I recently met with a genuinely impressive recruitment professional. They were a consistent on target performer who, over the past years had established a credible track record of legitimate achievement. They spoke with me due to feeling increasingly lost and limited in terms of their personal career prospects within their current business. They explained their success was predominantly due to their own efforts, sales ability and desire. They’d been largely been left to their own devices, though had reached the realisation that in order to further progress, they needed additional support in terms of training and in particular, structure.

Why structure I asked? Back came an inspired reply – “Because I only think I’m doing the right thing at the right time – I need to know I’m doing the right things at the right times”

As our conversation widened, we covered all the additional areas of structure which need to be in place in order become outstanding and secure. We comfortably agreed both naturally migrated to the components of sales & recruitment which we most enjoyed – and found easy justification to avoid the elements we found more difficult (whoops…. challenging!) or boring! We agreed, “We become successful by doing uncomfortable things!”

This was definitely the calibre of sales and recruitment professional I thoroughly enjoy partnering with. I could certainly proactively represent them to my equally inspirational clients, with confidence and genuine enthusiasm – proven, committed, professionally presented and apparently, relentless.

A good day for me. Though it got me thinking about my experiences with sales and recruitment professionals whose mind set was diametrically opposed to this. Those who despite agreeing they wanted/needed to improve their results, were ultimately resistant to the changes they needed to implement in order to facilitate what THEY said THEY wanted. An element of improved structure was often pivotal in facilitating this. However, ultimately, they rejected this – choosing to remain in their comfort zone for as long as their professional and/or personal circumstances would tolerate it! Eventually they chose to describe effective and improved structure as “micro-management”. This, despite being presented with how those whose consistent accomplishments they sought to emulate had implemented an effective structure which was underpinning their success. Stupid? Arrogant? – you decide!

An effective structure is a vital component in facilitating the incremental levels of success sales and recruitment professionals regularly claim they want to achieve. As their results and personal rewards become consistently improved, it is reasonable and skilful to agree they have established/adapted a structure which works for them – clothing the initially agreed structure in their own style and personality. Great – victory!

However, when I hear the inexperienced or underperforming claim, they “don’t want to be micro managed” – I regularly conclude they only want success if it is convenient, painless, comfortable and on their own terms? Well, call me when you find this – I’ll be genuinely interested!

For me there has been one predominant driver behind my time in sales and recruitment – MONEY! Initially I had none, and as the slow kid in the class, wasn’t expected to earn much of the stuff – belatedly, as a working-class person its arrival makes me happier! Of course, I have other motivations, some, snapping at the heels of money as a motivator – but when push comes to shove, MONEY has always led the pack in my list of motivations. Now before moving on, I should make a very important point – in life, what a person earns in no way denotes their self-worth or the contribution they make to life and society! For example, a nurse, teacher, carer, etc probably earn far less than us in sales & recruitment, though contribute so much more – we are indeed very lucky to have such wonderfully wired people among us.

Our experiences as sales and recruitment professionals are often very much at odds with the natural way we are wired? As human beings, we don’t like being ignored, rejected, criticised, abused, disappointed, let down or failing – I’m not doing a great job of selling this, am I? But it is the bloody truth! On their way to outstanding and consistent success, every sales and recruitment professional has fought through these experiences, together with the emotions they produce!

So, to my point, why do I meet a steady flow of very impressive sales and recruitment professionals who don’t understand their commission scheme? These are generally scheme’s which run to several pages and resemble legal documents. Meetings to “explain” them are often cancelled. Where they do take place, the new colleague often feels obliged to agree even though they have understood them. After all, we don’t want to get into conflict with the new boss?

Often woven into the afore mentioned lengthy schemes are elements of team bonus, whilst peripheral benefit from this type of structure can be used to drive team work and be positive, a total or disproportionate reliance on it should be avoided by driven sales & recruitment professionals! I’ll stand or fall on my own results, thank you! I’ll start earlier and finish later, thank you very much! I’ll make more calls, be more expert and be more impressive in the opinions of all I come into contact with, thank you very, very much! Yes, I’m a team player, but I won’t be held back or disadvantaged by the lack lustre or under committed!

