How to Win and Retain Business in Recruitment

First published March 2024. Restored in full in October 2026.

I’ve had this question a lot recently, so I thought I’d discuss a few tactics that have worked for me and some that haven’t.

Foundations

It’s important to have your foundations set in stone. By foundations, I mean your niche, your brand, your offer and the assets that go with them.

Supporting assets are things like a website or landing page, a set of terms and a rate card.

You don’t need much to win business in a candidate-short niche, as long as you have those foundations in place. Job-short niches (like the one I chose) are much tougher. There is more price competition, and it’s harder to stand out. Pick wisely.

Some of these tactics blur into marketing, but I’ll focus mostly on what wins business proactively.

Advert shadowing

This is what the majority of recruiters use as their base data for outreach. It’s pretty simple. They track advertised jobs and reach out, either with a generic ask or with a suitable profile.

In my experience, this is among the weakest tactics, for a few reasons.

Once a company has committed to advertising, they’ve spent money on the advert and they’re most likely already getting responses.

They’re also getting the same message from other recruiters, as they’ve raised their head above the parapet.

I would definitely avoid generic outreach, as it’s just so weak. You can improve conversion by reaching out with a matched profile, but it will cost you more time. Some recruiters fake having a candidate. I’ve never done that, as it’s disingenuous. You start the conversation making excuses.

Timing can improve things. Reaching out towards the close of the advert makes the response more binary. It’s either already filled, or it’s clear to them that they’re struggling.

There are various tools now that give you this information but, if you can access it, so can others.

For me, this is a tactic best automated, as it needs high volume because the conversion rate is so low.

MPC: most promising candidate emails

The big one, in my view anyway. The one drilled into me, and I assume many others, at the start of a recruitment career.

Taking a candidate to market.

This means putting the CV or profile of someone strong in front of the people you think will be interested in hiring them. It’s that simple.

The problem is that it takes time to do well. Most agencies I’ve worked for or know of spam employers with these emails.

I always hated doing it, so I’d get told off by line managers for not doing it, even when I was one of the top performers. It just didn’t sit right with me.

My view hasn’t changed. I’ve done it rarely in my own business, and only ever on a small scale. Highly targeted, relevant to the receiver, and not very often.

Bear in mind that huge email providers like Google do not want you sending unsolicited emails, so you’re constantly trying to stay one step ahead in protecting your domain.

If you’re going to do it, there are a few timeless principles to stick to.

Use a related domain for any cold emails. This protects the sender authority of your main domain in case your data isn’t accurate.

Keep messages short and to the point. Check out Selling to VITO by Anthony Parinello. It’s an oldie but a goodie. VITO stands for Very Important Top Officer, and the book is about structuring your messages to senior business leaders.

There are 38 principles, but my favourites are:

• VITO will like me because I am like VITO.
• Because time is so valuable, VITOs don’t treat all potential business relationships equally, and neither should you.
• When you create any written correspondence that you want VITO to actually process, you’ll have to make it a fast read. A fast read in VITO’s world means thirty seconds.

Basically, get to the point with a succinct value statement. It helps if it’s quantifiable.

Hi #ContactFirstName#,

I wanted to reach out to you #ContactFirstName#, as I recently interviewed an exceptional XXX profile located in XXX who is currently exploring their next step.

Their profile:

• Feature 1
• Feature 2
• Feature 3
• Feature 4

Would this profile be of interest, or what profiles would you be interested in hearing about?

In practice:

Morning Jim,

I’ve had someone approach me who has a proven track record of leading on flagship client wins in the widget space, as well as overseeing large sales teams. Within his current role he has delivered £2.3m in sales with £7.9m currently pipelined. This is all widget making focused, with single deal values not less than £150k.

He’s looking for a blended role including both strategy and sales management. I wondered if you have any need for someone like this at present.

Thanks,

I’ve tried story-based versions, as well as longer ones that include suggestions on how they could bring the person into their business.

Short emails, full of what the reader cares about, work best.

