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Client Visits Fuel Long Term Business by Nelson Abreu All new business relationships go through a testing or courting phase which usually means the supplier has to perform regardless of circumstance. In the recruiting industry this translates to receiving less favorable job orders, dealing with a slow feedback loop, post-placement fee negotiations, mid-search internal promotions, headcount freezes, etc. The culmination of these catastrophes points to a direct correlation between relationship and commitment. The quality of the job orders you receive should be judged primarily on your relationship with your client. Regardless of the position, salary level or the fee arrangement, your relationship with your client is directly proportionate to the percentage chance of completing the assignment. It is no secret that the most successful recruiters attract the best job openings and posses the best order to placement ratios. This reflects their deeply rooted client relationships and possession of high trust factors. Producing great candidates and developing a history of successful placements will certainly help develop a solid reputation, however, those efforts can easily be wasted if you don't invest the time to market yourself effectively. For instance, how many times have you found yourself attempting to re-establish a relationship with a client company when your main contact left? Once is likely enough to hit a nerve. Realize that your corporate HR cousins have as difficult a time finding reliable executive search consultants as you do good clients! Furthermore, new HR contacts often arrive with their own preferred list of vendors. Regardless of your track record you may find yourself fighting to get to the top of their preferred list. Client visitations can go a long way in helping overcome questionable levels of commitment, trust and changes in personnel. Most recruiters will visit new clients in order to put a face to a name. The average recruiter visits a client at about once a year and that usually occurs around Christmas time. The problem arises when the recruiter tends to make his or her visitation only when they must. If you are looking to secure a client for the long haul you really need to make them feel like you are part of their team. After all aren't you already an agent and extension of their organization? If you have strong communication or presentation skills, you'll only be doing yourself a disservice by not promoting this skill to your clients. Showcase your interviewing skills by asking them questions and getting to know what makes them who they are. When it comes time to negotiate or renegotiate an arrangement with your client you'll be much better off. Let's face it, it's harder to be an effective negotiator when you're dealing with friends. Give yourself the opportunity to learn about the organization's facilities, operations, business culture, people, etc. It will help you qualify candidates and allow you to represent your clients more accurately. Make an effort to meet and establish relationships with department managers during visits. Ask to see some of the people you placed for quick follow up conversations. Get to know the company receptionists and you'll have an ally greeting you each time you call. In essence, make them feel like you are part of the organization. Face to face meetings leave lasting impressions. Recruiters seem quick to remember good candidates they interview but the same cannot be said for the ones they only know by name. The more time you spend with people the stronger those friendships tend to grow. One can't replace face to face interaction when developing relationships yet recruiters tend to find it sufficient to reach the world via the telephone. The typical excuse for not getting out of the office is that one's time is best served completing assignments. True in the short-term but that's all in the past when your contact leaves, orders slow down and one ponders the time it will take to develop a new client. |
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