Gaynor Lowndes

How do you create a winning team?

2011-05-16T14:54:00.005+10:00

Tips from a rugby great.

Rod McQueen (Ex Wallabies Coach) gave me the following words of advice some years ago. They seem very relevant today with the current challenge all recruitment agencies face of attracting and retaining the best talent for their businesses.

1. Ensure that you have the systems in place. Creating a winning team hinges on having the right processes and procedures in place to facilitate a smooth integration for the new team member. Consider a detailed induction pack, initial formal training both internally and externally on the "right" way to do the business will equip your new people with the skills and knowledge they need to be successful.

2. Allow the team to take ownership of nuances in culture. Allow your team members to integrate your new person into the culture of the team. Remember that the players are custodians of the game. The "we" not "me" culture. The existing players dictate the culture and set the rules for appropriate and inappropriate behaviour by the team members. Make sure your standards are high enough to reach the vision for the business and that all the team have the "passion to be the best".

3. Create a buddy system to teach what's important. Coaches and mentors are the way of the future for our industry. Buddy your new recruits with mentors (either internal or external) to help them be successful. Let them learn from the best, not the average. Success breeds success in rugby as in recruitment.

4. Never rest on your laurels. Always be creating a new and innovative way. Complacent rugby teams lose. Focus on the weak points, make them strong. Always be improving. For me the message is be continually stretching your team, acknowledge them for what they have done well and then stretch them once again toward excellence.

Winning teams are committed, consistent in their activities and behaviour and are passionate about their desire to be the best!

Are you part of a winning team?

Don't let lost deals get you down!

2011-05-08T10:50:00.005+10:00

I have just had a coaching session with Dan, a recruiter who lost $60K this month in withdrawn offers. He was devastated as you can imagine. We got to talking about what he could have done to avoid this. The plain and simple truth was both situations were out of his control. He had done everything he possibly could do to control the process with both clients giving verbal commitment that offers were coming and then changing their minds a few days later.

He asked me for ideas on how these blows might be less devastating in terms of reaching his target and I got to thinking about how he manages his numbers.

Let's assume for a moment that on average you lose 1 in every 5 offers to a counter or conflicting offer. That means that you need ensure that you have enough in your pipeline that the loss of one fee is not life and death to meeting your target.

I explained how I used to work on my desk. I always ran at least $20K in fees more than I needed to from live opportunities to ensure that I always met and exceeded target each month. I also worked a month ahead of everyone else. So for example, if you invoice on start date then you should be closing your quarter at the end of this month (May) not next (June). Make sure that you have enough "closeable" jobs covered in your pipeline so that you have reached target for this quarter at the end of May.

How do you ensure enough "fillable" jobs in your pipeline? Increase your activities!
Always look at your target as the minimum you need to attain as opposed to the maximum. That way, if something goes wrong, you will still have enough in your pipeline to meet target and won't be in the situation Dan currently is in with not enough starters invoiced this quarter to meet his target.

Start today thinking about next quarter. How many jobs need to be filled to reach target + 20K?
What is your average fee?
What are your fill statistics? ie. How many jobs must you work to fill the number required?
What job coverage do you currently have on those jobs? ie. how many candidate CV's have you sent out and how many client/candidate interviews have your organised?
What actions do you need to take THIS WEEK to increase your activities?

Need some help getting and staying focused, then why now consider a coaching program with me. Visit www.gaynorlowndes.com/Gaynor%20Lowndes/coaching for more details on how I can help you reach your potential.

How to stop your competitors stealing your rookies

2011-04-29T11:32:00.003+10:00

One of the biggest challenges that my clients currently face is keeping their quality rookies.

You have taken a risk by employing someone without recruitment experience, have invested time and money in training them, they just start to bill and they're gone!

Grass being greener and all that.

Many Rec to Rec's are returning to the more dubious practices pre GFC of systematically working their way through agencies, offering ridiculous incentives to consider other opportunities. Linked in has created another headhunting opportunity for your competitors.

So what can you do to ensure that you receive a return on your investment? Here are my 6 top tips for keeping your quality rookies:

1. Consistent check in. A happy and fulfilled rookie makes a better biller. Acknowledge good performance and support through the bad days.

2. Keep them away from negative influences. Success breeds success, ensure that your rookies are mentored by individuals within your organisation whom share your vales and vision.

3. Create a culture of loyalty. This is one of the keys to success for Morgan and Banks (think Talent2). Continually communicate the vision and values of the organisation.

4. Offer a defined career path. Gen "Y" want it all now so communicate what they need to do to get to the next level. The Hays model of titles won based on longevity and performance is one of the best I have ever seen.

5. Offer incentives/rewards based on improved performance. Award points based on pro-active activities and then as the rookie gains experience the numbers change until the rookie is working to traditional KPI's.

6. Continuous Learning and development. A strategy of a client of mine recently was to get rid of one of their senior non revenue producing staff and reallocate the salary amongst the team for training and development.

Finally, encourage your mentors and team leaders to have an open and honest relationship with your new consultants. Remember that loyalty is directly related to perceived value. Ensure that each and every member of your team feel valued.

Need help with developing a retention strategy? A high impact coaching session will clarify what you need to do. E-mail me at gaynor@trtc.com.au to arrange.

The sales vs service argument.

2011-04-17T08:31:00.002+10:00

Let me begin by making a blunt point. Recruitment is a sales profession. That became even more evident during the recent global financial crisis. You might be amazed to learn that some of the recruiters I encounter still refuse to accept the fundamental nature of what they do. In fact when recently meeting an experienced recruiter, he responded with “we are consultants, we don’t need to sell.” I wonder how any business can survive and prosper during a recovery without selling? Have you ever considered what a contingent recruiter gets paid to do: We have a product (albeit a human product), and we receive payment when we provide the product to a client. The term “Sales” has become synonymous with opportunism, manipulation, deception and downright trickery. This perception has evolved particularly over the past ten to fifteen years, hand in hand with the growing popularity of transactional recruitment, e-mail CV’s and quick database searches. But it doesn’t have to be this way. My experience over the past 25 years in the recruitment industry has shown me that the most successful agencies balance new business (sales) with a service culture. No business can survive and prosper just by providing excellent service as many agencies have learned the hard way during the GFC. Having said that, you would also be foolish to think that nothing will ever change within your existing clients which means there will always be a need to source new business if you are to survive and prosper as a recruiter. A frequent flyer because of my training and coaching work, I meet people from all walks of life in airport lounges and on planes. About a month ago I struck up a conversation with Vivian, who manages three mobile phone stores in the ACT. She told me she had recently been recruiting sales staff, and the interviews had not gone well. She explained; “When I asked the question: ‘Why do you believe you will succeed as a phone salesperson?’ I got replies like: ‘Because I’m persuasive,’ ‘Because I have an outgoing personality,’ and ‘Because I’m driven.’ In a whole day of interviews, only applicant mentioned ‘Integrity and meeting customer needs.’ The rest thought it was all about them.” Vivian raises an important point. Any effective salesperson understands that sales is about the customer, not about them. I could take this statement and cite numerous examples of where it has or has not been applied in our own industry. If I made a list of “hard-sell” agencies and a separate list of “service-oriented” agencies, those currently thriving would all fall into the middle somewhere. What the hard sellers don’t realise is that they are setting themselves up for failure. Any transaction is a two-way street, and yet they pretend that only their interests are of any real importance. Thus, they give clients no real incentive to do business with them, and whatever business they do elicit is likely to fall apart because of a rushed approach where job fit is an afterthought. Recruiters take note, if you want to be successful in what will become an even more competitive marketplace, then balance between new business development and maintaining existing relationship will be key.

