Most Deals Are Made AFTER the Initial Objections

Why do we as recruiters make marketing calls? We make marketing calls to find companies that fall into three general categories:

1. First and foremost, those companies that have a tremendous urgency to fill a position. We recruiters are most often paid to circumvent the time factor.
2.  Those companies that have a difficult position to fill. They have run ads, offered referral bonuses to employees, checked with competitors, consulted with colleagues, and extensively interviewed with no success. In this scenario, the recruiter offers these companies a window of opportunity—a “court of last resort,” if you will.
3. Those companies that wish to be kept apprised of top-notch talent as those talented people surface, regardless of whether there is an opening.

So now we have been reminded of why we need to make marketing calls. However, when we make them, we are invariably going to hear hiring manager objections and there will be a tendency to give up way too early.

Initial objections are normal consequences of what we do for a living. Unfortunately, many recruiters interpret an objection as a rejection—the hiring manager has decided not to buy, and those recruiters stop selling. Top billers realize that an objection doesn’t mean “No,” but instead means, “You haven’t convinced me yet. You need to give me a more compelling reason to buy.” So top billers don’t see the objection as the end to the call, but as the beginning and as an opportunity to win.

The initial objections we receive can also be “defense mechanisms” that have been built up over the years because of “recruiter presentation pollution” that has preceded our marketing call. Think of these poor hiring managers who have had to listen to defective and shoddy presentations every day of their professional lives. Because of that, they’ve put up barriers.

Then we call, make our scintillating presentation, and get a rude reception seemingly through no fault of our own. We are being asked to pay for the sins of those who have preceded us. It’s a shame, but this pollution reaction does exist. Don’t let it affect you!

Over time, most hiring managers have built up an inventory of NO’s and YES’s—many more NO’s than YES’s, as a matter of fact. And so, when they listen to our initial presentation, we are more likely to get a NO just because the hiring manager has more of those to give out. But they do have YES’s, as well. What the hiring manager is saying with their NO is, “You haven’t convinced me yet. Your presentation was not compelling. If you give up now, I will know that I was correct in giving you that NO. So go right ahead. I’m still on the phone. Convince me!”

Now is the time for us to remember that most deals are made AFTER the initial objections have been expressed.

Stating an objection also allows the hiring manager to avoid making a decision. After all, making a decision is risky business. That’s why most people aren’t good at it. A NO can be just as bad as a YES, so most of us tend to avoid either.

Just think of yourself the last time you were shopping at the mall and a salesperson asked, “Can I help you with something today?” How did you respond? You probably said something like, “No thanks. I’m just looking.” It’s a very common response and postpones making a decision.

My final point is this: Since most of what we do is over the telephone, it’s easier for the hiring managers to stop us. When we aren’t face-to-face with the hiring managers, we can’t read their non-verbal cues—a blush when they make an incorrect statement, fidgeting, tapping their fingers on their desk, etc. Over the phone, they don’t have a problem being abrupt with us.

But always remember that the beauty of working via the telephone is that we can make many more calls and make many more presentations. That’s a huge advantage if we make use of it.

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Bob Marshall of TBMG International, founder of The Marshall Plan, has an extensive background in the recruiting industry as a recruiter, manager, vice president, president, consultant, and trainer. In 2015, Marshall is celebrating his 35th year in the recruiting business. He can be reached at bob@themarshallplan.org or at 770.898.5550. Marshall’s website is www.themarshallplan.org.