It also means that some candidates make a more alluring MPC than others. A good salesperson is easy, as you can tie them to revenue. An auditor, maybe not so much.

So pick your battles on the MPC front. Hopefully you don’t end up doing them at a scale where you’re forced to work with profiles you can’t sell.

Furthermore, the more you scale this tactic, the harder it gets to maintain accuracy and diligence.

Most agencies don’t care. They’ll spam to the hilt. If they get one job from 250 emails, then they’ve won. My view is that they’ve won in the short term, and it’s costing them down the line. They end up with transactional relationships and low market penetration. As they scale, they just start new desks in new markets and do the same thing again.

Transactional might be OK if that’s what you’re shooting for. It’s not for me, so I use MPC tactics carefully.

Owlers

I’m not sure where I picked up this term, but it’s what I call it.

Owler messaging or outreach is where you track the industry for news and then structure your approach around that news.

A simple example would be reaching out to congratulate a company that has raised funding. Or if they won an award, do the same.

On a basic level, like the examples above, it’s a bit vanilla, so it’s about getting granular and specific.

Can you offer or demonstrate something useful rather than just a vapid congratulatory note?

Here’s an evolved example:

Hey Fred, I spotted your recent investment, congrats. I’ve actually kept a record of hiring activity across three of your major competitors that received funding recently. Would you like me to run through the data with you on a short call?

Something like this could trigger a call where you can demonstrate expertise. It doesn’t have to be job data. Lean into your knowledge and find what you can offer.

Cold calling

I won’t lie, I have made zero cold calls since starting my own recruitment business.

In my first recruitment job, we had two one-hour periods in the day, called lockdown, when you couldn’t use the bathroom, and every so often you had to stand up for the full hour (or until you hit your target).

During this time, we’d dial out, aiming for 20 calls and 10 call connects. I didn’t dislike it, and there is power in doing it. It’s scary at first, then perversely confidence-building.

Getting used to being rejected is good for you, and cold calling is one of the best ways to learn.

I think cold calling works, and I hate it when people say it’s dead. I do think it’s a dying art, though. I haven’t got much to share on what works for me with cold calling, so I’d check out Benjamin Deheney. If I were eager to learn, I’d pay someone like him to teach me.

He has a great, no-nonsense style that’s perfect for recruitment, and his free 10-day video course is packed with useful material.

Flip calling

I’m not accomplished at flip calls, as they’re not that relevant to the industry I’ve specialised in, but they are worth exploring depending on your market.

Flip calls are a way of doing business development through candidate networking calls. It’s a tactic to use with senior candidates. The premise is that when you find someone who is happy and doesn’t want to move jobs, you ask them for business.

There is nuance and skill in steering the conversation in that direction, and it relies on navigating the call based on their responses. Obviously, it can be harder to make the ask if someone is actively looking because they don’t enjoy where they work.

One way into doing this at scale is to get hold of some non-exec or advisory roles and source for those. It’s a reason to call and connect, and then you can take things from there.

I’ve occasionally asked people when the conversation has naturally flowed in that direction. For me, it’s borderline on the honesty front, so I’ve never approached it with a campaign mentality.

Account growth

Why go hunting all the time when you have a warm entry point? There are a few methods I’ve used to land and expand.

1. Find other buying points with the client and ask for an introduction

This means other geographies, departments and managers.

Style is important here. The ultimate is a direct intro via email. The next best is being given the contact details, and the third is just a name. Make sure to use your knowledge and relevant impact statements when reaching out.

2. Proactively suggest new ideas, offers and services

I’m an idea junkie, so this is a favourite of mine.

Working in the same recruitment market for years, you have a giant opportunity to spot trends developing. In one year you will personally have spoken to more people across a sector than any of your clients or candidates will in their career.

This privileged position lets you generate ideas. They are gold, and I overlooked them for years, lacking the confidence to present them to people.