7 Habbits of highly successful recruiters

2011-04-03T10:39:00.006+10:00

1. Highly effective recruiters schedule the important tasks into each day

Time management is one of those competencies that everyone talks about but few of us do well. It’s not just about getting things done but getting the right things done at the right time. It’s about understanding the importance of scheduling the important tasks into each day to ensure you have an ongoing pipeline. Too many of us get busy with the unimportant and reactive tasks and put off the important ones. Important tasks include business development; candidate care; client follow up. Highly effective recruiters ensure that time is scheduled into their diaries to complete the important tasks and consistently meet their key performance indicators on an ongoing basis. They finish their work knowing that they have given 100%.

2. Highly effective recruiters are outcome focused.

This habit is about beginning with the end in mind. Being outcome focused is being conscious of the bigger picture and not getting bogged down in the detail. When you are outcome focused you get more of the right stuff (the important stuff – see habit 1 above) done and are therefore more successful. Being outcome focused when dealing with a difficult client, candidate or job brief will help you keep everything in perspective and you out of the emotion of the situation. It will also help you achieve whatever goals you set yourself in your life. Outcome focused people can ride out the rough times, knowing that they will eventually reach their desired outcome.

3. Highly effective recruiters can demonstrate excellence in service delivery

This habit centres around your personal values. By putting others needs before your own and by consistently delivering results to your clients and candidates you will build an excellent reputation in the marketplace in which you operate. That’s good for you and good for your business. Highly effective recruiters elicit feedback from candidates and clients about how they can improve. They are not afraid of constructive criticism or too arrogant to take notice. By striving to continually improve your service you will move from being an average recruiter to an exceptional one. Excellence in service delivery is not one off, it is a consistent goal for highly effective recruiters.

4. Highly effective recruiters are persistent

Take a look around your office – who do you consider to be a great recruiter? One of the habits this person will have is persistence. Persistence to keep going when things don’t work out as planned, persistence to keep building their desk and business. Persistence to keep at it when they don’t feel like it or are bored. Most people, when faced with defeat give up and go home, those with persistence keep trying until they get the results they want. They try different ways, keep learning and have faith that they will reach their desired goals and outcomes. Persistence pays!

5. Highly effective recruiters are committed to self development

Stephen Covey in his best seller “7 habits of highly effective people” describes this habit as sharpen the saw. That is, successful people reflect on their results and continue to learn and develop. Many very experienced recruiters go stale because they think they know it all. Complacency sets in and they maintain the desk until the economy changes and then wonder what’s happened. Many of them left the industry during 2009, all because they were not prepared to learn new techniques or stretch themselves further. Human beings don’t like change on the whole, however it is the only constant in our world so embrace it. The world will change as a result of the recent global financial crisis and highly effective recruiters will change with it. Commit a percentage of your income to self development as you would a savings plan, I guarantee you will see the benefits. If you think you are too experienced for industry training then engage a coach to help you stretch a little. You’ll be amazed about what you learn about yourself in the process. Awareness brings change. Change brings different results.

6. Highly effective recruiters have balance between work and play

Gen Xers were defined by their work. Many of them (like me) have lived very unbalanced lives in the past. Gen Y’s on the other hand, have no concept of working hard to get ahead and have expected everything to be handed to them. I believe a shift will occur in our thinking about work/life balance as a result of the recent hard times. Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap Galatians 6:7-8. My take on this is to ensure that as far as is practicable, all areas of your life are balanced. Highly effective recruiters have interests outside of work and enjoy balanced lives. They take time to smell the roses and celebrate their successes. They also understand the importance of working hard to achieve the results that they want to achieve. Highly effective recruiters set goals in all areas of their life and are positive and well balanced as a result.

7. Highly effective recruiters have high levels of honesty and ethics I have been amazed over the last 12 to 18 months at the dishonest behavior of some in our industry. I know times have been tough for us all but I am also a big believer in the concept of Karma - that there are consequences to every action and word. What goes around comes around so be very careful with your thoughts, words and deeds. Highly effective recruiters are honest with others and themselves. They behave with integrity and sleep easily at night knowing they have done their best. Honesty got lost somewhere in the last 20 or so years and I am pleased to tell you that it is making a comeback. Practice dealing with everyone in an honest and ethical manner and you will attract similar people and situations.

In summary, highly effective recruiters are well balanced, positive, persistent people whom understand what is important in their work and their lives. Take a look around you….learn from the masters and be the best you can be!

Are you at cause or effect ?

2011-03-28T11:46:00.000+10:00

I have been talking a lot lately about cause and effect in my coaching sessions. It is basically an NLP (neuro linguistic programming) tool that challenges your thinking.

Have you ever been in a situation where things "just happen"? Times when circumstances cause you to react? If you are controlled by circumstance then you are at the "effect" end of the pendulum. If, however you create situations and circumstance then you are at the "cause" end of the pendulum.

Let me give you an example. I coach a recruiter who is struggling to maintain his billings whilst leading a team. He has always been a big Biller. Always making things happen for himself . As a Biller he was at cause - he made things happen, always ensuring he had a pipeline, consistently billing. As a newish leader, he is very much at effect. He complains he can't motivate his team, can't maintain his billings and is now under pressure from his directors. The flag for me as his coach was his constant use of the word "can't". I knew I had to challenge his thinking to move him back to cause. I asked him "in perfect world, what would the current situation look like for you". He responded that billings would be consistent between him and his team and realistically that may mean that his billings will not be at quite the same level they were before but his team would more than make up for that. The next step was to establish some actions that he could take to empower his team to do what needed to be done. Within 2 weeks of moving him from effect to cause, his team were noticeably more motivated and therefore more productive and on target for the first time in weeks.

Here's how to apply this to your life. When something happens (an event occurs) ask yourself whether you are at cause or effect. If you recognize you are at effect, then take action to move back to cause. It might be as simple as asking yourself how can you take control of this situation rather than handing control to someone else (like a client or candidate). Those of us at cause make things happen. We chose not to be victims or blame others for where our life is right now. We take responsibility. If you are not happy with your life right now, ask yourself "am I at cause or effect"?

5 biggest mistakes new recruiters make

2011-03-19T14:39:00.002+10:00

We lost some 60% of the industry during the GFC and many experienced recruiters either left the industry or were made redundant. As a result, the industry is now extremely talent short. This is further evidenced by the rec to rec agencies refusing to take on any more jobs and the unbelievable amount of headhunting currently going on in the industry.

Many of my clients are telling me that they are struggling to find promising talent for their businesses which prompted me to reflect on my recruitment journey over the last 22 or so years and the mistakes I made and saw made by others. So if you want to not only survive but do really well in this business, then learn from the following mistakes.

1. Not Learning the basics first
My youngest son is 17 and plays ice hockey at an elite level. Amazing, considering that he put on his first pair of ice skates when he was 14. How did he do it? He perfected the basics first. He learned to skate forward first, then when he had perfected that skill, he added skating forward and stopping. Once that was perfected he learnt to sprint on the ice. Every week he added another basic skill to his tool kit and practiced until it was perfected.

Same with recruitment. Break down each task and practice it until you can do it without thinking. For example, consider the cold call. Start with perfecting a script, then practice it until you don't need to read it, then add objection handling, then closing and so on. Practice until it becomes second nature. Then work on another skill until it is perfected and so on.

