Do you wish you had more influence with your clients and candidates?
The last time Michael Goldman joined our podcast, he shared the secrets of enjoying a long-term career in recruiting. In this interview, he reveals how we as recruiters and business owners can create more value and enjoy greater influence with our clients and candidates.
Michael started his recruiting career in 1980 and founded his own firm, Strategic Associates, in 1988. Michael has built an excellent reputation as an executive recruiter in manufacturing and supply chains nationwide on both a contingency and retained basis.
Michael is a Founding Member and former president of the Pinnacle Society. Having run a successful desk for 42 years, and been a consistent top producer, Michael also speaks on and teaches recruiting tactics and strategies to recruiters globally.
Episode Outline and Highlights
- [07:30] “Pulling your career sword from the stone”- Michael shares his career-building insights.
- [14:08] Focus on influencing rather than selling.
- [18:28] Positioning your opportunity in the marketplace through a branding strategy.
- [23:47] Michael shares the ‘vampire approach.’
- [29:42] Integrating the branding philosophy when talking with candidates and clients.
- [39:06] Bringing value to candidates by giving clarity to their career path.
- [43:08] “The Death of Expertise” – Michael and I exchange book recommendations.
- [47:30] Fostering connections and mentorship.
- [51:40] No plans to retire; Michael’s 42-year career and still going strong!
- [56:00] Sowing the seeds of value.
Focus on Influencing Rather Than Selling
A key insight that Michael discussed is why he advocates recruiters to influence, rather than sell. According to Michael, “A lot of people in our industry, especially newbies in the first 5 years or so are trained to throw up as much as against the wall as possible… What I do in the beginning is ask questions to determine the quality of the thought process that a prospect would have. I will understand what it takes to influence them as opposed to selling them…Because that is the key to unlock their retention.”
How does this translate to your role as a recruiter or a recruitment business owner? This is how Micheal explained it: “They expect you to be interesting… You have to realize, these people in the marketplace every day are in storms. They are constantly trying to sweep back the water on the deck of the boat and they are dealing with daily and weekly challenges… If you can tap into their perception of what success is in their life and you can do it in an interesting way, that will lead you toward providing significant influence with prospective candidates and clients.”
Integrating a Branding Philosophy to Engage Your Clients and Candidates
Michael discussed what differentiates a transactional recruiter from a consultative recruiter. He believes it’s about integrating a branding philosophy to establish trust and influence, especially when engaging with candidates and clients. From a branding perspective, there are parallel activities that Michael shared from both the candidate and client’s side. From the candidate side, he helps them identify their unique value proposition and helps them re-write their CVs to make them more powerful and aligned with their personal branding. On the client side, Michael helps his clients align their job descriptions in line with the employer’s brand and vision of opportunity to make it attractive to the right sort of people.