I have a few methods to help me generate ideas:

• Opportunity gap analysis. This is straightforward and linked to direct hiring. Where can you forecast on a client or prospect’s behalf? I’ve proactively proposed a new market entry or product hinged on introducing someone before. You can create vacancies and even new profit centres for your clients.
• Link new ideas to what they care about: winning business (growth), saving money, or staying out of prison and on the right side of regulators.
• Empathy modelling. Look for the other day-to-day challenges your clients have and come up with ideas for those.

Your ideas are valid. Some will land, some won’t. The most important thing is to keep going. You’re almost advocating on your client’s behalf, and they appreciate that, even if you’re off the mark.

Even more significant than whether they take up the ideas, it starts to shift their perception of what you can do for them. You don’t have to generate all of your revenue from recruitment. You can be far more useful than that.

New offers and ideas keep things fresh. You also take yourself (slowly) out of the pigeonhole clients put you in when they hear the word “recruiter”. This is crucial to long-term success.

3. Correct what clients think you do

This is an evergreen exercise, simply because most managers (hiring, HR, TA) get bombarded by recruiters every day. You have to fight to be seen, and it’s an ongoing battle.

It’s all about perception. They might know you do A and B, but not C. Or they might know you do A, B and C but not rate you in B.

Keep on top of their perceptions. I do this by maintaining regular contact. The challenge is doing this at scale.

4. Divert spend from other firms involved with your client

The obvious one. Where do you have leakage with your client? Why? Dig in and get to the bottom of it.

Partnerships

I feel like partnerships should be good, but I’ve always struggled to get them off the ground. It’s perhaps more a commentary on my niche, but they’ve never worked for me.

The mechanics can involve:

• Referring back and forth
• Referring back and forth with a fee (this is better when it’s more one-sided)
• One side subcontracting the other (white labelling)
• Collaborative offerings (going to market together)

I’ve tried them mainly with consultants who provide non-competing services to the niche. One tried to fold me into their group and then sought to steal all of my ideas and intel. Most just can’t deliver any leads, or what they do deliver is poor quality. This is down to BD being so tough in recruitment.

These days I mainly refer (for free) to people who have been in the market for years or who I trust to deliver a good service. Some have spontaneously paid me afterwards, which I never asked for but am truly grateful for.

If I’m going to trial a partner, I always start slow, putting potential partners through mini-tests in much the same way as I do when recruiting. You’re judging everything: quality, speed and accuracy of communication. Don’t over-expose yourself too early with a partner. Validate with small pilot projects and then scale up.

95% of people are time wasters, so try not to get caught out or over-exposed. When it becomes apparent that they are, just move on. Never go to market on a joint basis until you’re sure of the value they bring and their brand.

A note on an obvious partnership: fee splitting in recruitment. I’ve never done it. I’m not averse to it, but I’ve never needed it, so I haven’t sought it out. Recruitment is about controlling the process to make the best match, and I think you lose that in fee splits. Just focus on what you can deliver.

Referrals

Can you drive referrals? Of course you can.

Let’s assume you’re good at your craft, you treat people well, and people like you for it. You’ll get referrals naturally if all of these are true.

To increase your referral rate, you can proactively ask. Make it a habit to ask everyone on calls, and tack it onto your messages. Different asks for different people and situations. Asking both candidates and clients works.

It’s quite common to see recruiters making a commotion about paying for referrals. I’ve seen it for candidates and clients.

I’ve never advertised any paid referral system, and I can’t recall ever paying anyone anything. Not only that, I think it’s a slippery slope, and it can actually devalue your brand. Paying £500 of a £10,000 fee for a referral makes you look cheap and greedy, not generous.

I’ve sent a gift as a token of appreciation, but I think that’s different.

What I do know is that I look after people who refer to me. They get referrals back, not just for jobs but for opportunities. They spring to mind more readily than others. I’m inclined to help them. I’m a much bigger fan of reciprocal referrals than token payments.

There is probably a psychology behind referrals that I’m not explicitly aware of. I suspect it’s more about status than financial gain. Those who refer want to raise their status with you, and it’s the same for you in turn.