I remember clearly the frustration that I felt when I made mistakes or lost placements because I wanted to run before I could walk.

2. Not getting proper training
One of the main reasons that new recruiters fail, is that they don't get proper training. Some agencies have a robust induction process and in my view they are giving their new recruits the best chance of success. Others however, have a policy of no training until probation is over. Educate yourself as to what is available in the marketplace and ensure that you train with industry accredited trainers (like me!) At the very least, ensure that you are reading all the material that is readily available on blogs like this. Find a mentor within your new organization, watch, listen and learn from the experienced and successful. It's how I and many industry veterans learned.

I was lucky enough to work for Geoff Morgan and Andrew Banks setting up the Alectus Personnel brand some years ago. My biggest learning whilst there was to move from a contingent recruiter to a retained recruiter, selling client paid advertising and working less jobs for a greater result. Much of my training workshops are based on what I learned whilst in that environment.

3. Forget that candidates are as important as clients
Our industry is renowned for it's poor treatment of candidates. Don't fall into the trap of believing that your clients are more important. Treat every person you meet as you would like to be treated and never, never become complacent as far as candidate care is concerned. Take your candidate's calls, return messages and e-mails from your candidates and work hard to meet their needs. Remember that your candidates are your best and cheapest advertisement.

I remember when I worked for Recruitment Solutions under Greg Savage during the mid 1990's this lesson was learned as we were KPI'd on candidate care and we had a rule that all candidate messages must be returned before we left for the day. Great habit to get into early in my recruitment career.

4. Offer discounts
My view is and always has been that I am worth every cent I charge. Very rarely did I have to resort to discounting during my career and on reflection, that's because I honestly believe that I provided a great service. When I first started in the business in the late 1980's, discounting was unheard of. That's because recruiters of my day didn't hide behind technology. We had "relationships" with our clients. My clients expected to see me during the recruitment process and as a result, most of my work was exclusive and at full fee. It's really hard once you have set a precedent to go back to charging full fee so start the way you mean to carry on. It's too easily to allow your clients to take control by dictating what they will pay. Look at it is way, you wouldn't go into a restaurant and start negotiating the prices of the meals would you? So why discount your service?

5. Become negative
Geoff and Andrew went to a lot of trouble finding glass half full recruiters. In fact, from memory, I did a full day of personality profiling and psych testing to even be considered as an M&B recruiter. If your profile was 10% higher or lower than the template they had created, regardless of how good you were, you didn't get an offer of employment. This created a culture of winners and many recruiters during that time aspired to work for M&B. Since then, I have studied much on the brain and how it affects our behavior and therefore our success. It is now scientifically proven that you create what you think about. That being the case, you will find that the most successful among us are also the most positive and optimistic. Look for the positive in every situation, and remember that mistakes are just things you haven't learned properly yet.

Being positive has ensured my success in recruitment as well as training and coaching. Negative thoughts cause call reluctance, which can be a killer for recruiters. As Monty Python says "always look on the bright side of life".

Finally, be the best you can be. Hold your head high and be proud of being a recruitment professional.

I am running my Recruitment Essentials workshops in April around Australia, so if you are new to the industry, give yourself the best chance of success by spending a couple of days with me learning how to be the best you can be. Visit www.trtc.com.au for dates and to book.

2011-03-02T15:36:00.001+10:00

Building a great temporary desk.

Here are the top 8 tips for building a great temp desk.

1. Successful temp consultants measure their statistics. The old adage of you can’t fix what you can’t measure stands true. My belief is and always has been that key performance indicators are in place to help me be successful. If you don’t complete KPI reports for your manager, then create your own. You should be tracking the following:

Dials: Connects if this one blows out, you probably need to address getting past the gatekeeper or revisit your prospect list to ascertain if the account is really worth your time chasing.

Connects: Visits if you are getting through to the decision maker but not getting a visit, then you need to review your call structure, how you overcome objections and how you close.

Visits: jobs on if you are getting quality visits but not converting them to opportunities then you need to look at your visit structure and also review how you close – do you ask for the business?

Jobs on: jobs filled if you are not filling every temp role you get, then you need to look at how you are taking in the temp job. Do you know whether or not you are competing? Are you missing out because you are not quick enough? If this is the case then you need to look at your temp availables list. How up to date is it?

2. Great temp consultants fill the job over the phone. Your client has a problem, that’s why he or she has called you. If you immediately solve that problem then your client has no reason to call anyone else. There is no reason to send resumes (it’s just an objection). You are the expert and your client should trust you to provide the “right” person. Don’t assume that the client wants or needs to see resumes for a temp role. If it’s an immediate need then there is the opportunity to fill it immediately.

3. Great temp consultants know who is available. To be able to fill a role over the phone, you must know who is available. Train your candidates to keep you updated via text or e-mail regarding their availability and then update your availables list daily. That way you will be in a position to fill the role over the phone.

4. Great temp consultants are expert time managers. Running a temp desk is mainly reactionary – that is you are reacting to what is coming your way (temp jobs to fill). Having said that, it is essential that you block out time for important activities such as business development and candidate generation. 50% of your time should be spent in business development activities and 50% on candidate generation.

5. Great temp consultants understand the importance of covering their finishers every week. One of the most effective ways to build a high revenue temp desk is to cover your finishers each week and then add two new starters. To do this you need to be in control of what is happening on your desk. You will also need to be in contact with your clients and worker temps each and every week, regardless of how long their assignment is for. I used to devote every Wednesday to calling. In the morning I would call my worker temps to see how they were doing and in the afternoon I would call my clients for ongoing references. By the end of Wednesday I knew how many finishers I have this week. On Thursday I would get to work reverse marketing those finishers until I had jobs for them starting on Monday. I would be pretty confident that I would get at least two jobs phoned in per week so once my finishers were covered, anything else was a bonus.

6. Great temp consultants believe their own story! Having a strong self belief is essential to being successful. If you don’t believe your own story with all your heart, then it will be pretty difficult to convince your clients and candidates to believe it. You must believe that you are worth every cent that you charge and that you are an expert at providing quality temporaries.

7. Great temp consultants know their competition. Knowledge is power in our industry. Ask clients and candidates about your competition. Know who is good and not so good. Learn about their strengths and weaknesses. Stay ahead of the competition!

8. Great temp consultants understand the importance of self development. One of the traits that successful people share is their thirst for self development and to be the best that they can be. Watch those in your office, learn from experienced consultants, attend training, listen to CD’s and read books.

If you have attend any of my training sessions you will know that my belief is that it doesn’t take much to be outstanding in the recruitment industry. Focus on becoming the best that you can be and success will follow. Implement some of the points mentioned in this article and you will be well on the way. Good luck!

TOP 10 TIPS FOR MAXIMISING SALES PERFORMANCE

2011-01-16T09:42:00.002+10:00

What makes a big biller? I have always been a big biller and still hold the record I believe in the industry for the most recruitment business sold in 8 months – some $50 million dollars. I am very interested in neuro-science and how our brain filters and distorts information to produce a change of internal state which in turn affects behaviour.. Those that can control their internal state have much higher success than those who can’t. These are my top 10 tips for maximising your own sales performance.

1. BELIEF
Consider for a moment the word “sales” or “salesperson”. How do you really feel about that word? Do you feel positive being labelled a salesperson or negative? Most of those interested in success and self help understand the importance of belief. Maximising your sales performance starts with a strong, unquestionable belief that you ARE the biggest biller in (a) your company (b) your sector and (c) your industry. Create the belief by visualising yourself as a big biller. How will you walk, talk, sit and behave?

