Okay, I am probably too old to be as big of a Harry Potter geek as I am, but my kids were such Harry Potter junkies that I caught the bug. And as I thought about writing this post, this quote was the first that came to mind. While we are not facing down an… Continue reading
The most difficult part of making cold calls is actually picking up the phone and doing it. But staffing firms are doing a great job overall at getting their sales people to roll up their sleeves, smile and dial. So why are most not leveraging their salesperson’s willingness to make the call, by enabling them… Continue reading
I’ve been developing marketing strategies for staffing firms for more than 20 years. Over the years, the tools have changed (a lot), but the challenges have pretty much remained the same. We need job orders. We need candidates. The competition charges less. It’s getting harder to get to decision makers. You know the drill. But… Continue reading
I recently had a very novel sales experience. And I guess I should count my blessings that this hasn’t happened more often. We were competing to win a new account (this would be an awesome client for us), and I found out that one of our competitors was telling this company some rather unflattering, and… Continue reading
No this is not the setup for a lame joke (although feel free to send me your punchline!). It’s actually about attention span statistics…and their implications for people who sell staffing. Consider this: Average attention span of a human: 8 seconds Average attention of a goldfish: 9 seconds What does this mean for you? It’s… Continue reading
Q: David, I have a very limited marketing budget. What’s the best investment to make in 2014? A: First, congratulations on having a budget at all!Most staffing firms don’t. And the industry average is less than 0.4% of sales. But if you want to be a market leader–and not look and sound like everyone else–then… Continue reading
Q. David, What’s the best way to get around the dreaded “No Soliciting” sign? A. The question you raise is a good one…how do you get past the “No Soliciting” signs? If you’re running into this obstacle, I’m guessing you are doing a fair amount of drop-by-style calls. While I do not think you should… Continue reading
This is probably the mantra you go by in your staffing company right? Well, after you’re done laughing and rolling on the floor, read on! The top companies in the world invest heavily in their culture and they reap the rewards. John Cotter, a noted business author and expert on organizational culture did a ten… Continue reading
The Story Two shoe salesmen are sent to a remote island. The first one calls his manager, really disappointed and down. Quietly he says “I’m coming back, no one here wears shoes.” The second salesman calls his manager. In a very excited voice, he shouts “I’m staying, no one here wears shoes!!” The Lesson There’s… Continue reading
Q: I run a staffing firm that focuses on medical and healthcare placements. Any tips for healthcare staffing firms in 2013? A: In October, I had the privilege of speaking at the Staffing Industry Analysts Healthcare Staffing Summit in Las Vegas, NV. The annual Healthcare Staffing Summit brings together CEOs, owners, and senior-level executives to… Continue reading
Q: We’re doing a lot of things to drive people to our website: blogging, SEO, sharing content on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, using online PR, and distributing jobs to job aggregators. And it’s working. According to Google Analytics, our website traffic has more than doubled. But we’re not seeing more sales leads. What’s wrong? A:… Continue reading
Think marketing. Not sales. If you want to close a million dollar account in the staffing industry, you’ll need great sales skill. You will most likely have to target multiple decision makers, develop internal champions, convey a convincing message that’s highly customized to the specific client, and negotiate wisely. Big sales require big sales skills…. Continue reading
Can you imagine if 20% of your sales–and your entire year–was virtually determined by a single day of selling? For retailers, Black Friday (and the holiday season) equates to 19.5% of annual sales (Source: National Retail Federation). For some retailers, holiday sales represent as much as 40% of annual revenue. In the staffing industry, seasonality… Continue reading
Social media? Inbound marketing? Mobile? Or are cold calls still the best way to sell staffing??? With all the hype about the latest and greatest marketing tools, and newest ways to use social media, you might feel overwhelmed. So what really works? For recruiting Our clients are finding the best results from: SEO optimized job… Continue reading
Q: How should I approach new prospects about my staffing services? A: Unfortunately, I don’t think there is a one-size-fits-all approach to staffing sales. Some people will respond to the phone, others to email, and others to the mail or even drop bys (my least favorite prospecting technique that’s used in the industry). The key… Continue reading
Q: I’ve worked in staffing sales for years, and I continually come up against the same problem – getting past HR. What can I do to differentiate my company’s services and reach higher-level decision makers to get the sale? A: Here are three quick tips to help you win over internal “gatekeepers” – and sell… Continue reading
