This email instantly got my attention:
“Since listening to your podcast, I’ve had an exponential increase in my billings numbers. The past 64 days, I’ve billed $286,550. I just wanted you to know that your podcasts add value, and have been life changing from a commissions perspective for me.”
Usually I interview recruitment business owners. But based on Zach’s incredible results, it was obvious that I had to invite him onto the show and hear his story.
Zach’s enthusiasm is infectious and I am sure you will find insight from both the perspective of a recruiter and a billing manager (Zach has recently hired two recruiters onto his team).
If you are a business owner, you will be interested to hear how Zach’s current employer set him up for success. Zach has only been in the recruitment industry for six years and this year he has absolutely taken off like a rocket. He even had a four-month stretch where he billed an average of $100k per month!
Zach is a Director at iRiS Recruiting Solutions out of Indiana and places travelling superintendents with Contractors across the United States. iRiS specializes in assisting companies hire top talent for Construction, Warehouse/Distribution, Power & Electronics, Retail, and Manufacturing.
Episode Outline and Highlights
- [4:41] What motivated Zach to reach out to me and share his story.
- [8:11] How Zach implements his learnings from the Resilient Recruiter podcast
- [12:27] How confidence changes everything – Zach’s methods that lead to delivering better results.
- [13:49] Creating the demand – how to sell retainers.
- [20:49] What is the “resource dedication fee”?
- [23:16] How hardwork and a competitive mindset helped to exponentially increase Zach’s billings.
- [29:10] Stop wasting time! Zach’s shares his no-nonsense philosophy and the exact verbiage he uses to persuade clients and candidates to work his way.
- [32:55] How iRiS Recruiting Solutions set Zach up for success.
- [37:40] How to manage recruiters and make placement at the same time.
- [43:09] Zach’s next steps and future goals.
Confidence Changes Everything
Zach shared how confidence helped him to put up big billing numbers. It helped him approach his day and business in a way where he can set his own table and choose clients he works with. “I am handling objections better on the phone, handling negotiations better, I don’t go below 25%,” Zach described.
His no-nonsense attitude of “This is how I work – are you in or are you out” stems from his methodology and ability to deliver. During our interview, Zach shared key takeaways from his experience that greatly contributed to his success:
- Focusing on his niche market
- Planning, planning, and planning
- Selling retainers effectively
- Engaging with his candidates to work with him exclusively
- Hardwork and a competitive mindset
Sell Retainers by Creating the Demand
Making 40+ placements already this year, one of the things Zach is doing differently is retainers. He moved from contingency model to what he calls “Resource Dedication Fees” and was able to secure four retainers this year. Why call it Resource Dedication Fees? It is a creative approach to rebranding retainers. Aside from overcoming any negative connotation that some clients may relate to the term “retainers”, their clients would have a clearer understanding of the retainer model from the term “resource dedication”. Another factor that Zach shared on why he sells retainers easily is by creating demand by putting forth high-level candidates. Hear the details from Zach in this episode.
Stop Wasting Time – Focus on the Right Candidate
Recruiters typically waste a lot of time working the wrong jobs on the wrong candidate. Zach’s philosophy is to try and cut that time out enabling him to focus on the right candidate for the right job. Zach shared a situation where many recruiters can relate – pulling a candidate out of the hiring process to stop wasting time and focus on more decided candidates. Zach said, “I think recruiters spend a lot of time … ‘I got two final interviews today, I wonder how it will go.’ You are just worrying about it. My thought is, hey, go hit the phone, the interview for today is from work you did yesterday or the week before. Let’s focus on what we’re doing today for tomorrow and next week.”
Related Podcast You Might Enjoy
- TRR#43 How to Transition From Contingency CV Supplier to Consultative Retained Recruiter, with Plamen Ivanoff
- TRR#67 Think Like a Big Biller: How to Get Repeat Business and Referrals, with Rich Rosen
- TRR#64The Recruiter Roadmap to Recovery: How to Thrive in a Post-Pandemic World, with Greg Savage
- TRR#46 How to Run a Million Dollar Recruiting Firm From Your RV, with Jordan Rayboy
