What is ‘Rule 1’ at client meetings?

Meeting with a recruiting client for the first time is a nuanced and sophisticated skill.

Many recruiters don’t seek out this critical opportunity. In fact, most avoid it. Those who do that harm their chances of building strong business relationships.

And in an AI-automated world, you have no value unless you can build relationships, advise, consult, and create solutions through your expertise.

Of course, there are many things we want to achieve in that hour we spend with the prospective client, much we wish to communicate, and plenty we have to learn.

However, there is one outcome we must achieve at every client or prospect meeting.

It’s non-negotiable, and your ability to win business and start a professional partnership hinges on this one key outcome.

Without achieving this, the meeting fails, and so do you.

Credibility.

Watch the video snippet from the Savage Recruitment Academy training library and read the full story below.

The one outcome you must achieve at every meeting is to earn your client’s credibility.

It’s like any other meeting with a professional service provider. Your lawyer, accountant, architect, doctor. Even your hairdresser!

You are not going to move forward with those people, commit to them, give them your business, unless you believe they are ‘credible’.

Credibility is made up of a complex cocktail of your personal presentation, your interpersonal style, your questioning skills, your market knowledge, your track record of success, your ability to articulate your offer, your differentiators, and the confidence you instill in the prospect that you can deliver what you promise.

From today on, your goal in every client visit is to build credibility.

Ask yourself as you leave each meeting. ‘Was I credible?’

Sure, that might be subjective, but my experience is if you are honest with yourself, you ‘know’.

You want empirical evidence that you were ‘credible?’ These are signs.

• You secured a job order.
• You were able to qualify the job order.
• You got it exclusively.
• You sold a retainer.
• There was no job order, but you got the clients’ commitment to using you next time.
• You secured a follow-up meeting or action.
• The client did most of the talking.

• You got referrals to other decision-makers in the business.

The client asked questions. Even if they are challenging ones

That is a great sign that your credibility is building

Essentially, we have to get the meeting to the point where we can ‘ask for the business‘. And be given the affirmative. For that to happen, the client believes you are a credible option.

If clients will not meet you, it means they don’t believe you even have a chance of being credible enough to warrant their time.

Don’t waste yours on them.

Credibility.

The platform on which a consultative recruiter builds a real career.

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The video above is a short snippet from the 200 + hours of recruitment training available on the Savage Recruitment Academy

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