Today’s “Top Echelon Recruiter Training Tip”: Client Visits
We recently blogged about what recruiters should be doing in order to prepare for 2011, drawing upon the knowledge and experience of recruiting industry trainer Dave Knutson of The Knutson Group, LLC. One of the things that Knutson advocated was client visits.
With that in mind, a case study in the importance of client visits involves Cindy Sommer of SearchStars, Inc., in Vestal, N.Y. Sommer, a Preferred Member of Top Echelon Network, works in the Healthcare industry. She’s also a Top Producer within the Network, ranking in the top 30 during the past year.
According to Sommer, visiting her clients in-person has made a world of difference for her recruiting business. All of her clients are repeat customers, and she stays in touch with all of them, no matter where they’re located. One of her clients is located in Manhattan, a three-and-a-half hour drive from Vestal. Sommer still makes it a point to visit that client once a year, like she does all of her clients.
“There’s a private practice in Manhattan, where I’ve placed all of their Sonographers,” said Sommer. “They credit me with helping them be successful. So when I drop by, they’re excited to see me, and when I can, I bring treats for everybody. I just did that recently, since it was Halloween.”
There are perks for recruiters who visit their clients. For one thing, those recruiters gain a better understanding of the company and how it works and of the job orders that are issued by the company. Second, it can make working with Human Resources a whole lot easier.
“In a lot of cases—hospitals, for instance—I know the hiring authorities in addition to HR,” said Sommer. “Even if I go through HR, I get to talk with the hiring authorities one-on-one. Many times, they’ll tell HR, ‘Please get Cindy to work on this [job order].’ If you do a good job, they’re going to ask for you by name.”
Of course, Sommer communicates with her clients on a consistent basis over the telephone, too, as often as necessary. This also helps to foster the relationships that she’s formed with them. However, phone time is no substitute for face-to-face time.
According to Sommer, recruiters don’t have to visit their clients all the time, or even every year. But if you haven’t visited all of your clients at least once, then you should consider planning some trips.
“You don’t have to do it all the time, but visiting at least once will do wonders,” she said. “People just want to see who you are and meet you. I had a company official tell me that it’s really good that I visit and that people get to see me. That way, I’m not just a name on a business card or a voicemail or some anonymous person that nobody’s ever seen.
“There isn’t one client that I don’t stay in touch with personally.”
How have client visits paid off for Sommer? What kind of return has she received on that investment?
“This has been a really good year,” she said. “I’ve met all of my goals for the year. [Client visits] are worth it, and it’s nice to know who you’re dealing with. You don’t feel like you’re talking with strangers all the time.”
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