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Tips for Recruiters
Table of Contents
Strategy & Tactics
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Make Placements --
FAST!
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Voice Mail &
E-mail: Eight Simple Rules
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Job Orders --
Better, Faster, Smarter
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How to Switch Desk Specialties
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Who Makes the Most
Money?
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Retainers: Look
Before You Leap
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How to Add Value, Not Redundancy
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Intelligent Online
Recruiting
Skill Building
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Counteroffers: Can You Spot the
Signs?
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Resume Makeovers: Quick Tips
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Is There a MAGIC to Closing?
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Finding the Right Recruiting Script
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Storyboarding for Maximum Impact
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How to Stimulate Candidate Referrals
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Expand the Supply of Candidates
Candidate Management
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Playing Softball
with Your Candidates?
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The Power of Interview Preparation
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Control: The Key to Recruiter Success
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How to Fight the Counteroffer Bug
Employer Relationships
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You’re Worth the Money You Charge!
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Negotiate for Higher Recruiting Fees
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Anti-Discount Tactics for Recruiters
For Candidates &
Employers
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Graceful Exits for Job-Changers
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Advice for Engineering Candidates
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What’s Your Capture Strategy?
Q & A
for Recruiters
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Answers
to Your E-mail Questions
Bill Radin answers letters from recruiters around the world.
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Is
there a MAGIC to Closing?
By Bill Radin
Based
on the types of questions I receive from recruiters, you’d think
closing was some sort of Voodoo ritual, complete with potions, incense
and secret incantations.
To set the record straight: Closing is simply the process of helping
people get what they really want, by facilitating compromises without
sacrificing the basic goals of either party. Deals that are forced,
lopsided or negotiated in bad faith rarely stand up over time.
As
negotiators, our goal (the close) is achieved when the parties we
represent satisfy their sincere and overarching needs. Our job is fun
and easy, provided we can accurately assess each side’s interests,
priorities and sense of urgency. In contrast, attempting to close a deal
between two warring (or indifferent) parties becomes exhausting and
difficult. And the long-term results of such a close are predictably
unsatisfactory.
The
situation in the Middle East illustrates what happens when two parties
simply can’t agree to terms (or abide by the terms of a previous
agreement). Despite the tireless efforts of negotiators (Colin Powell
being the latest), the cycle of violence will continue until the subtext
of ancient hostilities is rewritten.
Some
Deals will Never Close
That’s why it’s so important to qualify both parties prior to trying
to close a deal. If you discover that your candidate has a hidden
agenda, a lack of motivation or a fundamental problem with the job he’s
considering, you should disqualify the person, and avoid the trauma of
trying to force a deal that’s doomed from the start. Likewise, you
should avoid working with an employer who has unrealistic expectations
regarding the ideal candidate’s work performance or salary level.
To fine-tune your understanding of everyone’s needs during the
interviewing process, you can use periodic trial closes. Questions like,
“Any new developments?” or “Is this the type of job (or candidate)
that looks good to you?” are designed to keep you up-to-date and
confirm your assessment of needs. In some cases, the answers might
surprise you—and may serve to expose inconsistencies that threaten
the success of your deal.
Assuming
you’re working with two qualified parties who are on the same
wavelength, the close is simply a matter of tying up loose ends and
getting a commitment from both sides. When complications or
disagreements occur, they can usually be resolved by applying a little
creativity or asking one or both parties to make concessions without
undermining either side’s most critical needs.
If
an agreement can’t be reached, it’s the recruiter’s job to dig for
the essence of what each party truly needs to find a win-win solution.
If it’s discovered that the parties’ goals are in conflict with one
another, that’s the point at which prayer, witchcraft or temper
tantrums are usually invoked. Or when recruiters call me for
help.
I learned long ago the limitations of “persuasion” as a means
of closing. To me, closing is all about the process of qualifying early
and testing the strength of your deal through a series of trial closes.
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