In contrast, the businesses over which I have had influence have commission schemes which comfortably fit on a single side of A4 paper – type face no smaller than 10. They are written so that my 12-year-old son could read, understand and remain motivated by them. They ensure a win/win and, that the wealth created is shared! As colleagues exceed thresholds, hit accelerator bands, the parameters and scheme still remain unchanged. Why would you want to punish over achievement? So to as ensure financial success is not achieved at the cost of honesty and professionalism, a relevant degree of importance is also placed on the delivery of professional behaviours.

And, so to conclude, my experience tells me if you don’t fully understand a commission scheme, you are highly likely to be disappointed by it! Don’t waste your time, talent or energy.

If you’d like to discuss this area and how to improve your situation, we’d be delighted to hear from you.

Recruitment is sales, and sales is tough. Eventually it can be glorious! Therefore, to maintain focus and motivation we need to know we are genuinely supported by our managers. We need the confidence and reassurance we are doing the right things at the right time and to the correct standard. (This is pretty tough to assess if you’re not working to a set of skilfully agreed KPI’s!)

I’m surprised at the frequency whereby I come into contact with genuinely talented, and once highly motivated sales & recruitment professionals who feel unsupported. Typically, they can easily convince me they had started their role full of genuine enthusiasm, determination & resilience. They had started early, finished late and wholly immersed themselves in what they thought was their big break opportunity!

Though as time has passed, the results have not been as they would have hoped. Undaunted, they persisted, just asking for some structured help, training, reassurance? But it hadn’t transpired in anything which resembled meaningful support!

I know a weekly 1-1 is imperative to the success of colleagues within a sales/recruitment business – and thus to the overall success of an entire business. How do I know? Well, many years ago I was a salesman on a final written warning due to consistently missing sales targets. To compound my misery, my initial manager was “moved” and I was introduced to a new manager. For me, this was definitely the final nail in my sales coffin! Not only was he a “new sales manager” – so definitely would want the runt of the team out ASAP – but he was the companies blue eyed boy, consistent sales achiever, blue suited, white shirt wearing Captain Corporate – I was dead! How wrong I was. He saw my commitment and invested his time in me. The most valuable structured time he invested were our Friday 1-1’s (and accompaniment on sales appointments). He understood, never sympathised, though always empathised and offered solutions to my challenges which he had personally overcome. I didn’t get sacked!

A 1-1 should be a dedicated time when a manager and colleague sit in private, and meaningfully review a colleague’s effort, successes, concerns, forecasts and training needs. Effort and success should be genuinely acknowledged and appreciated. Challenges should be acknowledged, understood and supported (by both parties) with a straightforward set of actions agreed that will support these in the coming week.

I believe the most effective day to conduct 1-1’s is a Friday. This is enables a full weekly picture to be reviewed. It provides a positive tone to the conclusion of the week for all concerned, with each party concluding their week feeling supported and understood (mainly!!!) – knowing the successes of the concluding week can be further built upon, and its challenges will be supported by their manager over the coming week.

If you would like guidance implementing such a way of working, we’d be delighted to hear from you.

I meet many people who want to get into recruitment.

Some believe recruitment is potentially right for them because they are a “People Person”? Personally, I find people interesting, though wouldn’t describe myself in these terms. I enjoy helping people whose needs play to my expertise – and whose commitment and/or talent support that ever-essential win/win for both parties.

Some don’t realise recruitment is a sales role.

When people ask me to describe what recruitment is, I always respond as per the title of this blog.
I am essentially a sales professional in recruitment. I’ve done relatively well in part due to being up against many competitors who would consider themselves recruitment professionals who occasionally have to sell! Now, this could make me sound pressurising, selfish and mercenary? Nothing could be further from the truth! I’m referring to my undying commitment to persuade some one to listen to what I honestly believe is going to give them what THEY say they want, though they are rejecting it upon a first hearing. Sales should always be driven by sincerity and honesty. And, perhaps, real selling starts when someone says NO. Afterall, people believe believers – ask any religious leader or politician!

Much of sales is about accurate identification of a customer’s needs – then matching your solution (Features, Advantages & Benefits) to that client’s needs.

Within recruitment I have always most enjoyed candidate led markets, where there are more roles than suitable candidates. Afterall, in our technology enabled world, today a client is even less likely to pay a fee for someone they can find themselves! Here the candidate is king!

