10 costly mistakes that rookies, no… CONSULTANTS make

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 | By Tony Seager

Following on from giving you 10 tips to keep you positive during the recession, these 10 tips will remind you to think about your consultant role and the effect your actions — or inactions — will have on your goals.

1) Judging the business too soon

• This job is hard work and we have to accept it… But things will change over time
• The first few months of cold marketing are tough but give it time and the role becomes much more satisfying. Your cold marketing calls become warm calls to people who know you.
• The role fundamentally changes when someone actually calls you

2) Giving up before you get ahead of the numbers

• Recently I delivered an induction course and ran a two-hour telephone training session with a group of 10 consultants. The results were excellent!
• They averaged the following: 20 marketing calls and 10 presentations. They achieved two job order leads and five of them actually arranged interviews with new clients
• How? They were properly planned and were focused on achieving their objectives.

3) Substituting anything for hard work

• ‘Playing on the internet’, going to trade show and seminars, booking a client visit in the middle of the day, spending prime selling time on anything but selling. You get the picture I’m sure. These tasks serve a purpose and, in the long run, help generate fee income. But if you spend too much time on these tasks you will significantly damage your chances of success.

4) Using rote responses and presentations

• No doubt you have been given a script from a senior consultant or manager; that’s fine when you are new to the industry but you must develop your style as soon as you can.                     

5) Ignoring the warning signs

• No returned calls once is no real issue; twice could be a problem.
• If relocation is required, have you spoken with the spouse
• Re-arranged interviews
• Change of brief
• Change of decision maker
• Candidate suddenly increases his minimum salary requirement. The solution? STOP. DO NOT move forward in the process and check and overcome.                       

6) Not planning

• You all know that you have to hit minimum numbers of presentations to achieve your  required objectives
• You know that if you focus on selling in prime selling time you will have the time to hit your objectives
• If you are to achieve those objectives you need to prioritise your task efficiently
• Planning is the most important task in your day.

7) Commencing an assignment with limited information

• In difficult market conditions this is even more relevant as there are less opportunities available to work on

8) Not backing up your PERFECT candidate

• Even your perfect candidate is susceptible to a counter-offer

9) Not asking the tough questions

• You have to ask and overcome every issue that concerns you
• You cannot rely on a lucky placement

10) NEVER ASSUME

• For the sake of an embarrassing/difficult question, you could lose a fee.

Tony Seager is the co-founder of Seal Recruitment Training Solutions. He brings the rare combination of skills beyond the typical recruitment trainer as he still manages a very successful recruitment business. Email tony@seal-rts.com