I also think that’s why recruiters get tagged in so many “looking for work” posts on LinkedIn. It makes the tagger look helpful. It always loses its value for me when I’m one of five recruiters tagged, though. I get it. The person is balancing their status game between the jobseeker and the recruiters they like.

What I do think is that there is plenty of room to innovate here. You have the likes of HireChain launching a referral-based recruitment platform, and WorkLlama incentivising candidates to refer with tiered payments based on the referral chain.

I once attempted to set up a BirdDog referral scheme. A BirdDog, apart from being a yoga pose and a type of hunting dog, is someone who refers business for an incentive. I picked this up from the automotive sales industry and Joe Girard’s book How to Sell Anything to Anybody.

Joe highlights a crucial element of driving referrals. Never forget who made the referral. If you do promise something in return, always deliver on that promise.

My BirdDog scheme didn’t take off. I tried it with 10 consultants who offer non-competing services, but it just didn’t move. I suspect a £500 referral isn’t enough to go through the pain of having a recruitment sales conversation. That, or they didn’t trust me enough, as I was only one year into the business.

Maybe I should relaunch it? That’s my point, though. It’s worth experimenting with how you win referrals.

Following up

I think this is the single most underused but effective tool in your locker. Diligent, polite follow-up.

You’re not trying to win the match with one shot on goal. You need a few.

My inner voice always tells me that it takes on average four to five attempts before you win business from someone (or get a response, in the case of candidates). It’s just about finding the key to the lock. Where can you be useful to them?

If you’re diligent with follow-up for five years in a niche, most contacts will become either clients or candidates, simply due to the average length of service in a role.

As with the other tactics here, you need to build systems to support your processes. This could be a CRM or something as simple as a post-it on your desk.

Don’t procrastinate over building a CRM task function for this.

I’m a Gmail user, so I regularly just hit snooze to set a custom reminder. It works really well, and it’s free and quick. It doesn’t scale, though, so if you’re hitting volume you’ll want automation. You can then add more nuance to your follow-up tasks. (This is the kind of workflow I now help recruitment firms build properly. More on that in what a Claude-enabled recruitment firm looks like.)

Inbound

The holy grail. Inbound is what all recruiters should strive for, but most think it isn’t possible, so they get caught on the hamster wheel of outreach.

For this, you need marketing assets that work for you. That includes your reputation and status in your sector.

You have to work hard at gaining status as a trusted advisor and thought leader.

Then you must share that knowledge outwardly, providing resources and tools to help the people you serve. A portion will become customers over time, especially when you relentlessly turn up and try to make their lives better.

A word of warning. I’ve fallen into the trap before of doing things to be helpful without a clear sight of the business impact. Remember that you aren’t a charity, and whatever marketing you commit to has a purpose. It took a few reads of Dan Kennedy’s No B.S. Guide to Direct Marketing for this to land with me. He has an abrasive style, but it’ll feel familiar to those of you who are career recruiters.

To put this into context, over the seven years of running Bolt so far, I’ve:

• Produced a video series in Dragon’s Den studios with industry influencers
• Run a free IRL event that 500 people signed up for
• Produced a book celebrating women in the industry
• Written many short-form blog posts
• Built four websites myself
• Produced countless lead magnets
• Built two newsletters
• Built a contractor marketplace
• Tried numerous partnership deals with consultants, news outlets and customers
• Published news articles
• Started three communities
• Run online exec forums
• Created and produced a podcast
• Hired a marketing manager
• Outsourced all LinkedIn content for six months

Would it surprise you that none of this moved the needle in terms of direct revenue or reputation?

It’s a lesson that took me five years to learn. Boy, am I a slow learner. That list makes me want to cry.

There is an argument that it all contributes to reputation, but none of it had a deep impact compared with the distilled strategies I use now.

Investing time and resources in marketing is hard. Choices are fraught with danger, and it’s always a risk for a small business.

However, you can be useful, create inbound and be profitable doing so.

