The Benefits of Structure in Sales & Recruitment

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!