Maybe you are relatively new to the world of work? Maybe you haven’t dealt with clients in your job before? Maybe, on the other hand, you have taken on a new employee who is competent, but just a little naïve….
Would you feel comfortable letting them on client calls? Probably not to start with, I would suggest. They wouldn’t have the business acumen to be able to make the most of the call. The client might question their credibility and by association, question your judgment in “letting them loose.”
However, this still happens. All. The. Time.
Businesses don’t always have time to invest in enough training for their new starters. They might not have the internal resources or knowledge to give these poor souls the best start in corporate life. They are left with a telephone, a client database and an encouragement to go and learn on the job.
This approach might work given time, but if you listen to some of these tentative initial conversations, they are truly cringe worthy. There must be a better way.
For a people orientated business such as recruitment, where consultants are in constant contact with candidates and clients, this “business acumen” makes all the difference.
• There is nothing worse for an executive than a recruiter who patently doesn’t understand the nuances of what they have achieved.
• There is nothing worse for a client than understanding that their recruiter only has a superficial understanding of the job brief.
• There is nothing worse for a recruitment business owner than knowing that well-qualified candidates are being missed because of a lack of commercial savvy.
Credibility can only be earned as it a reflection of the thoughts of others, but if an individual has a good grasp of basic business acumen, then their chances of success are far higher. Credibility is based on behaviours, and the vast majority of these behaviours can also be learned in the training room.
Credibility is also about an understanding of etiquette, of normal business procedures and protocol. How is a sales call typically structured? What sort of topics are normally discussed? Are you able to listen and address the issues of the clients rather than forcing your understanding down their throat? This all builds a picture of how credible you are as a partner.
Recruiters have this terrible reputation for poor service. This stems from the fact that some feel that the role is so transactional that relationships are almost secondary. I have given you a great CV, interview her, job done. This company is amazing, they have a role for you, send me your CV, job done.
It doesn’t quite work like that.
Establishing credibility as a recruiter is crucial, no matter how much experience you might have. It will give you a solid foundation on which to build long-term relationships, and your communications will naturally be more trusting and open.
We at RecruiterHub can help you on that journey. We launch the Business Academy at the beginning of February. Contact us for more information – 0800 161 5100
