We place recruiters for a living. That means we spend our days talking to people about what makes this job worth doing and what makes it unbearable. These are five of our own consultants, in their own words, no script.
What it takes to win business inside staffing
Three ARC recruiters on what winning and keeping client business actually looks like, no script.
Table of Contents
Best Advice
What We've Learned
The Best Advice on Winning Clients in the staffing Industry
Two of us weighed in here, and the advice landed in almost the same place: show up as a real person, follow through, and treat the relationship as a partnership instead of a transaction.
What's the best advice you were ever given winning clients?
Best Advice On Winning Clients
The advice my old CEO gave me about keeping the same hustle, sense of urgency, and volume that I had in light industrial is probably some of the best advice I've gotten. It taught me that winning and growing client relationships still comes down to consistently putting in the work, regardless of the type of recruiting you're doing. Another thing that comes to mind is being reminded that this is a partnership. My job isn't simply to take orders. I'm there to help clients with their workforce dilemmas and complications and be a true partner to them.
What's the worst advice you were ever given about winning business?
Worst Advice They Got
Fake it 'til you make it." I did not take this advice.
Worst Advice They Got
I don't think I was ever given outright bad advice, but there are things said in sales war rooms that can be interpreted the wrong way, especially by newer recruiters. 'It's a numbers game' is a good example. Seasoned salespeople understand what that actually means, but someone new to the industry could hear that and think, 'Okay, all I need to do is make a ton of calls and eventually I'll make sales.' That's absolutely not true. The numbers matter, but the quality of the conversations, who you're calling, your messaging, your follow-up, and actually building relationships matter just as much.
What Surprised Them Most
The surprises here landed in three different places: the economics of getting paid only on a placement, how much M&A and private equity have reshaped client relationships, and how much of the job is actually consulting rather than a straightforward transaction.
What Surprised Them
"Not really surprised, but that our time is everything. We are not paid until we make a placement. No salary, no hourly, nothing. We work for free until a placement has reached 90 days. So choose your time wisely."
What Surprised Them
"I wasn't prepared for all the M&A and PE firm involvement that's happened over the last 10 years. One day you have a 15-year partnership with a client; the next day, they sell or stop outsourcing for talent."
What Surprised Them
"One thing that surprised me about running the business side is how much consulting is actually involved. I think people can assume that running a search firm is very transactional: you have a client, they have a role, you fill it. But that's really not how most of my client relationships work. You get to know the client and their business, understand their pain points, and genuinely care about helping them solve their problems. A lot of the time, the role they initially come to you with isn't even necessarily the whole problem they're trying to solve."
The Biggest Mistake New BD Reps Make
The mistakes described here all trace back to the same root cause: hiding from the conversation instead of having it. That shows up as leaning on email over the phone, reaching out once and giving up, and opening a cold call by asking for something instead of offering something first.
The Biggest Mistakes
They don't know how to truly make the connection. They hide behind emails and voicemails. Never works. You have to get the hiring manager on the phone. Then you need to see them in person or virtually. It's tough, but it's what works."
The Biggest Mistakes
"Approaching people only once. There is a fine line between passive, professionally persistent, and pushy."
The Biggest Mistakes
"One of the biggest mistakes I see recruiters make when they first start doing business development is not bringing value to their cold calls. They'll start with, 'I see you have a job posting for an Accountant online. I'd love to help you fill it,' rather than using that opportunity to bring something of value to the hiring manager. If you have a stellar candidate who fits the job description, lead with that. You're giving the hiring manager a reason to actually have a conversation with you instead of just asking them for their business."
Whether you’re hiring or exploring your next move, ARC starts with understanding. Every introduction is made with clarity, context, and intent.
