Last week I said it was simply dumb not to use the phone to approach top talent. That blog hit a nerve, got 5,000 hits in the first 24 hours of publication, and countless social shares.

But the question arises. What about the call itself? What do we say? What are we trying to achieve?

The first step is to understand that in 95% of cases you have identified a great person who is not overtly looking for a job. They are not necessarily thinking about moving. They are focussed on the work they are doing now. Your call has not been invited. You must factor in this critical psychology.

So, for you to blunder in and aggressively tout, ‘I have I got a great job for you’, will likely be unproductive and damaging to your reputation.

So here is the thing so few understand.

When you phone source a passive candidate. You are not selling a job at all. Oh yes, you will have a job in mind, but that’s not where you start.

No, this call is a seduction. It’s the start of a romance.

It’s a subtle sell at most. You are stalking a flighty prey, which may bolt at any aggressive move.

Think about the call this way;

Be clear on your desired outcome. You will have researched the candidate, know her background, made some informed assumptions about the sort of role that may suit her. You will have identified an actual role, and know how its benefits will likely suit her. If you are super switched-on you may even have researched her on Crystal.

You are not selling ‘a job’. Not right now, anyway. This is the key. Don’t leap into a conversation about a ‘job’. She is not looking for a job, remember? You mention ‘job”, she says, ‘not looking’, then, where do you go from there?

Sell the discussion. This is the seduction. Instead of, “I have a got a great job for you”, try something like this;

“Mary, your name has been mentioned to me several times as a highly regarded Property Lawyer. I have researched your background, and I see you have been at ABC Partners for 5 years. What you may not realise is that the market has shifted a great deal in that time. Salaries have risen, firms have merged, international players have moved in. So, I am calling you today to see when we can set up a time to have a confidential discussion about your options and your future career”.

Did you get that everyone? Let me repeat the key phrase…

“I wish to set up a time to discuss your career”.

You are simply selling why they should set aside time to talk to you. They may not be ‘looking for a job’, but who is not interested in their career? Their future prospects? Their market value? She can still say ‘no’, but it’s far less likely. This call and this question is not threatening. It makes sense. It’s potentially appealing…to her.

It’s a career discussion. That’s what you are offering. It’s a seduction.

Set that time. It could be now, but it’s probably later. If she says, “I can talk now”, well, in you dive. If she says, “actually I was thinking of moving, do you have any great jobs”, wham, bam, away you go! But until then, easy does it Tiger!

Most likely, she will agree to speak after work, or call you back at lunchtime, or have a coffee with you next Tuesday. No matter, any one of those outcomes is a top result! This is a ‘unique’ candidate. She is not applying to your job board advert. She is not approaching clients directly. She is not ‘available’ to other recruiters, unless they take proactive smart action, like you.

Remember phone sourcing is not a hard sell. It’s a seduction. A romance. You are not selling a job (necessarily). You are selling the need for them to discuss their career!

So, pucker up baby. The romance has begun!

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UK readers, please join me at one of my UK Masterclasses, in Manchester and London. October, 2015.

And if you live in Central/Eastern Europe..see you in the Czech Republic!

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