So, you’ve upped your BD game. But do you know how buyers have changed?

If you are a recruiter, you’ve never had access to so many tech innovations to make your job-filling, candidate sourcing and now BD faster, more targeted, more efficient.

I recorded a podcast recently with Darren Westall, CEO of Paiger, showcasing the remarkable ways his platform can support highly targeted, personalised and relevant BD. There’s simply no excuse for the tidal wave of untargeted, irrelevant automated outreach that clogs up my inbox (and yours, I guess) every day.

But in the end, the sale happens between individuals. 

So to make the most of all these tools, we need to understand buyer behaviours, not just “the best” sales behaviours.

• 71% of buyers (for a recruiter, that’s the clients who spend money) are now Millennials and Gen Z. Email is definitely their preferred channel for initial approaches (but you’ve got to follow up with phone calls and meetings).
• Social proof dominates their buying decisions- 77% weigh user reviews, and 54% will speak to current users before buying.
• They also seek consensus more: the average number of individuals in a Decision Making Unit (DMU) is now 6.8. That’s up from 3.4 20 years ago. In fact, 7% of organisations have more than 10 in the DMU.
• The under-40s complete around 70% of their buying process using digital sources before they speak to sales staff.

So what should recruiters be doing about it?

First, make sure your email approaches are (truly) personalised, have a business-like agenda and demonstrate your research into the prospect. Simply having “a fantastic candidate” doesn’t hack it.

Next, make sure that social proof is central to your business. Collect testimonials from named clients. Store them somewhere searchable so the one you provide is highly relevant to your prospect. Ask regularly for referrals. Systematically follow up with your client’s direct competitors (unless they’re off-limits, of course).

Third, don’t flatter yourself that your charisma as a recruitment professional and rapport with one individual is going to get the deal over the line. Network through organisations, bring in colleagues and ask about the other stakeholders involved.

Fourth, make sure your digital footprint is consistent and multi-channel. If your point of difference is international reach, or diverse candidates, or first-hand experience of working in the roles you place, keep telling people. That is what you want to be known for, and it’s what will attract customers who value that.

You can read more research about buyer behaviours from the excellent Sopro here:

https://sopro.io/resources/blog/b2b-buyer-statistics-and-insights

Want to talk with Alison about how she accelerates organic growth and improves sales and profits with recruitment business leaders? 

With a track record spanning 40 years, rapidly growing business and successful business exits, her advice and hands-on approach have transformed recruitment businesses throughout the UK, and in the US and AsiaPac.