Fishing in a different pond?
Looking for new clients or looking for a new employee? They seem very different, but there are some important similarities between acquisition and recruitment. And you could take a completely different approach.
Placing a fancy ad on LinkedIn or inviting candidates to a job site can often give disappointing results.
Are you sitting with the wrong person at the wrong time?
I hear it very frequently from entrepreneurs: we do have leads, but they are looking for a bargain. There are applicants, but they do not satisfy or have the wrong motivation. First, let’s discuss the risks in acquisition and recruitment.
What are the risks involved in acquisition?
If you engage with prospects who are actively searching, they probably do have a need. That’s a good sign. They are also very likely to have a broad orientation. They will visit several sites and maybe even engage with a few suppliers. Those other suppliers, your competitors, are mainly trying to get the prospect to think about the buying arguments they are very good at. Logical.
What are the risks in recruitment?
People who are actively looking for another job or even available immediately will also apply for a vacancy that is actually a bit over the top. Of course, there may also be very suitable candidates among them, but answer this question for yourself: which employee will you always try to retain and which would you fire first if circumstances forced you to? Exactly, such a ‘someone’ has just sent you a CV, with a very mediocre accompanying e-mail….
Interested, but not seeking. Super interesting!
For every person who is actively looking for a particular investment, there are perhaps10 people who are not yet looking, but would like to start thinking about it. For every job seeker, there may be 20 people who are at least equally qualified, but are not currently actively looking. Still, they are quite willing to consider a switch.
The trick is to get in touch with people who are open to conversation but not yet looking. In that situation, you have many advantages.
It is always better to talk to someone who is still early in the ‘buying process’. This person you can very well influence, ehhhm help. You can discuss the buying arguments that align well with your selling arguments, your strengths.
There are even more advantages. You decide with whom you enter the conversation. So you can determine in advance whether that person or company suits you. If the person you are talking to is not ready to make the switch after all, at least you have made a contact for the future. Your time will come then.
Don’t sit down fishing, go hunting!
So by choosing to hunt instead of fish, you are ‘in the lead’. You can do that hunting very well on LinkedIn. Do you really want to find new employees or acquire new customers via LinkedIn?
Fair is fair, this does take time and it helps if you have experience with it. So don’t expect results on the first day, but the final results will probably surprise you.
If you are in a hurry and don’t have time yourself, you can always outsource. You can then read more at SocialRunner.nl (also in English).
Good luck!
Connect with me on LinkedIn, then immediately expand your (search) network !