Get the reps

This was stolen from my PT. Like lifting weights, you need to get the reps in to see a difference. It doesn’t happen in week one. It happens over months and years of turning up and flexing those muscles.

As you improve in the gym, you can lift more weight for longer. As you improve in sales, you generate revenue in less time. It takes less effort, as you’re more efficient.

I’ve found that when I turn up every day and set aside part of my day for business development, it’s impossible to fail.

Even without any sales coaching or training, you will stumble into business wins through volume.

The hardest part is managing yourself to succeed.

How have I done this? Metrics.

I’d pick a goal and work back from the target.

Here is a simple example:

• Target = £30,000 per month
• Average deal size = £7,500
• Placements per month = 4
• Job to placement ratio = 2:1
• Job wins per month = 8
• Client call to job win ratio = 2:1
• Client call target = 16 a month

By client call, I mean a definitive pitch call where you have an opportunity to discuss a vacancy, not a five-second rebuttal or similar. So, with a target of 16 client calls a month, you can define the outreach required to hit that number. It could be 25 manual emails per client call, or 50 MPC emails.

Your ratios depend on your ability, your market and your time in that market. If you’re starting out, you just have to make some assumptions about your conversion ratios. They will definitely be higher than the ones above. The same applies if you are making more cold approaches.

It’s important to track your activity and outcomes, so you can dial in your performance. I’ve tried all sorts for this, CRMs, custom dashboards and so on, but the best method is visual and physical. A trackpad on my desk:

Shout out to Mike Gionta for the inspiration on this one, although I tweaked it to suit my business. I have a few hundred of these sitting in boxes in storage.

I had a couple of years of being diligent with metrics, until I found I didn’t need to be as prescriptive because my business model had changed. I’d created inbound by building marketing assets.

It’s essential to stick to an activity plan in the early days, or any time you need to boost sales.

Networking

For me, networking blurs the line with marketing, as it’s not a direct lead-gen strategy. By networking, I mean attending events rather than hosting them or “networking” on LinkedIn.

You’re one of many in the room, and the return on this activity can be slower. It’s great for putting faces to names, though. There is power in having met someone face to face.

You’ll know I’m a proponent of running lean, and events are time-sapping for me when travelling from Newcastle. It’s easier if you’re in London, of course. I like going to a handful of events a year, as it’s good for the soul, but they’re not always recruitment-specific. They’re more focused on personal development. They might be about job boards, or recruitment, or marketing. Immersing yourself for a day accelerates your learning.

Which do I choose?

You have to run mini-experiments on your outreach tactics to find out.

Do what works for you. It helps if you enjoy it. You can outsource or automate some or all of it, too.

By the time I wrote this, most of my business came in inbound, through our marketing or via referral. That’s what you’re aiming for, but it takes time.

In all of this, it’s important to look beyond the transaction. It’s not about winning every piece of business. It’s about diligently contributing to the sector and people you serve.

This plays into your choice of tactics too. I’ve never been a fan of spamming the market, but I know that in most agencies it’s mandatory to send hundreds of speculative CVs a day. Just because it works. There will always be some quick wins.

But at what cost? Alienating many others? Labelling yourself as another transactional recruiter sending the same emails?

Reputation is everything, so protect it with your life.

Further reading

There are tons of excellent, cheap resources for learning to sell better. None of them will replace doing the reps, but they can help.

Tactically, The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes is worth a read. I also found that listening to audiobooks like Sell or Be Sold by Grant Cardone helps with mindset and energy levels.

The same goes for Be Useful by Arnold Schwarzenegger. It’ll help you push through any internal resistance you have to selling. The audiobook is best.

Attending a Toastmasters meet-up is a good way to learn to speak more eloquently in a supportive atmosphere.

Role play is great, but for that you’ll want to find a coach or a training course. I would go to a recruitment-specific trainer for this, someone like Olivia Galvin.

What now?

Get busy, or do some homework first. Just don’t put it off, as you’re putting your business on hold until you do.

If you want your follow-up and outreach tracking built into a system instead of post-its and snoozed emails, book a 30-minute call.