2. CONTROL YOUR STATE
Thoughts change states and states create behaviour. Have you ever stubbed your toe getting ready for a work and then had a shocker of a day? That’s because you expected to have a bad day. Big billers maximise their performance by ensuring they are in a positive state most of the time. Ask yourself “what would make today a level 10 day?” Level 10 being the best, most productive day you could possibly have. Anchor to that state – close your eyes and feel what you would feel;, see what you would see; hear what you would hear if you were having a level 10 day. Step inside the picture and really feel the feeling of having a level 10 day. That’s how you create an anchor. Use the technique every morning when you wake up to put you into the best possible state for the day.

3. BANISH UNHELPFUL THOUGHTS
We are our own worst enemies when it comes to negative self talk. What do you think about before you pick up the phone to make cold calls?
(a) Oh no, I have to cold call, I hate cold calling! OR
(b) Oh Great, it’s time to open some doors for new business and lots of money!
I guarantee you will get a different result if your thought is (b) rather than (a).
How do banish unhelpful thoughts? I use a cognitive behaviour technique in my coaching practice. Whenever you have a negative or unhelpful thought, ask yourself “what’s absurd about this thought?”
Eg. I don’t want to call today, I know I am going to get rejected.
What’s absurd about that thought? Well, I don’t know this person so how do I know I will be rejected?
What is a more positive way to look at the situation? These prospects could have work to give me right now and at the very least I will be opening some great doors to start relationships.
By changing your thoughts from negative to positive, you will maximise your results.

4. FIND A MENTOR/COACH
Who do you want to be like? Is there a consultant or manager in your business whom is very successful? If so, then watch, listen and learn. I was lucky enough to learn from some superstars in the business and I watched and learned from them and then perfected my own unique style. Hire a coach to keep you accountable for your sales activity and goals.

5. PREARE, PREPARE, PREPARE
Neuro-scientists have identified that our brains are wired to seek security which is why many of us are not comfortable with change. Trick your brain into thinking sales is secure by preparing properly. Big billers use scripts and are adept at overcoming objections. Create a compelling script and have your answers to possible objections prepared. Have a well researched prospect list. Have a clear objective and fall-back position for every call to ensure your maximise each and every call you make.

6. COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY
Communication is made up of 7% words; 38% tonality and 55% physiology. Match keywords and the tone of the prospect to build better rapport. Be confident and in control using succinct and specific language to ensure that your message is delivered properly. Communication is less about what you say and more about how you say it.

7. LOOK FOR GOLD
Prospecting properly is the starting point for maximising sales performance. How well prepared and researched is your prospect list? Do you know the potential of the prospect you are about to call? Create a benchmark so that you are not calling people who are no value to you. You might search for companies in your sector who have a certain number in their team or perhaps always use agencies for the recruitment etc.

8. DO THE NUMBERS
Maximising sales performance is about high activity levels. Key performance indicators keep you focussed on the minimum you need to do. High performers consistently meet and exceed their KPI’s regardless of how many jobs they are working on. Consistent high billers aim to business develop week in and week out to ensure that their sales funnel is full. Know your desk – how many live jobs do you need to have on at any one time to meet your targets?

9. WORK MORE EXCLUSIVE JOBS
Concentrate on moving clients up the sales ladder from contingent to exclusive to retained. What can you do to add value and stand apart from your competition? Ask for exclusivity every time you take in a job but at the very least ensure that each role you are working is real and fillable. Ask clients how committed they are to filling the role and if they say they are, then get a commitment from them – either exclusivity or at the very least interview times booked in for your shortlist.

10. BE AN EXPERT TIME MANAGER
Don’t waste time working jobs that aren’t real or aren’t fillable. Maximising sales performance is about understanding the opportunity cost in working one role over another. Ensure that you have your “Big Rocks” scheduled into your diary. Big Rocks are those activities that earn you money next week and next month. Activities such as business development; passive headhunting (mapping your market); candidate interviews; reverse marketing and floats and of course keeping your admin up to date.
Maximising sales performance starts and ends with you so do whatever you need to do to be the best you can be!

Further reading:
Stephen Covey – 7 Habits of highly effective people
Your Brain at Work – David Rock
Change your thinking – Sarah Edelman
You can sell anything – Tony Lozzi
Please e-mail me for a full recommended reading list

How to Overcome Objections

2011-01-05T10:03:00.000+10:00

Overcoming Objections

Objections are a very important part of the sales process so welcome them. Too often when I am training recruiters I ask what an objection is and I hear words like “block”; “rejection”; “reason not to do something” etc. Relax a little because objections are actually a buying signal. The prospect needs more information before actually saying yes. In my experience if you make a sale without an objection something is bound to go wrong later!
Now that you are comfortable with the concept of objections, let’s look at how to handle them. I particularly like the “Feel; Felt; Found” method of overcoming objections. I have used it for many years with a great deal of success. It works like this:
“I understand how you feel” - This statement shows the prospect that you sympathize with him/her . You could alternatively choose to say something along the lines of “Thank you for saying that, I would feel exactly the same way in your shoes”.
“My other clients have felt the same way too” – This statement shows empathy. You are demonstrating that the prospect is not alone in his or her feelings.
“They have found that” – Overcome the objection giving an opinion other than your own. This is very important because otherwise your objection handling could become confrontational.
A practical example:
Overcome the objection “I use your competitor”
I hear what you are saying, many of my clients also used a competitor prior to working with me. They have told me that sometimes their preferred agency can’t come up with the talent they require. In that instance I have been able to act as a backup.
Practice makes perfect. Create an objection table and develop a script to overcome the most common objections we get. Then practice them until you are happy. That way you will be more confident when you hear one on the other end of the phone. Starting out in the recruitment business you can expect to hear the following objections:
• I have a preferred supplier agreement
• You are too expensive/ I want a discount/ your competitor does it for 10%
• I am too busy for a meeting
• I recruit myself I don’t use an agency
• We have an internal recruitment department

How objections help you
Learning how to overcome objections properly makes you a better communicator – that’s good for you and good for your business. Using this technique will avoid confrontation not only at work but also in your personal life as well.

Make 2011 your best year yet!

2010-11-26T07:05:00.002+10:00

I’ve had a great year in 2010 after 2 extremely challenging years. The recovery started slowly but by July had gained momentum and my billings were back to pre GFC days by the end of the quarter.
Perhaps 2010 wasn’t quite the year you had planned. If that was the case, it doesn’t really matter because every year is about learning and developing so that you can reach your potential in life.

The end of a year is always a good time to reflect on what has happened and look forward to a brighter, better future. Why not take some time to go through the following process and set up a plan for 2011 to be your best year yet.
What did I accomplish in this year?

This is a great starting point for setting goals. Even if you had a “shocker” of a year , there will have been some good points. Really spend some time reflecting on the year and write down your accomplishments. Perhaps you were a top performer in your organization, perhaps you got married or bought a house, perhaps your learnt something new this year.

It is really important for a balanced life to pat yourself on the back for what you have achieved, regardless of how significant or insignificant it may seem to others. Rarely do we reflect on what we have achieved in a week, let alone a year. By shifting your awareness to what you have achieved this year you will be setting yourself up for success when planning next year. Often we spend so much time listening to that little (or for some very big) negative voice inside that we don’t spend time acknowledging our achievements.

