How to Never Call Another Cold Recruit
Adi Smith
Adi is a Denver native who serves as Director of Operations at 4C. She has worked in the mortgage and marketing industries since 2014, bringing her passion for growth and dynamic energy to every interaction. She is also the champion of 4C University, a platform that houses exclusive coaching content to help leaders become better recruiters. When she’s not working hard to help recruiting leaders, you can find her paddleboarding, hiking, kayaking, reading, watching movies, or listening to music.
Have you ever gotten a message or call from somebody that gave you that warm fuzzy feeling when you saw that person’s name?
As part of our Valentine’s Day series, I’m discussing how you can get your recruits to have that feeling when they see your name pop up on their phone, so you’re never calling a cold recruit again.
No, I’m not talking about never making cold calls; I’m talking about how you can warm up recruits before you pick up the phone.
It’s all about courting your prospects.
Was the first thing you said to your spouse, “Will you marry me?”
Most likely not. You probably didn’t ask that question for quite some time. It took getting to know them, discovering their values, dreams, and desires, and, most importantly, whether those values, dreams, and passions align with yours.
So if you took that much care in finding your spouse, why wouldn’t you make a similar amount of effort in getting to know people who would potentially be on your team?
Studies show that we spend about the same amount of time with our coworkers as we do with our partners. With that much time being spent around our coworkers, they should be people you want to spend time with.
The big question you’re probably asking yourself is: How does that play into never having to call a cold recruit again?
Well, just like finding a partner, you have to court your recruits.
Here’s a breakdown of what steps you should be taking:
Step 1: Be Active On Social Media
If you’re subscribed to our newsletter, you have seen a TON of content about social media, and there’s a reason for that!
When you are active on social media, it makes recruiting easier!
Studies show that people need to see you seven times before they take action. You will be much more familiar with your prospects if you show up regularly on social media.
Plus, social media is a great place to showcase who you are as a leader! By sharing your personal stories, you become a lot more memorable because those stories create an emotional connection.
Step 2: Identify Your Ideal Team Member & Connect With Them!
Remember how I mentioned your spouse having aligned values with yours? The same needs to go with your prospects.
The first part of this is identifying who you want on your team. You likely have an idea of who your ideal prospect is.
Some of your criteria might include:
- Production level
- Length of time in the industry
- How long they have been with their current employer
- How many jobs they’ve had in the last several years
- Whether their history/social presence aligns with team values
Once identified, send them as a connection request or a follow! But keep it simple – you don’t want to ask them to marry you immediately! You will hurt yourself in the long run if you give the impression that you are only talking to somebody in order to recruit them.
Step 3: Engage With Them
Engaging with prospects is a lot easier than it sounds! If you see a post or update from them, like and comment on it. Be supportive. Affirm their milestones.
It keeps you in front of them and shows that you’re friendly.
Step 4: Be A Person Of Value
How many times have you had somebody reach out to you time and time again just asking for business? Most likely, your prospects are getting tons of asks from your competitors.
If you’re an expert in your field, you have knowledge to share. Don’t be a gatekeeper. Share your secrets and knowledge.
See an excellent marketing tip? Share it! See a great TED Talk? Send it!
When you continuously show up with value (and not asking for anything in return!), prospects will be more likely to talk with you. And it makes you stand out from your competitors!
Try to send your prospects one thing of value every week or every month.
Step 5: Ask For A Non-Recruiting Phone Call
Once you have taken all the above steps and provided multiple things of value to your prospects, It’s OK to reach out to them and ask for a 15-minute intro meeting. (But no recruiting allowed!)
Most likely, your prospects will say yes.
It may be strange that you’re taking all these steps to get somebody on the phone, but it’s setting you up for long-term success instead of short-term gains.
Studies show that 80% of people are satisfied with their current employer. You may wonder, wouldn’t it be easier to go after the dissatisfied people?
You certainly can. However, you then run the risk of going after consistently dissatisfied people who will likely still be dissatisfied once they join your team.
If you take a longer approach, where you build a relationship with your ideal recruits, you position yourself as someone they turn to once they are ready to make a move.
If you want great people to join your team, you have to play the long game, which requires courting your prospects.
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