Recruiters, do you enjoy Business Development? Some of you may find talking to prospective clients exciting and trying to get new companies on board is a challenge in which you revel. Some of you may even relish in the rejection! Some of you may dread your BD days and try to think of any excuse on the planet to get out of it. Love it or hate it, one thing is for sure, when getting new clients on board it’s intrinsic that you establish your unique routes to market.
The standard Unique Routes to Market
When you call prospective clients, what do you say when asked about your unique routes to market?
- Length of time your company has been recruiting in their specialist sector
- The large database of candidates you have access to
- Networking
- Headhunting
- Advertising
If you really take the time to think about it, most recruiters will reiterate the above points so there really aren’t that many unique points being made here.
More often than not, your prospective clients will have had countless recruiters approaching them, all making the same promises. My guess would be that most clients are frankly getting quite bored of hearing the same statements from recruiters. The above don’t really prove anything or sell your services effectively. If you seriously want to win at BD and gain some great clients over your competitors then you’re going to have to step up your game.
Whilst the standard unique routes to market are of course important and valid, they are no longer enough. If you want to win over new clients and stay one step ahead of the competition you are going to have to think outside the box, ensuring you stand out from the crowd when approaching prospective clients.
Think outside the box
Thinking outside the box is not always an easy task, especially when you are used to saying certain things time and time again during BD tasks – here are a few ideas to get you started.
Social Media
You’ve heard the buzzword Social Recruiting I’m sure. I’m also sure many of you have now embraced Social Media and started to build a large network on multiple platforms. However, do you use your Social Media presence as a selling point to your prospective clients?
It’s worthwhile pointing out to clients on the phone that you use multiple platforms to engage with unique candidates and are actively seeking new talent. Perhaps you have set up a LinkedIn group in their specific sector where you often engage with professionals in the industry. Or maybe you have a busy Twitter profile with a lot of interaction. Whatever it is, highlight this activity to prospective clients, showing them you embrace the digital world and take the time to seek uncovered talent.
SEO
Another great unique route to market for your business is Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). If you have used an SEO agency, or worked in-house and your website is successfully ranking highly on Google for specific search terms then reward that hard work by bringing it up in New Business Development calls.
Clients want to know that you can provide them with great talent and telling them your website ranks well and you’re receiving unique applications as a result is a great selling point for your business.
Blogging
Running an informative company blog is a great way to showcase your expertise to both candidates and clients. Not only will it help with the ranking of your website but it will also prove to clients you know the markets in which you operate.
For instance, if you are a recruitment company that specialises in Cyber Security, writing a blog containing different features about the Cyber Security industry and how the job market is, will show clients you are knowledgeable in that sector. This will also reassure them you can find the right candidates for their vacancies as you have in-depth market knowledge.
Specialist Job Boards
The examples of unique routes to market wouldn’t be complete without the mention of owning a specialist job board! Telling prospective clients that you own a specialist job board in their sector will highlight that you are a market leader within that industry and that you attract unique candidates to your business which is what they require.
Hopefully this post has given you a few ideas for new unique routes to market which you can highlight on your next BD session.