What were my biggest disappointments this year?What dreams didn’t come true for you this year? What did you do that you wish now you hadn’t? What ended for you?
Spend some time and make a list of all the stuff you wish hadn’t happened or that you were disappointed about this year. Perhaps you didn’t lose that weight you said you would, or your relationship ended or a business failed. Perhaps you didn’t bill what you thought you would.
Why is this of value? Simply that it is important that you understand exactly where you are right now before you start setting goals for the future. By looking at what went well and what didn’t go so well you have both the positive and negative with which to move forward. To have your best year yet in 2011, you need to understand where you are right now, rebalance your sense of yourself and make room for new possibilities.

What did I learn?Take a minute to look over your accomplishments list and consider – what was the secret to my success? Why was I able to achieve that? What did I learn about myself this year? Then do the same with your disappointments list. What would have worked better? Why didn’t it work? What was the lesson? If I were an observer, what advice would I give myself? Avoid judgment here, just be objective and write it down.
Really consider what changes you need to make to be the best you can be and have the life that you really want.
In your experience of this past year is your recipe for success; increasing income; building better relationships; taking better care of yourself. What does this information tell you about who you want to be?
Now here is the painful bit. To have your best year yet you must understand how you limit yourself and how to make it stop.

How do I limit myself and how can I make it stop?Think through your accomplishments, your disappointments and your learning around the last year. Do you see some patterns emerging? Could it be that every year pretty much the same thing happens? You start a diet in January each year and by February you are back to your old eating habits? Could it be that you have created limiting beliefs around money or success or lifestyle (I couldn’t possibly have that?)
Make a list of your limiting beliefs. For example I’m not worth that much money or I could never have a relationship with XXX sort of person. Ask yourself the question and wait for your inner voice to respond.
Remember we attract what we think about whether we want it or don’t want it. Have you heard the saying “what you resist persists?” (The Secret by Rhonda Byrne will help with this philosophy).

In what areas of my life am I not achieving what I want?This is the first step in the paradigm shift that will occur to allow you to experience your best year yet. Make a list of what areas in your life are not the way you want them to be.

What are my personal values?
Coaching taught me that all behavior emanates from an individual’s values and beliefs. If I have a belief about myself, then I will act it out for the world. Take some time to think about what is most important to you in your life – relationships? Status? Money? Making a contribution? What gets you out of bed in the morning? What really drives to behave in a certain way?
Understanding and articulating your values helps you understand yourself and perhaps with that understanding you will realize how you are holding yourself back.

What roles do I play in my life?Thinking about the roles you play in your life helps provide direction and places your values at the centre of your life where they should be. Your roles provide the framework in which to set and achieve goals. Make a list of all the roles you currently play in your life. Do you have a dream role for next year?

Which role is my major focus for next year?Reflect on your personal values and how you want them to impact each role you currently play. To help you do this ask yourself:
• If I could put one problem behind me what would it be?
• In which role do I want significant change?
• What’s stopping me from being happy right now?
• What would I love to accomplish in the next year?
What are my goals for each role?
Set goals for each role, ensuing they are SMART goals:
• Specific
• Measurable
• Attributable to me
• Realistic
• Time frame attached

A specific sentence in present tense works best. I feel sexy weighing 55kg by December 2011
What are my top 10 goals for next year?
Before you select your ten most important goals for next year, review everything you have written down. Remind yourself of what really matters to you and why. Select the goals that mean the most to you and if achieved would really make a difference to your life. Once you have done this, prioritize your list, putting the most important one first.

Staying on trackThe best way I have found to stay on track is to make them visible. I have my goals stuck on my bathroom mirror so that I can’t miss them when I go in there!
Set actions to ensure that you reach your goals. I find 90, 60, 30 and 7 day actions work best for me. Review and revise regularly and you will be well on your way to 2011 being your best year yet.
If you are still having trouble staying on track or if you really want to “stretch” yourself then get yourself a coach who is trained to help you achieve your goals! If you would like to talk with me about a coaching program, then please do so.

This article is based on “your Best Year Yet” by Jinny Ditzler; published by Harper Element, a division of Harper Collins.
Need help with setting goals? Then contact me and arrange a coaching session to help you clarify what is important to you.

Who is in Control?

2010-11-08T07:26:00.003+10:00

Recently, I have been working with a medium sized recruitment company in Sydney who has some pretty reasonable billers. I tell you this because they could be really big billers if they just had more control over the recruitment process. Every single one of them understands the importance in theory of being in control but not one person appears to be able to stay in control. This is because they have so many vacancies on, that they rush through the process and try and beat their competitors to the close.

You have lost control when:
· Candidates don’t show up for interview with you
· Candidates aren’t honest with you or don’t return your calls
· Clients won’t give you feedback or return your calls
· Candidates get counter offered and accept
· Candidates receive conflicting offers and accept
· Candidates don’t start with your client or don’t last through the guarantee period.

Control is an interesting concept for recruiters and my belief is and always has been that the recruiter should be in control of the process. That is, all things being equal, the recruiter should know what is going to happen next.

Client control
Many recruiters have a weak link as far as client control as far as client control is concerned. Let’s discuss the parts of the process where recruiters tend to lose control (or give the client control).

1. Taking in the job

To be in control of this part of the process, you must know the following:
· How many recruitment agencies have been briefed
· Where is the client up to in the process (ie. How many candidates has he seen and whom did he like/not like and why?)

· How committed is he to the process – I always ask “on a scale of 1 to 10, how urgent is filling this role for you?”

· If I can present a shortlist today, how soon can you interview?

· If you have decided based on what has been said that you will work the job, gain commitment from the client on either exclusivity, tentative interview times for your candidates or commitment to providing feedback within 2 hours of presenting the candidate CV’s.

2. Presenting Candidates

Too many recruiters that I train send through CV’s on e-mail and then wait for feedback. Who is in control now? The client, because you have sent the CV’s and he can come back to you (or not) at his leisure. To stay in control over this part of the process, you must phone your client first to let him know that the CV’s are on the way, then agree a time to phone back the same day for feedback on the candidates. I normally have a 2 hour rule. I call my client at say 10am to advise that the CV’s are coming over via e-mail now and tell him that I will call at 12.00 noon for feedback.
If, when you call back for feedback, the client has not read through the CV’s, ask the client to do it now whilst you are on the phone so you can answer any questions.
If you leave the follow up 24 hours or more, you have lost control.

3. Organizing candidate/client interviews
Ensure that the client agrees that he will provide detailed and timely feedback on each and every candidate interviewed. When organizing interview times, agree a time to follow up for feedback and ask the client to put the time in his diary. If you don’t agree this part of the process, you have lost control again.

4. After client/candidate interview
This is the time to slow the process down and ensure that you stay in the drivers seat. Gain quality feedback on each candidate and close the client on the front runner. “so all things being equal, if my competitors can’t come up with the same quality as X, when will you be in a position to offer X?”
Agree a follow up time and ensure that you follow up. Ask the client to compare the candidates he has seen and resell the benefits of your candidate based on the original (and detailed) job brief you took.

Each time you follow up with the client, create a sense of urgency around the candidate and restate the positive things the candidate said about the client/client company.

A note about salary

If a client gives you a salary range to work within, ie $100-$150K, always close the client up and the candidate down when contacting after the client/candidate interview. This is because you lose control when you start assuming, ensure that all steps in the process are followed correctly.

