Recruiting is a sales profession and an important part of your recruiter training should include the ability to effectively negotiate. If you had to rate your negotiating skills on a scale of 1 – 10 (10 being the highest), where would you rate yourself?
Below are eight things that determine how well recruiters negotiate:
1.) Your ability to set yourself up as an effective negotiator early in the process.
2.) Your ability to ask questions geared to influence the outcome.
3.) Your ability to manipulate the results you want while the parties involved are convinced they are making the choices that are best for them. Obviously, you have a moral and ethical obligation to steer them toward decisions that are good for them and their careers!
4.) Your ability to remember the “WIIFM” (“What’s In It For Me”) for both parties involved in your negotiations.
5.) Your ability to fine-tune your listening skills. Too often, recruiters are guilty of selective hearing. When negotiations blow up in your face, there have usually been several red flags that you chose to ignore!
6.) It is not your job to agree or disagree with your clients’ and candidates’ decisions. It is your job to determine how you will:
- Satisfy the needs of your clients to ensure repeat business!
- Find an opportunity that answers the hot buttons of your candidates to ensure referrals!
7.) Your ability to handle fee discussions. Should you negotiate your fee? If you do, stop counting by fives and never end a bill rate or pay rate with the numbers 5 or 0!
8.) Your ability to dramatically reduce problem areas. Study each step when a deal falls through or someone no-starts, no-shows etc. and fix the problem.
All successful recruiters learn to constantly change the way they do business, in order to improve and get to a higher level of success! Improving your ability to negotiate will have a very positive impact on your income!
— — —
Barb Bruno, CPC/CTS is a guest writer for the Top Echelon Recruiter Training Blog, and you can hire her for your next conference or event or for in-house training. Barb’s training techniques have guided thousands of recruiters to a higher level of sales and profits. She is best known for her methodical, easy-to-implement strategies that she shares with her audiences. Her enthusiasm is contagious! If you would like to hire Barb, please call 219.663.9609, email support@staffingandrecruiting.com, or visit Good as Gold Training online.