OK, so granted I’m a bit ‘old-school’, I like the phone, I like talking to people, but isn’t that what recruitment is all about??
When did the recruiters phone become redundant? (See below – 7 Tips to Recruiter Cold Calling – without Voyager)
In my role here at Voyager I speak to recruiters day in and day out and it scares me that there seems to be a tidal wave of recruiters that don’t know how to make outbound calls, or even worse they’re literally scared of the phone and making a call.
I think there are 3 reasons recruiters are scared of making calls:
1. They just don’t know how to do it….
2. They’re spoilt rotten with distractions which seem more exciting (like reading this blog – ironic I know)!
3. They think it’s beneath their pay grade.
Who knows, maybe you’re the sort of recruiter that’s full of excuses and you’re looking for an alternative way of reaching your goal, and maybe you’ll get there.
If you’ve already spent half the day flicking through emails, job-boards and pre-loading tweets for everyone to ignore, then maybe there is enough time left in the day to try something proactive that’s worked for years and years?
TRY MAKING A PHONE CALL!!? (then another, then another)
OK, so this post is starting to sound a little bit preachy, but here at Voyager we’re passionate about recruitment and winning new clients is at the heart of what our customers do.
For those that don’t know how to make a cold call, I thought I’d offer a few pointers on how to make the most of your efforts!
7 Tips to Recruiter Cold Calling (without Voyager)
1. Calling from an old database/list – Does the last note help or hinder your ‘New Business Development’ journey? From now on, when adding notes make them positive. Each call is a stepping stone forward – don’t look backwards.
2. Open your 3rd eye – Does the receptionist sounds manically busy or chilled? Is your favourite song on the radio in the background? Can you hear a fire siren, did that happen last time? Is it a noisy office?
3. With every call you make, plan the next one! – Only write positive notes – This is no place for negativity! If someone hangs up on you, write ‘caught them at a busy moment’.
4. React positively to every interaction and find a reason to follow it up – You’ve struck gold – Receptionist says “they’re in a meeting”. They’re probably not, but don’t get stressed about it, they’re just doing their job. You might have been told that 10 times already, but she’s only told you once. “Sally doesn’t work Fridays” means you can book a call Monday-Thursday. Lots of small steps make a journey.
5. Phoning a friend is easy – Because you have lots in common, your CRM should facilitate a very insightful conversation pulling social media information into one place. Imagine you’re calling a friend not a stranger – its easier.
6. Build rapport and find a common ground – without mutual respect you’ll find it much harder to promote an idea or product, the gatekeeper has good and bad days too. Maybe your call is her first of the day too! Above all keep the calls friendly and fun.
7. Invest in the tools you need to become a success – Get a decent CRM.
Follow these easy steps and I promise you you’ll learn to love the phone.
In no time at all you’ll be leading from the front of the pack and the competition around you will be left for dust!
Magic Voyager Wand Waving Time…
Wouldn’t life be easier if your CRM presented snippets about the person and business you are calling as the phone rang out?
Imagine if:
- You know they’ve just moved into new offices.
- You knew they’d just uploaded a job to their website.
- You knew they’d acquired another business and are doing really well.
- You knew who they’d just hired.
- You could see all phone and email activity in one place.
- You could read their latest tweet.
- You knew the last 9 calls to the office went to voicemail, but the mobile gets answered.
If you fancy a chat about ‘cold calling’, or want to find out why it’s easier for recruiters using Voyager then call me… 0800 008 6262.
Blog written by Paul.Thompson@voyagersoftware.com
Voyager Infinity and Voyager Mid-Office are software solutions that make Recruiters’ lives easier. Voyager Infinity is a CRM used by thousands of recruiters globally to source, nurture and maintain the relationships with their clients and candidates, and Mid-Office manages the entire Pay and Bill process (IR35 ready).