5. At offer stage
This is another part of the process that consultants seem happy to relinquish control. Never allow a client to speak with a candidate directly. As soon as you allow that, you have lost control over all salary negotiations. If you seek written confirmation of offers, get it immediately. Tell your client that you are unable to give the candidate the offer until you have written confirmation.
At this stage of the process, I always seek client feedback on how well I have performed. I do this so I can then remind them why they work with me and move them up the relationship ladder.

6. During guarantee (after sale service)

I actually believe that as a professional, we don’t take this part of the process seriously enough. This is an opportunity to cement your relationship and stay in control of any bumps during the settling in period. You must ensure that you make time to do your quality control checks, in person if at all practicable. You are responsible for the candidate settling into the client organization and if the candidate leaves during guarantee then you either have placed the wrong person in the wrong job (which should happen only very rarely if you are a quality recruiter) OR your have stayed in control after the candidate commenced with the client company.
Take this opportunity to build your relationship with your client and demonstrate that you are committed to after sales service.

Remember that you are the professional and therefore you should be driving the recruitment process. If you stay in control, you are less likely to be surprised when the outcome doesn’t go your way.

How to communicate effectively

2010-03-26T11:05:00.004+10:00

It always amazes me when I come across someone who has difficulty communicating in our industry. What I mean is those people who find it difficult communicating their ideas, have very boring voices or who insist on turning every piece of communication into a long drawn out story. The Recruitment industry is ABOUT communicating. We communicate with clients, candidates and colleagues in order to put the right person into the right opportunity and make a living yet so few of us have had any kind of training in the art of communication.

Let’s look at the essentials of successful communication:

1. Establishing rapport

The basis of rapport is that when people are like eachother, they like eachother. You will communicate best with people when you communicate to them in a way in which they feel comfortable. In fact, when true rapport is established, you will be communicating with them at an unconscious level. Have you ever had the experience of meeting someone new and feeling that you have known them a long time? If you have, then you have established rapport with the other person.
Communication is 7% words; 38% tonality and 55% physiology. Rapport is established by matching and mirroring and is essential to building trust in any relationship. To build rapport successfully, you must be consciously aware of what the other person is doing and saying and also what they arent saying.
Here are the steps to successfully build rapport:
a. Mirror an individual’s physiology. That is copy their gestures, eye contact and posture
b. Match their voice, tone tempo, quality and volume. Match key words.
c. Match their breathing
d. Match the size of the pieces of information (chunking). For example big picture vs. detail
e. Match their common experiences

2. Succinct, specific and generous communication

I learned this technique when I trained to be a coach with Results coaching systems. We all know people who are very direct communicators and also those whom take forever to deliver their message. Because in our line of business, our product is people, we need to ensure that all of our communication is understood, whether written or verbal.

Being Succinct When we pad our sentences with extra words, we dilute the effectiveness of the message. The person we are communicating with can lose the message and our communication can break down. It be succinct, you need to think carefully before you deliver your message and make every word count. If someone starts to tell you an entire story, stop them and ask them to tell you the key points.
Being Specific As well as being succinct, you also need to be specific so that the person you are communicating with understands the message. It is very important to give all the relevant information to back up the point you are making.
Being Generous Being generous in communication is about finding common ground with the person you are communicating with. Being generous is a way of showing you care.

3. Useful and interesting conversations

Often, when I am coaching “at the desk” I ask the consultant whether the conversation they just had with that client or candidate was useful or interesting. Useful conversations gain outcomes, whereas interesting conversations don’t. Practice asking yourself “what was the outcome of that conversation”. If no outcome was gained then I would argue that the conversation wasn’t useful. Save interesting conversations until more appropriate times, like the pub or coffee shop. Practice having useful conversations at your desk.

4. Be a great listener

Being a great listener is a skill that requires constant practice and a great deal of focus and attention. If you don’t actively listen you will not be able to build rapport or have useful conversations.
Main keys to being a great listener include:
a. Listening generously
i. Intent
ii. Empathy
iii. Interference
b. Listen for meaning
c. Listen at all levels
i. Words
ii. Tonality
iii. Non-verbal signals
d. Listen without judgment
i. Know your “hot spots”.

Building your communication skills is an ongoing process and I have recently developed an audio program on “how to communicate effectively” to assist you in becoming more aware of your communication. For more information e-mail info@trtrc.com.au.

Gaynor Lowndes is the founder of The Recruitment Training Company and is a regular contributor to industry boards and publications. Visit www.trtc.com.au for more information.

Headhunt is NOT a dirty word

2010-01-19T13:44:00.001+10:00

Gone are the days of headhunting being a “secret men’s or women’s business” only executed at the top echelons of the executive search world. As we move into world wide recovery, identifying talent within the marketplace will become a highly sought after skill. Recruiters can no longer rely on passive candidate sourcing strategies, a more active approach to sourcing talent is required.

Advantages of Headhunting

1. The client finds the best candidates for the role, not necessarily the most visible in the marketplace.
2. Saves the time of both the client and consultant in only interviewing the most appropriate candidates.
3. Your candidates are exclusive. As you have approached them, they are not necessarily looking at other options.
4. As a recruiter, you are positioned in a more professional space in the marketplace. That’s great for your personal brand.

Rules for headhunting

There are some rules for headhunting that you should be aware of before you start.
Never headhunt from an existing client. When you break this rule you give headhunting and the recruitment industry in general a bad name. Some unethical recruiters have been known to poach previously placed candidates from existing clients.
A client is defined as someone who has paid you money in the last twelve months. Don’t get this definition confused with someone who has listed a job. Basically there are three types of companies that a headhunter works with:
1. Client companies – those that you (or your company) has placed candidates with in the last 12 months.
2. Prospective companies – those companies that are currently in your sales funnel and you are actively working on.
3. Source companies – those companies that you are actively sourcing candidates from.
How do you decide on source companies? Take a look at your current database. Sort out the companies that fall into the first two categories above and then those that are left fall into the potential source companies category. Having said that, be ruthless with prospects. Will you make higher levels of profit placing into or sourcing from that company? Many of us believe that organizations that list lots of jobs with us are potential gold clients. However, if you are one of ten recruiters briefed and there appears no opportunity for exclusivity, then the opportunity cost in working the jobs may be too high. Perhaps this company would be a more profitable source of candidates.

Do some research before picking up the phone
One of the best places to target for possible candidates are your client’s direct competitors. Incidentally, I also make a habit of always asking my client if there is someone in particular he or she is interested in talking to about this opportunity. Quite often, your client already has an idea who he or she is interested in or at least which competitors are worth approaching. It is much easier to get past the gatekeeper if you have a name, so invest some time in the research first.

Tips for Success
1. Be in the zone before you pick up the phone.
You must believe that approaching this candidate is a win/win for all concerned. Make the approach believing that the candidate will be interested and will want to send you a CV.
2. Create a script.
Whilst serving your headhunting apprenticeship it is important to use scripts. Have a call objective and a fall back position. Consider the personality and generation of your target and use appropriate language.
3. Mind what you say!
Have you given enough information to get your candidate interested or so much that an objection is coming your way? How about your delivery? Do you sound confident, ethical and professional? If you have ever listened to a master headhunter, you will hear that they know exactly what to say and how to say it.
4. Don’t necessarily meet every target you approach
Assess the target for desire to change jobs otherwise you could be wasting your time. Ask “On a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the highest) how likely are you to move if the right opportunity is presented to you?”
5. Candidate care is essential.
Remember that you have approached your target. That makes the relationship different to an “active” candidate. Your target must have a positive value-added experience from dealing with you, even if he or she does not end up being placed by you.
6. When the target says “no thanks”
Build your brand! Ask permission to contact the person again should another suitable opportunity present itself. Don’t burn your bridges, make every contact with every person you talk to positive.
7. Manage the process.
Headhunted candidates are more likely to stay with their current employer if counter offered. You need to manage the resignation process regardless of the level of the candidate and remind the candidate the reasons that he or she has selected to go with your client.

