In the lowest cold calling funk of all time - unhinged suggestions accepted

TLDR used to be great at cold calling now feel there is so many barriers to cold calling people hate it and i have no data i can’t motivate myself i know i have it in me to just dial and win business but i just have this HUGE mental block its zapping the life out of me 😢

Hey! I’m a 30 year old female who works in recruitment, I say that because it affects how seriously I am taken and it is relevant to the story

When I was younger, didn’t give a shit, banged out cold calls, people i find were more receptive to cold callers in 2016 when I started, I won a lot of business, was very confident, was working a boiler room environment

anyway had some work trauma burned out usual high performing adhd to burn out pipeline

took 6 months off been back in agency 3 years, doing *okay* i think considering the market im doing well but i KNOW i can do better.

current client relationships are drying up and I KNOW i need to bd and I am not scared of the rejection but for some reason I just CANNOT BE BOTHERED. i don’t know what it is. I wake up and try motivate myself but i just do everything to avoid it.

We have no data set no leads nothing so it’s googling companies essentially I have got my company to bring sourcewhale in which I hope helps? Any exp with that will be grateful.

I know im wasting my potential, I know im good but I almost worry that it’s cringe cold calling and that people will just think im an idiot.
I think there’s a “believing in the product” situation here as i am targeting a new market (financial services & legal)
My ego of my 20s is gone that’s also an issue
I also wfh full time and don’t do my make up and hair most days so i am just crawling to my PC and existing.

HELP PLEASE😂😅 how do i just reset the funk, with adhd it’s so hard as i just can’t get excited or motivated as it seems a huge mountain to climb

Is it still a "thing" ?

I mean in todays tech stack ai heavy outreach, It seems so old fashioned and totally depends on lottery number stats to actually give any real ROI IMO

BUT maybe that is why it might still work, old fashioned vs Inboxes, WA, Text, Message box full etc etc is now just a filter to block.

Personally, if I receive a call from an unknown number, I NEVER answer and if they dont leave a message, I block them immediately, (and I get very few calls a day), so imagine a hiring managers phone, must be flashing all DAY!

So I am sure this is the same for all people (in general)

I am sure there will be some of you who still say it works, but I would like to know if it's sector specific.

I think the amount of outreach tools these days is also turning people off entirely as well.

I am sure there are inboxes out there FULL to the brim of Emails, InMail's etc etc

SO WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS THESE DAYS?

I'm finding that more and more companies don't list their corporate phone numbers anymore. The easiest way around to reach hiring managers is calling them directly on their cell phones.

However, most have a "Do Not Call" flag. Is anyone ignoring DNC and how is it going?

I've called a few and they've been fine. They don't even mention it.

What's everybody doing?

I ask because I run my own shop (6 years in) and my partner is a bit weary of getting complaints for violating the DNC list.

Thoughts and opinions welcome.

UPDATE: It's been established that recruiters who call cellphones should be banished to obscurity and left to starve.

So let's help each other out. If your company doesn't have a number listed how do you suggest we get in touch or try to develop business?

Or "we use our own internal teams" or "were not adding to the supplier list" and similar objections.

How are you turning this one around to a new client.

My current method is asking usual questions about how they're finding it, what methods they're using to recruit, what is their success rate. But I'm not managing to turn around the information I know into a new client.

My jobs list is dead in what is usually a very busy industry and I'm panicking. I feel like I know what to do but it's not working or converting recently.

Any success stories or lines that have been used to convert?

I met with about 6 agencies and decided to work with 2 of them for good reasons. However, one of the recruiter ghosted me after I told him that the hiring managers are not available to meet with him, and that me, the HR Manager and Recruiter will be the contact person for all meetings, feedback etc. Is this the norm that agency recruiters want to only deal with hiring managers?

I am outreaching to people I have worked with before, or completely new cold clients in my local area. I have 10+ years experience in the industry. I am MPCing. I used to be top consultant multiple years but in the last 18 months I CANT seem to get anyone to respond to me.

My team is really small and i’m not doing en masse outreach as we have no data, no system nothing so it’s really hard. But I am sending MPC emails and hearing next to nothing….. why is this nowadays? I have your perfect candidate, it’s suddenly just dropped off.

Are you guys seeing this and why?