In such scenarios we need to honestly persuade a candidate WE are the best professional to partner with them. We must always manage their personal expectations accurately. Most competent sales professionals can achieve this? However, the greater skills which must be developed by those entering recruitment are the accurate identification/understanding of candidate needs coupled with highly honed levels of emotional intelligence – accurately understanding what a candidate is telling you……rather than just what they are saying!

I’m always enthusiastic to hear from successful sales professionals considering entering the recruitment profession. They are often more focused in their personal professional expectations. They often have experienced clearer targets. They regularly have sold more mundane products and services – thus recruitment is vibrant and illuminating by comparison. Perhaps regrettably, their interest in the recruitment profession is often sparked by poor personal experiences with recruiters – leading to them concluding they could do a better job themselves.

The most suitable have a genuine interest in the people side of business. I explain they need to, as in recruitment you sell to two clients in order to close a single deal – the client AND the candidate – both are CLIENTS – both are equally important!
Those who are less enthusiastic about the candidate side of the profession, often make brilliant Business Development Leaders!

Maybe I’m getting old? Maybe my memory is playing tricks on me as the years pass?

The memories to which I refer are particularly related to my mindset and the mindset of those around me, when I gained my initial sales opportunity.

I has a happy chap. Armed with my English “O” level, (I lied and said I had an additional two…. Art & Engineering!) I’d clawed my way up from being a cleaner, then a butcher and finally reaching the dizzy heights of a baggage handler at Heathrow Airport. This was a great job – I’d worked out that if I did as many double shifts as I could, I could accumulate three consecutive monthly pay slips which, along with a friend adopting the same approach, could justify us getting a HUGE mortgage – and we could get on “the property ladder”. So, this is what I did.

Then it dawned on me – this was going to be it! At 22 years old I would have peaked! Being a Baggage Handler didn’t have many transferable skills which could lead to better career opportunities. I hadn’t been to university – in fact, I was born too early – there were no fancy terms which could be applied to justify my lack of academic achievement at my local comprehensive school!
Then, one day someone had said to me “You talk a lot – you should be in sales” (please!) – this led me to understand the term “OTE! so, I started buying the Evening Standard every Thursday and applying to adverts for sales jobs. Off I’d go to the odd interview in my Ford Capri, in my suit which was slightly too big – all off set beautifully by my white towelling socks!

After many disappointments, rejections & complete wastes of time, I finally landed my first sales job! And, so to my point.
Upon starting my first sales job I was madly enthusiastic! My ears were open, my heart pounding. Inside I was leaping up and down – keen to impress these people who were earning money my father didn’t believe! I was impressed by their suits, watches, cars, phones, charisma and on occasion – arrogance (OK, they’d earned the right!) They drove Ford Granada GHIA’s – some even Mercedes & BMW’s! They reportedly lived in DETACHED houses!

There was a week’s initial sales training course where I was one of twelve or so additional new joiners. All were just as enthusiastic as me. Many had a lot more experience. Each of us had plans, a vision as to how successful we were going to be and how this would further enhance our lives. When the training finished, we given a desk each in the sales office. It was noisy, energetic, animated – the air often being filled with the sounds of celebration & even louder profanities!

I’d been trained and now I had to dive in. Shaking I made my initial calls – and more calls – and more calls. Getting slowly better, I was desperate to impress. I’d listen to anyone who had done what I wanted to do – who had achieved what I was desperate to achieve, prove, shout about! I’d be the first in, the last to leave – mostly I failed, mostly I was rejected – but I kept going. Ever focused on why I was there and what my alternatives WERE’NT! Driven largely by the fear of failure – of having to tell my parents, friends, girlfriend – I’d been sacked, whilst ultimately knowing I could have avoided this if I’d have given it 200%…. every day. I was going to do this or die trying! The next time I went to Heathrow Airport it would be as a passenger – not to put someone else’s case on a bloody jet!

That was my life for the next 10 years – bloody brilliant. I won awards, earned some great money, got sacked, rode many disciplinary processes, spent too much time bitching about how unfair things were! But I kept going, kept turning up and crafting my art (slowly!).

So, back to where I started – maybe my memory is playing tricks on me? But I just don’t see this attitude in people in the volumes I remember it being when I was at comparable levels or stage in my sales career. Certainly, it’s still there – but much harder to find in recruitment?