Serving an apprenticeship takes time, patience and skill development. Learn and practice the skills of headhunting and you will never complain about talent shortage again! I have developed a new one day headhunting techniques workshop which will run in February 2010. Visit www.trtc.com.au for further information or e-mail info@trtc.com.au

Lessons in leadership

2010-01-02T10:52:00.001+10:00

What makes a great leader?

Expectations create reality. The way you lead teaches your people the way they must follow. Work should be fun. All great leaders demonstrate entrepreneurship and have the ability to work in a style that mixes the visionary with the practical. They excite their people and never loose sight of the vision. The leaders of tomorrow will spend less time on the traditional management functions of planning, controlling, directing and evaluating and more time facilitating - change, learning and self management. An important characteristic of a great leader is the ability gain team commitment. The way to do this is to talk about commitment then develop a total work environment where there is harmony between people and procedures. Make work a happy place to be by promoting the social aspect. Many of you still expect your employees to work 7.00am until 7.00pm – reward them with social activities outside of work and include partners.

Getting the best from high achievers in your organisation is sometimes difficult because some will plateau. The key to getting the best from them is first to identify and acknowledge their skills and then encourage change. Make sure your high achievers are not left marking time. They need to be challenged constantly. Provide special assignments and additional training – this will show your commitment to them. Always concentrate on the future to guard against them dwelling on yesterdays victories. Remember that high achievers demand continued attention. These individuals seek recognition for their achievements – so give it to them.

Leaders of tomorrow know the value in sharpening the saw. They understand the importance of constantly learning and self-development for themselves and their people. Encourage development whether job related or not. Set aside a training budget and utilise it for training of your people. They will appreciate and strive to improve as a result.

Finally, leadership greatness means that you create something that does not end with you. Ensure that you have a succession plan in place and encourage your people to step up to the challenge.

The Art of Networking

2009-12-18T14:26:00.003+10:00

Networking is the art of building and sustaining mutually beneficial relationships. It is the way we will do business into the future. Forget cold calling, become an expert networker and you won’t ever have to make a cold call again. In the definition above, it is important to highlight that the relationship must be mutually beneficial – that is, the relationship must provide a win for both parties. I think that’s where most of us get it wrong. We take the “spray and pray” approach when networking. That is, we give out and take as many business cards from as many people as possible without too much thought to each encounter. Networking is actually about helping others and allowing others to help you – it’s not about selling anything! (not at this stage anyway).

There are three types of people in this world; those who make thinks happen, those that watch things happen and those that wonder what has happened. Expert networkers make things happen. First impressions are important and your reputation starts with the first impression. Your reputation is what others think of you – it starts with the first impression and then builds as people get to know you. You can quite easily destroy your reputation if you act inconsistently or unpredictably. Remember that for networking to be worthwhile, you must GIVE as well as TAKE.

The interesting thing is that networking is actually about building relationships before you need them and then when you do, you can be sure that the person contacted will be willing to help. Diane Darling in her book Networking for Career Success says that “It’s a personal connection with people who may want what you have, know others who do, or play a role in the decision. Selling connects the solution and the problem. When marketing and networking have done what they can do, selling is much easier”.

There are many different types of networks – your family, your partner’s family, neighborhood; business and if you have children then there is also the school and childcare centre networks. Having said that, I know that many of you have outlook folders full of contacts, yet how much do you know about each of those contacts. A person is not in your network unless you know about them both personally and professionally and if called upon they would want to help you.

Personal Experience
I have always had a fear of networking. I am an extrovert, but would rather stick a pin in my eye than walk up to someone I don’t know and strike up a conversation. My brother on the other hand is an excellent networker. He, interestingly is an introvert, yet can walk up to any person in a room and make them feel special. He is a natural networker and when I considered his approach, I noticed the following things:
Approach those that are either standing on their own or don’t look huddled in an intimate conversation
Shake hands, make eye contact, smile and request a business card
Keep your hands out of your pockets and maintain a friendly body language
Keep your questions neutral, consider,
What brings you here?
How do you know the host?
What made you decide to come to this event?
What is your occupation?
Actively listen. That is, focus on what is being said and make a mental note of what is being said.
Make a note about each person on their business card so you don’t forget the encounter.
Always leave before the other person. Say “it was lovely to meet you and thank you for spending time with me”.

Another important thing to remember before attending any event is to make sure that you have packed your kit (business cards; Paper for note taking etc) and that you are dressed appropriately. Remember that first impressions are very important so don’t risk standing out!

Expert networkers know how to scan the room and get a sense of who is there before deciding who to approach. If you want to approach VIP’s, then do so early before they get swamped. Make sure that you have done some research on the person before the event so that you can strike up a meaningful dialogue.

Always ask for a business card before offering yours. Make sure to focus on contacts not cards – the art of networking is about making valuable contacts who you can help and who can help you.

Successful headhunters know the importance of creating networks. Imagine how much easier your job would become if you knew where to go for help in sourcing your ideal candidate.

Follow up

Networking is about building relationships. Ask about preferences for follow up (e-mail; telephone etc) and use that method. If you invite someone to lunch or coffee, be clear about your expectations. Follow up on a regular basis. When phoning, know what you want and what you are going to say. Always return calls within 48 hours and answer e-mail promptly, always using e-mail etiquette.

Once or twice a month, meet with someone you like and ask what you can do for them. Get involved with professional organizations and organize networking meetings within your company. A word of caution though – choose your causes carefully. Whether you choose a cause for business or personal reasons, it will reflect on both. Maintain your network and you will never have to start from scratch again.

Retainers is not a dirty word

2009-11-12T11:02:00.012+10:00

I recently read an article by an industry commentator about retained business. I thought the comments were very superficial and perhaps the article didn't offer as much information as it should have. As an industry trainer and someone who has many years experience in this area, I thought I might share some of my comments on this issue.

Selling retainers for recruiters is a scary thing. I have been training for years on this topic and the resistance comes from contingent recruiters, not those new to the industry. I have found that if recruiters who are new to the industry are trained in selling retainers up front, then that is what they do. They never accept a contingent role!

My experience with selling retainers came from my time with Alectus Personnel in the mid 90's. I was one of the founding members of the company and for those of you that remember, Alectus was the support brand of the old Morgan and Banks. I set up the Alectus Accounting brand and was responsible for filling accounting support roles up to $50K. Roles over $50K were passed onto our counterparts at Morgan & Banks.

We were very much trained in the "Morggie" way. That is, we were expected to sell client paid advertising and retainers at the support end of the market. It was unheard of in those days and having come from a highly contingent agency, I was very resistant to change. I remember spending time with the directors of M&B and having my brain transplanted! At the end of the session I was convinced and sold a retainer within a week! I have sold many since then, all incidentally at the highly competitive "support" end of the market. I have also based my workshops around the skills I learned by watching and learning from the experts.

Here are my tips for success in selling retainers:

1. Belief - you must sincerely believe that the retained model is the best solution for all parties. If you don't believe it with all your heart, then you won't be able to convince your client. I can't emphasize how important this point is. All the skills training in the world won't make any difference to your success rate if you don't believe in yourself, your ability to deliver the candidate to the client and that this is the only way you want to work.