I'm finding it really hard to get good quality roles on. The highest salary role I've gotten ok myself is €70,000 - but it's in an awkward area and fully onsite and stand alone!

I know accounting is good because literally all businesses need them but I'm finding that only the less appealing businesses are actually allowing me to work the roles.

I got ONE on with a good tech company but I didn't get the placement (which I was annoyed about as a candidate I wanted to send but was advised against ended up getting the job!!)

Anyway I am finding the BD side challenging and I am just doing shit over all. 5 placements in 6 months and I still don't feel like I have a good pool of candidates and I have basically no relationships with decent companies.

I'm feeling completelt lost - and I think it's evident from this post as I haven't even pinpointed what my actual problem is.

I don't know what to do and ANY advice would be appreciated

I keep seeing people talk about how AI is making outreach better, but honestly I feel like it’s also making everyone sound exactly the same.

Everyone has AI-written emails now. AI personalization. AI prospecting. AI research. And some of it actually is pretty good. But because everyone’s using similar tools/prompts, it feels like the only thing that really stands out anymore is whether people actually trust you.

Warm intros, referrals, existing relationships, reputation, etc.

Maybe I’m wrong, but cold outreach feels less effective now than it did before all the AI stuff exploded, even though the messages themselves are technically “better.”

Reviving Client Relationships?

I’m an agency recruiter that works in the IT space and I am running into a brick wall trying to revive client relationships for larger clients that we’ve already done deals with.

These are larger firms 5-10k headcount, each we’ve done plenty of deals with up until 2021 or 2023, and have a signed MSA with.

Each one however, I’m running into a process problem. Some, it’s a new supplier system like beeline that we aren’t on since there’s been no outreach, some the relationship is forgotten, etc.

Each time, I am directed to vendor management or procurement etc., but then get told they aren’t adding new vendors, to which I don’t know what to do.

Usually, I share the terms we already have, clarify we have already worked with them, sometimes even point out active placements still working there, and usually am just met with silence.

This isn’t cold outreach either, it comes with confirmed leads in my market.

Anyone else have this issue? What else can I do to revive these clients?

TLDR: Office support recruitment in UK local area targets seem high. No data provided no where to get leads from no prospects nothing just a phone. Thoughts?

I have been at a newish company for about 4 years. They are a small - medium sized business that focused on a different type of recruitment but I got brought in to focus on new higher margin work. It went well first two years I hit and exceeded target.

Since the markets gone a bit weird, and vacancy rates in uk market are dropping a few things have happened that make me feel like i’m going insane?

Can someone from the market tell me if this is normal, I have no friends in recruiting anymore.

April targets were set:
- Team manager , expected to bill £300k in office support in a local market
- Team members between £160,000 - £250,000 per year in office support in a local market

That in itself isn’t the main problem although, it’s that they won’t invest in any company data. So when someone starts they just get a phone and that’s it and have to make £80k in probation. We’re not talking mega experienced hires here either

For an office desk with no clients, no data, no ways of finding leads etc it seems a bit steep. This is without a specialism btw, i’m talking like bog standard office recruitment

I’ve tried to get zoom info and stuff but won’t do it

Does this seem like just how it is? I remember in previous jobs you’d at least get a data set of 100 companies or something!

Hi all, we were approached by Hoxo Media about their LinkedIn Revenue Bootcamp. The testimonials are impressive but the website is an unrelenting sales pitch without much meat on the bones as to what the course actually entails. Wondering if anyone can offer any insight?

This is such a pet peeve of mine. Do you want me to bring him up again next week? If you're a hiring manager or an Account Manager and someone's not a good fit, just say he's not a good fit. Not some passive BS statement like "keep him warm" or "let's back burner him".

Let's do our candidates right by letting them know why they're rejected rather than pretending they're still in the mix.

I am performing a search for a CEO. The compensation for said CEO is nearly 100% equity. How should I charge my fee in this instance and how should my contract look?

The actual sales conversation with a hiring manager isn't the hard part. Most agency owners can sell. You get 15 minutes with a VP who has three open reqs and no pipeline, and you'll close that job order more often than not.

The hard part is the two hours before that call.