So, are we attracting the right people? Are we paying enough money to attract who we need? Are we being honest regarding the role and what it takes? Or, are we getting the best we can for the basic salaries we pay? Are we relying on HOPE as our strategy? Are we employing the wrong people at the right salaries for our businesses, who, negotiate ever lower fees and make ever lower volumes of placements? These are not accusations – but genuine questions.

Regardless of social media, internal recruitment teams and LinkedIn, has sales and recruitment really changed? I say not! Are we honestly seeing enough new colleagues join us who remind us of ourselves – I suggest we need to be! Are we accurately describing the realities of a person establishing themselves in those early, relentless months? Are we providing the genuine levels of guidance, support and assessment to them in their early & crucial months/initial year?

Maybe we are, but are not supporting them correctly? Maybe we aren’t?

If any of this hit a nerve, we can help.

Is the lady on the check out at Waitrose a sales person? She processes your order and takes your money! Essentially, she has “sold” you things? That said, very few in business would consider her/him (my attempt at political correctness for today!) a sales professional. She is an order taker. She is just responding to each customer as they have decided what they want and they then approach her and she processes their order!

In my opinion, it is the application of motivated, skilful, proactive, charismatic & confident telephone sales activity (skilfully complemented by the benefits of technology and social media) which is a key differentiator between us and those who so wonderfully man check tills in supermarkets – and, these skills are what inject the oxygen of success into sales and recruitment businesses!

So why do so many new sales and recruitment professionals appear to be increasingly averse to this essential pillar, this factual foundation of their role? Well, there are a number of potential reasons. A lack of training, organisation, compartmentalisation, objection handling ability, personal focused motivation, proactive management motivation? Here I will cover just one, one which is seldom addressed? The management of their personal expectations!

Are they subconsciously expecting a yes on every call? (unrealistic) Do they understand the “human nature” element of making initial introductions to decision makers? Do they acknowledge trust is built over time – and this first time they speak with a new decision maker (who says NO), they have created an initial opportunity to begin to begin building that trust? Do they view a sales call in a realistic & logical context? Many sales call shy professionals would not hesitate in introducing themselves to a new decision maker in person – yet when asked to do this by phone, an illogical fear grips them – perhaps they could be consistently reminded to view this vital activity in the realistically comparable context with which they are far more comfortable?

Perhaps we could be reminding them to view sales calls as opportunities to establish professional friendships (Yes, friendships! Why complicate it)? Perhaps we should be making more effort to continually frame this activity in a more “everyday” setting? Perhaps we should spend more time destroying the pre-programmed false fears in the minds of our colleagues – and building the strong logical confidence most will possess in all other areas of their personality until it comes to making a sales call?

Upon meeting someone for the first time, people are often polite, though guarded. As you continue to meet them, rapport grows – as does trust, and each increasingly opens up to the other. However, if you sit in the corner of a busy room and make no effort to introduce yourself to others, you will convince yourself everyone is very unfriendly!

Strong & confident telephone sales calls create choice for the initiator! They will eventually/inevitably work with ever better clients, at better rates, with better opportunities – and attract ever better professionals! A colleague who is begrudging in this area of activity will generally do “just enough” to gain jobs which are impossible to fill, candidates that won’t be placed & prospects who wont buy! It will keep the boss off their back just long enough for them to get another job and advise their colleagues that “I told you it doesn’t f****** work!”

Those who don’t have these skills, will have to put up with dealing with whatever is presented to them at the “check out till of life” because they never accepted that the only bad sales call, is the one you didn’t make!
If the subjects covered here illicit empathy and familiarity – we can help.

It is my experience that silence in a sales & recruitment environment will always cost money and lead to eventual failure! I accept this is an increasingly unpopular view among the “new generation” who seek an immediate work/life balance? Who are mistaken to believe success is both convenient and painless? Yes, people need time to think & plan – that said, if you are excited and motivated by the role and its rewards you have committed to, it’s reasonable to conclude you will be keen to move ever closer to achieving them through ACTION?

Ever more frequently I witness this scenario. Tap, tap, tap, tap. The creaking sound of a swivel chair is a major event. The minority who ARE on the phone are:

a) Speaking in unnaturally hushed tones!
b) Bent forward in as if midway through a crunch in the gym!

