Are you a real Consultant?

Call yourself a Consultant?

It is a title you should be proud of, but it is also a benchmark of how you are perceived by your clients and candidates.

Have you ever asked yourself” do I add enough value to my client to call myself a Consultant?”

Do you feel like you are on a treadmill or are you effectively working with your clients and candidates? OR do you feel valued and that you work proactively to find collaborative solutions?

Do you find yourself working for people who said they wanted to hire a certain role but in reality they don’t have the time or commitment to work in partnership? If you find yourself in this position take time to appreciate your own value – it can be very disheartening and even the best recruiters sometimes find themselves caught on the “treadmill”.

Bad habits to avoid at all costs

You can waste time or be too generous with your time, all adding up to a feeling that you are going nowhere fast, the salesman’s “treadmill effect”. Spot and weed out the “tyre kickers”. Poor organisation, planning or time management. Being reactive, waiting for business to come to you, waiting for busy clients to tell you your CVs are fantastic when a conversation may tell you everything. Not being on the phone to your client because they are busy…when in fact they are speaking to your competition. Kidding yourself, the difference between glossing over issues or not asking questions. The true Consultant or solutions focussed professional will not do much selling, they just ask all the right questions.

How do we change, improve and become more Consultative?

Take positive action, AVOID the old “definition of insanity” – doing the same thing day in and day out and expecting different outcomes – try different angles, listen to people around you and consult people with more experience. Avoid the tyre kickers, say no to clients who won’t sign terms or see no value in your services. If someone doesn’t have time to meet a recruiter, whether it’s you or your competition, they probably don’t “get” how to work in partnership. Not wasting your own time, and self respect. A colleague once gave me the analogy that you wouldn’t wash the client’s car if he asked, or would you? The equivalent lack of respect with a client who asks you to trot off and find some candidates, but then doesn’t see a responsibility to provide good feedback, understanding their employer brand is out there every day.

Importance of Organisation and time planning

Face up to it a simple fact, there are some people out there who just will not become your client and you can’t lose what you never had. Choose your time wisely, spend it where you will gain a return, it is your career and your income you are investing in (you wouldn’t dream of spending days on end in your personal time with people who had zero positive impact on your life). Plan your day, plan every call, don’t make and take calls at random.

Fortune favours the brave

Go hunting rather than pretending you have plenty of sales pipeline. Focus on the serious clients and route out the tyre kickers. Treat yourself, maximise your self-respect don’t say yes to everything. In the example of washing the client’s car, ask yourself is what you are doing the best use of your time? This article was produced by Richard Gahagan, Co-founder of Adam (www.weareadam.com). We pride ourselves on our Consultative approach and if you are looking to work in a fast moving environment contact Richard directly.

KEYWORDS:

Recruitment, Marketing recruitment, Recruitment Consultant, Careers in Recruitment, Recruitment Career Advice.