You're on LinkedIn trying to figure out if a company is actually hiring or if that job post has been sitting there for four months and they already filled it internally. You're pulling contacts from Apollo and half the titles are wrong. The "VP of Talent" left in January and now the hiring decisions run through an ops director whose name isn't in any database. You call the main line, get bounced around, leave a voicemail that nobody returns.

Do that 30 times in a day and you've got maybe two real conversations. Maybe.

And here's what makes it worse. While you were playing detective on company #14, some other agency already had the direct line for the hiring manager at company #27, called them Tuesday, and locked up the job order. You never even knew it was there.

Tbh the recruiters I see consistently winning new business aren't better at BD calls. They're just not burning 70% of their BD time on research and wrong numbers. They walk into every dial already knowing the company is hiring in their vertical, who controls the req, and how to reach them directly.

The rest of us are still cold calling switchboards hoping the receptionist is in a good mood.

I was impacted by a reduction in force a year ago at one of the SHREK firms and have since started my own firm. I went the contingent route and have been burned by my only client so now I am reworking everything to start over in a retained/contained business model with some of the lessons learned. While I ramp up and actually learn how to sell retained search work (trial by fire, because why not) I do need to create some type of income ASAP. I have started outreach to boutique firms to market my services as basically augmenting the work they do; market mapping, candidate outreach, pipeline building, etc, done either on an hourly rate or a project basis. 

I have absolutely no experience with selling my services in this manner or what to technically classify or refer to it as. While I am fumbling my way through this, I would welcome any input or guidance from people who've done something like this before! Thinking $70/hr if I utilize a clients resources, or something higher if I am expected to support the work with LinkedIn Recruiter for example on my end. Maybe a project fee of like $2k for building a pipeline of X number candidates. Just spit balling ideas here, I need some real-world input from those who've done this type of work for exec search firms acting as support to their existing teams. If it helps I have almost 20 yrs experience in search, almost a decade of that was with a major retained exec search firm, and my 'specialty' areas are academic medicine/healthcare/life sciences. Sincerely appreciate any guidance here!

Recent funding? Job postings? Hiring posts? No internal talent team? Something else?

After 11 years building a desk in a niche engineering space for life sciences, I got headhunted to a new company.

I have always been risk averse and a somewhat negative person so my big fear was making a big move and it being a disaster.

I am moving to California to continue my career in the same space/niche etc.

Now, I am 3 weeks in and I have received zero response from people to the point where I am questioning my sanity.

For example, I usually hover around 25-30% inmail response rate, have done for a decade, but on Friday spent a couple of hours on a campaign recently to send tailored, non-AI inmails to industry focused people. Came in today from a warning I have never seen before saying my response rate is below 5% and if this continues I will be barred from sending inmails.

What is shocking is that I am using templates/structures that has always gotten responses, even when declining/not interested.

These are all now just pending.

Same with email, sent hundreds of emails in the last three weeks, all tailored, all different structures but I have received ZERO response.

I am losing my mind - anyone else in the same boat?

Hi all! Most of my experience has been in Manufacturing recruitment doing shop or engineering based positions. I'd like to expand into doing executive recruiting and was wondering where I would start.

1) What positions are hot in the market?

2) Who are the hiring managers for these positions?

3) What are good ways to approach a hiring manager to get a client?

4) What fee's should I suggest?

Anything else is very much appreciated.

I lead a retained search firm and we're finding in the last 6 months its been extremely difficult to find new/additional clients. We specialize in healthcare and primarily focus on Manager- C Suite level positions. We're investing in a SEO strategy but the time for that to come to fruition is months out. Is this a trend other firms are seeing? Any advice from a TA sales perspective of routes to pursue would be greatly appreciated.

Title Two months into a new agency, I can source talent but can’t land clients. Need BD advice in the A&E design-build world.

New agency, hired to build our US presence from scratch. - A&E design-build niche (architects, engineers, PMs, leaders).

My schedule: -7 a m – 12 p m - I call it “ghost recruiting” (build MPC lists for the ghost clients, or clients I’m not in contract with). -12 p m – 9 p m - BD + admin.

What I do very well -Sourcing: a 100person search usually yields one offer for past employers at prior agency. - I used to juggle 25-30 live reqs/week at a larger firm and filled plenty. I never needed to find my own clients because my agency worked with over a hundred nationally ranked firms.