The occasional incoming call has the audacity to interrupt the combined mood where sincerity meets boredom, delicately framed with naivety and apathy. The odd cough, some movement as someone rises from their seat to:

a) Use the toilet
b) Go for a cigarette
c) Make a coffee
d) Phone a recruiter!

Meanwhile, a Manager remains locked away in their “office” – apparently oblivious to the terminal disease which is gripping the situation over which they have been tasked (and paid) to drive and motivate. Occasionally a colleague will pop in to ask a question they already know the answer to, but, well – it beats the initiating the ACTIONS required for them to be successful – and breaks the boredom for both parties! Hey, let’s book in a meeting so as we can drag this out for as long as possible!

In between the tap, tap, tap colleagues punctuate their professional numbness with comments such as

a) “no one’s getting back to me today”
b) “my computer is shit”
c) “that candidate didn’t call me”
d) “can’t find anyone for that new job”
e) “I didn’t earn any commission last month”

Towards the end of each day, people revert to their reliance on their psychic skills whereby they appear to believe that if they do nothing else other than stare intently/blankly at their phone…….it will ring!!!!!Someone, anyone to whom they sent an email PLEASE call them back? Will they? No! Much like a Medium, they appear believe they can communicate with “the other side” without physically attempting to initiate any verbal communication – Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

And each day tends to end much as it began. Just as they all arrived on time, so they leave on time! The Manager eventually leaves their office and says “Isn’t it our candidate evening this evening?” Finally, some mental agility and powers of persuasion surface:

a) “I’ll do mine tomorrow”
b) “My girlfriends not well”
c) “I’m not feeling very well”
d) “I’ve got a plumber coming around”

And so, to tomorrow!

This exaggerated scenario is one area we specialise in repairing.

Today I read another post about stress in sales and recruitment. I agree sales and recruitment is stressful – often, very stressful. People are complex, and this can sometimes lead to them being unpredictable. (Please wait for my blog coming shortly – “Who Are You, What Can You Do for Me?” – which will help reduce instances of surprise and unpredictability!) For the inexperienced or poorly trained sales and recruitment professional – very unpredictable!

However, yet again, the abolition of KPI’s was offered up as an attractive solution to reducing the stress experienced in sales and recruitment. This attracted a large number of replies most of which extolled the virtues of them not having any KPI’s – the general thrust of response being “they” didn’t have KPI’s. Now, a swift look at the generic career profiles of those responding showed they were mainly relatively junior recruitment professionals, most of whom had established a series of relatively short stays. Certainly, no one replied whose profile I considered to be that of a seasoned expert or business owner!

I know KPI’s have always been my best friend – when applied at the correct levels of measurement, and to the relevant areas of the role. I’m fortunate in having been supported by some exceptionally gifted boss’s. They consistently agreed relevant KPI’s. Instead of feeling stressed, I actually felt more in control. Yes, there were matrixes of achievable expectations, each time scaled and agreed – but, having discussed these with boss’s I viewed as experts, looked up to and inspired me – we had always reached comfortable agreement. I felt in control and supported!

The achievement of each KPI was a genuine cause for celebration, a marked increase in my confidence – and a further acceleration of my personal levels of motivation. (Oh, and where I struggled and failed, support was swift, genuine & effective)
In my work I regularly stumble across the clumsy application of KPI’s. Irrelevant objectives, levied hastily, often well meaning – though complete fiction. These scenarios are frequently accompanied by a lack of structured support and absence of training.
I suspect many of those who hold a view which opposes my own maybe talented people who are victims of this level of clumsy application! Alternatively, they may simply be in the wrong job?

KPI’s must be supported by genuine management. When they are not – they become negative, isolating & demotivational. They should be evidenced as being realistic & achievable through using comparable colleagues as benchmarks – thus legitimising their achievability!

I suggest KPI’s are a motivated professional’s best friend. I suggest KPI’s when skilfully applied DO motivate people and BUILD THEIR CONFIDENCE. Skilfully & sincerely applied they reduce stress and empower the committed!

A sale or placement is the end result of doing a number of crucial things successfully. If you don’t have KPI’s you are blind to all the component successes you are achieving, despite them sometimes not leading to the ultimate victory. The absence of KPI’s seems like an awfully bleak way of working to me!

Their absence is like flying a plain in the dark with all instruments turned off – because the pilot finds them too stressful! You will crash!

If the subjects covered here illicit empathy and familiarity – we can help.