The value of face to face meetings has been spoken about for decades, regardless of your industry or role.
Although a lot of us are still conducting virtual meetings, being able to see someoneâs facial expressions and body language can allow you to get to know them better.
Itâs also the perfect opportunity to showcase your personality and build trust.
Client meetings are the bread and butter of winning business as a recruitment consultant, however, it can be tricky securing a meeting (even when weâre all working from home)
Here are three ways to secure a client meeting!
Talk about long-term strategy instead of jobs
Itâs easy to get caught up in the excitement of trying to pull a job from your first client meeting. However, unless you already have a strong existing relationship – itâs not likely to happen the first time.
As a recruiter, you have so much more to offer than just filling roles – and your prospective client needs to know that before agreeing to a meeting with you.
Asking about the short, medium and long-term strategy on a call can allow you to assess how you can add value over time – as well as who else you may need help from along the way.
If they have pain points you can solve – thatâs when you can suggest a meeting, whether thatâs in person or over Zoom.
Their pain points could be around succession planning, re-vamping interview processes or even creating a new job description. These are all things we do as recruiters in our day-to-day life – so why canât we offer this consultative service to our clients?
It doesnât always have to be about pulling a job.
Also, this method is a great way to assess whether a client meeting is necessary. Itâs important to not get caught up in suggesting meetings with no agenda or outcome, as this can do more damage than good in the long-term.
The best way of winning business is actually by giving more than taking. Are you giving, or just taking?
Leverage current work that youâre doing
If youâve never heard the phrase âFOMOâ – it stands for âfear of missing outâ.
Securing a client meeting can be incredibly difficult if you havenât got any substance or evidence to back up why itâs valuable.
However, thereâs nothing more valuable than sharing information with a prospective client which will make them feel as though they are missing out on your expertise.
Now, itâs important to be honest – as deception isnât how we roll here on this newsletter.
However, sharing market information with a prospective client as well as letting them know about the work that youâve done with similar companies in their space give you credible grounds for a meeting.
If they feel like theyâre missing out on something valuable – they will see the purpose of the meeting.
Some examples you could use are:
- Roles you have recently placed with a competitor
- Market information (non-confidential)
- An event you attended or spoke at
- Other meetings you recently conducted and what the outcome was
Organise a roundtable event and invite them
Although the majority of events will need to be virtual for the foreseeable future, this shouldnât deter you from using this as an opportunity to secure a meeting with them.
Itâs a long-term strategy which can yield amazing results, and has been proven by many recruitment companies to be a great way to build long-lasting relationships with current and prospective clients.
So many CEOs, Founders, Hiring Managers and Talent teams are bombarded with calls about recruitment all day every day, so differentiating yourself is crucial.
Whether itâs a roundtable intimate event, or a webinar with multiple speakers – hosting events that talk about more than just âjobsâ will lay the foundations for client meetings in the future.
Donât forget the power of word of mouth, especially among CEOs. If you can connect these individuals, itâs valuable for them and will only pay dividends in the future.
Once a prospective client sees the value you can add outside just filling a job, they will become much more receptive to meeting you and listening to your insight.