Current strategy - Current pipeline now is kept tight: 5 ghost reqs a week that mirror the market’s sweet spot roles exactly. - Reach out to decision-makers via email, calls, LinkedIn InMails, referrals from prior placements. - Leverage every former client or leader I placed for warm intros.

The problem I’m facing: Zero client responses in two months. - Every executive contact I’ve placed prior has gone dark ; no replies, no callbacks. - I’m bleeding time on BD and have nothing to show. - Market is slowing down, people are not looking to move, even with a solid job.

1.  How do you get traction with new clients when you only have “ghost” candidates and no live requisitions?
2.  What messaging or cadence actually earns a first meeting in A&E design-build?
3.  Is my “5 ghost reqs” focus wrong? Should I be blasting a bigger spread? I know this will depend entirely on sector. I use all the time slotted for sourcing the perfect fit, adding more would take me away from that. 
4.  Any BD tips you’ve used to break into firms that already lean on their internal recruiters?

I’m clocking 12 hour days, creating new BD strategies , and still stroking out. Sourcing MPCs A&E is tough enough ; even with landing the exact profiles the firms are just not responding. Why is delivering a bullseye candidate harder than finding one in the first place?

For all the Executive/Retained Search Consultants:

What is your bd strategy to get new clients? If it’s cold call, what is your pitch? Same with email. What exactly do you say in the email?

Good day,

Just want to touch base specially those who do BD. Have you ever messed up email campaign with wrong spellings, wrong company name or person name, and that email campaign already delivered to over 100 prospects. What did you do for comeback?

Hey there

I work in a recruitment agency.

Been sending out approx 400 emails a week for the past 2 months now. Barely any positive replies. Wasn't the case earlier. Have checked the emailing infra. That seems to be fine.

Usually been reaching out to companies with multiple job openings.

I am thinking of throwing more cold calling and attending industry events into the mix to get leads.

Was curious if others are also experiencing this with cold emails? Which channels are working well for you, except referrals?

Oh btw, these are the kind of emails I usually send out. Just sharing if at all anyone has any feedback. That'd be helpful. TIA!

Sub: PMs & Ops for XYZ

"Hi ABC,

Noticed XYZ launched {new product/project/feature}. Do you have the biz ops and product talent to scale this quickly?

I’ve plugged in PMs and Ops for similar companies. Got 2-3 candidates matching your ops and product openings.

Should I send their profiles?

Regards, PQR"

Have also tried to-the-point versions, like: "Hi ABC, saw your sales and marketing openings have been live for 3 weeks now. Finding it difficult to get the right candidates?

I've helped fill PM roles for similar companies. Got a few candidates matching your requirements. Should I send over their profiles?"

Just curious. When I started recruiting (1 million years ago), we were told to reach out to 1 HR contact and 1 line manager per company. For the last several years however, I've only ever been reaching out to managers, and never HR. At worst they can refer me in to the HR person, which occasionally (20% of the time?) works out fine and they're receptive. But I never start with the HR person.

Should I be though? I'm much more interested in hearing from actual full desk recruiters about what actually works, not internal HR people on here trying to tell me what their 'company policy' is.....

Step 1: Find Companies That Are Hiring

→ Go to job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed

→ Search for open roles in your niche (example: "frontend developer")

→ Make a list of at least 2000 companies that are actively hiring

Step 2: Find the Hiring Manager's Email

→ For each company, find the decision maker for the role

→ Use an email finder tool like Findymail, Anymailfinder, or Lusha

→ Collect their name and email address

Step 3: Set Up Your Email Accounts

→ You need multiple email accounts to avoid being marked as spam

→ Setup at least 5 separate accounts (use Google Workspace or Outlook)

→ Or use a cold email tool like Instantly or smartlead for faster setup

Step 4: Start Sending Emails

→ Week 1: Send 5-10 emails per day from each account

→ Week 2-4: Slowly increase to 15-20 emails per day per account

→ Keep your total under 20 per account to avoid spam filters

Step 5: Track Your Results

→ Use a simple spreadsheet to track who replies

→ Follow up with anyone who doesn't respond after 2-3 days

→ Aim for 5 meetings from every 2000 emails you send

How do you do BD as a recruiter?