2. Clarify if this job is real - one of the best ways to do this is to ask the client "should I get up early and stay at work late to fill this role?

3. Find a problem and sell a solution that works for the client - Ask open questions that uncover problems with the current process. If there is no problem to solve, then the client has no reason to change.

4. Know the benefits for the client in working this way so that when objections occur (and they will) you can confidentially overcome them.One of the main beneﬁts to your client in working this way is he/she gets 100% commitment as you have time to do things properly. It strengthens your relationship as you work together to produce the outcome required. Your client returns your calls and is responsive during the process. Retained recruitment means you need to work less jobs to get the same result as a contingent recruiter and with much less stress! Remind your clients that it costs no more to work with you this way and in fact many recruiters are moving their clients to this model as it is more effective in producing the outcome required

3. Selling retainers is a numbers game - like anything in recruitment, the more you ask for a retainer, the more you will receive. When I first started selling retainers, I would ask for 50% of my listings on a retained basis and get 10%, then as I gained confidence the percentage increased.

4. Learning to sell retainers is like an apprenticeship - nothing great comes without hard work. Learn the skills from those that have experience and if you attend industry training, ensure that the trainer has demonstrated experience in what they are teaching, that is they have actually been successful at selling retained business in the past.

5. Be selective about the contingent roles you take on - Moving from a contingent to a retained recruiter is like re-inventing yourself. Success won't necessarily happen overnight, but it will happen if you diligently follow the sales process. My rule if I was competing against 2 or more agencies was to turn the role away. Typically, I would say to clients “what I suggest you do is to evaluate what you get from the other agencies. If you are not happy with the quality of the response then come back to me and we can discuss how we can work together.” You will be surprised how many clients will call you back and then it becomes easily to move him/her to the retained model. Move your existing clients to retainers by explaining that to do the job properly in a candidate short market you need a commitment from them before you spend the extra time required to source quality candidates. Remind them that the market has changed and contingent recruitment will not produce the quality outcome they need. Reiterate that it costs no more than contingent recruitment.

Finally, remember that you are in control – you have what your clients need (quality candidates) so ask for retainers on each and every job you decide to work on. Finally, the biggest beneﬁt for me when I was a recruiter was less jobs = more success = more money = less stress. Convinced?

I have an audio program available for download on How to Sell Retainers. For more information visit www.trtc.com.au. You may also like to read my published article "Reflections on Sex and the City" which was published in June 2008. Look on my website under "the Training Room".

Random Acts of Kindness

2009-09-04T14:29:00.003+10:00

I am a follower of Random Acts of Kindness. For too many years I have been consumed by the be more, have more, consume more mentality. I was warmed by a recent story I heard of a famous restaurant er sitting on a park bench in Sydney. A homeless man approached him and offered the only possession owned - his blanket. The restaurateur was so touched he sold his restaurant and set up a charity that now feeds hundreds of homeless people a night. I am very lucky to have a friend Gwen who lives by this philosophy. She has shown me how the power of random acts of kindness make such a difference to the world.

I encourage those lucky enough to have cable TV to tune into the secret millionaire. You will be warmed and humbled by the stories told of random acts of kindness.

Think what a better place the world would be if we all committed to one random act of kindness per day.

I challenge you!

Generation Y - have we created a monster?

2009-08-23T12:33:00.004+10:00

I have become somewhat of a generational expert, having appeared on national TV and radio talking about generation Y and employment issues. Recently whilst travelling on a delayed flight, I started to think from a parental point of view rather than as a recruiter about the challenges that generation Y face.

As parents we all want a better life for our children than perhaps we have had. I certainly wanted a better or less painful childhood experiences for my sons than I have had. Is that perhaps why we created such a self indulged generation? My parenting situation was not unique. I divorced at 30 when my sons were 5 and 18 months old. On reflection, I absolutely indulged them. They attended private schools, had all the latest games and enjoyed lovely holidays accompanying me on my speaking trips as well as a couple of Christmas cruises. On reflection I indulged them because I had so very little time to spend with them. They were essentially brought up by my parents and various housekeepers whilst I climbed the corporate ladder.

Now of course that they are grown and on their own way in life I wonder whether I have given them enough life skills to "make it". My eldest is about to move in with his girlfriend and I wonder how someone who has always had a cleaner to clean up after him actually possesses the skills to clean up after himself. Is this my fault? Should I have better equipped my sons to face disappointment and failure. My concern for Gen Y is that so few of them have been dissapointed in their lives so far. They haven't on the whole been told to be patient, to try harder or that you have to actually work quite hard to get anywhere in life.

Should we as parents stop indulging them and start parenting more like many of us were parented?

Spring is almost here!

2009-08-10T09:00:00.005+10:00

I have been very happy to hear the positive sentiment about the economy in recent days. That means that we will soon be back to "normal". That is, lots of jobs and no candidates. If you have worked diligently through the "winter" of the economy, you should start to see shoots sprouting soon. The recruiters who took the time to build solid client relationships prior to this difficult economic time fared much better than those who didn't. Is there a lesson in this and have you learned it? How are you going to ensure that you spend less time at the contingent end of the market and more time at the exclusive and retained? Now is the time to decide on your future and set your goals accordingly. Learn the all important skills for building better relationships and headhunting and use your networks more effectively. Use this time to "start over" on your desk and redefine it, and finally get ready for the ride once again!

2009-07-24T08:39:00.000+10:00

Why are we all coming down with swine flu or some sort of the virus? Why are we unmotivated, stressed and unhappy? Why do many of us suffer from depression or related conditions?

One of the things about humans is that we avoid change, enjoy structure and like the status quo. We get used to how things work and most of us actually enjoy working within the confines of KPI reports and expectations being clearly reported as we know what the end result of our activities will be.

We have enjoyed one of the longest periods of solid economic growth in history. In fact for some Gen Y's this is the first uncertain economic time they have experienced. I'm not enjoying this time. My business started to go quiet in April and since then I have almost been on the longest holiday I have had since I started working some 25 years ago! No job is safe and for those of us whom are self employed, these times can be even more worrying.

How can you stay positive and get through these times?
Remember that "this time shall pass". Even though it may seem really tough right now, keep things in perspective. What's the worst that can happen? Yes you can lose your job, so what? Life has taught me that when one door closes another opens. It may be really ugly at the time but I assure you that you will emerge a better, stronger more resilient person as a result.

Do what you need to do to take care of yourself - exercise, read, spend time in nature. All of these activities cost almost nothing. Improve your skills so that you ready when the market turns but most importantly, reach out for help and support if you need to and remember that "this time shall pass".
Have a great day.

Share your story on beating the recession

2009-07-21T13:19:00.000+10:00

Want to be part of my next book?

I am looking for 100 stories of success in recruitment. E-mail me now to register your interest in being a part of this exciting and inspiring book.
Perhaps you have made it through the recession or have successfully juggled a career in recruitment with bringing up a family or perhaps you were told by your first manager that you would never succeed and have proved him wrong. Share you secrets to success with the recruitment world by registering your interest now! Email me at info@trtc.com.au with your contact details.

Gaynor Lowndes is the founder of The Recruitment Training Company which is the leader in the provision of training to the recruitment industry in Australia and New Zealand. Her first book “The Art of Recruitment” has become the recruiter’s bible and her new book promises to be a great read.