Temporary Staffing Industry Best Practices
The following is a candid and straightforward commentary from the client’s vantage point on agency cold calling practices regarding temporary staffing. Be forewarned, it’s not pretty. If you want some honest feedback read on. If not, hit the eject button right about now.
This ounce of “tough love” is meant to challenge you, awaken you and lead you to improved outcomes. If you’ve read to this point, I congratulate you for braving this article. I think having an open mind to discovering new perspectives is essential in order to learn and gather tools that will not only make you and your business better, but help you enjoy new accomplishments. I think you’re in agreement, since you’re still on the page with me.
Over the years, I’ve witnessed hundreds upon hundreds of staffing agency cold calls. I marvel at how heavily this strategy is relied upon by agencies. This includes the ones that I have some kind of relationship with or to those just prospecting. The “CC” is so widespread it almost seems sacred within the industry. Despite the volume, I can count on one hand the cold calls that I’ve responded positively to.
Talking to colleagues, a hot button goes off on this topic. It warrants pet peeve status. I hear many of the same remarks and complaints about this agency practice. The majority feel these calls can be disruptive, insincere and predictable. They can also call into question the level of business an agency has, since often they’re made at regular intervals to many of the same client companies. Are they acts of desperation?
News that client’s generally don’t respond well to cold calling in itself isn’t earth shaking news to an agency. But, what should be of interest to staffing agencies is a little deeper knowledge and understanding from the client’s world as to why. There is a lesson here to grasp.
As a human resource professional responsible for selecting staffing agencies and securing temporary employees, amongst the myriad of other job related tasks, you can only begin to imagine how many phone calls come in on a daily basis. Following that thought, then begin to consider how many of these calls are from someone “wanting something”. A staffing agency call “Just checking in to see if you need temporary staffing, letting you know we’ve got great temps, want to get on the list as a back up agency in case the primary can’t fulfill a need, or see if there is any kind of opening that we can help you with” call . . . is no different. These calls are still “wanting something” from that company professional and adding another tug for this person’s time and attention. It’s another request for information or a decision. This is simplistic, but gets to the root of why many clients do not accept cold calls, have gatekeepers and won’t even consider hearing what you have to say. It’s because you “want something” from them. Who is going to invite just one more appeal to an already overflowing workload?
Since this is one of my own “hot buttons”, I’ll offer a spoonful of rantings at this point and provide additional thoughts on this subject as we go further. There is one last item to mention here and that is to realize that when an agency cold call clients and prospects, they lump themselves in with all the other cold callers that are vying for HR or manager’s attention with a pitch. It follows the same path as the calls for gym memberships, periodicals, copy machines and supplies, coffee services, HR surveys and benefit consultants and getting stopped by gatekeepers who file all these calls under one heading “Unwanted Solicitors”. You may as well take a number and get in line with the rest of the people calling with services and products who are all saying “Buy from us.”
If an agency is really serious about setting itself apart from the pack, working with higher standards that will give them long distance endurance, building relationships of value, excelling and winning in business, arriving through a cold call to a client or prospect’s space “wanting something” is arriving in a position of need. It is neither empowering for an agency rep nor impressive to a client. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say, it can be a side swipe on the agency brand by getting labeled as a “cold caller”. Why not give this practice some serious thought and development? Bring it into the modern day world and the updated ways in which we work. Take into account what is valued by your clients, the effective techniques for communication and what you can GIVE not GET. (Note: intentional shouting by use of CAPS).
I view a company’s staffing needs and strategies as extremely important. It carries more weight and value to a company than a beverage service or a gym membership (no offense to coffee services and gyms everywhere). An agency’s message of outstanding service may be of great interest to a company, yet goes unheard because of the old style methodologies employed by cold calling. My entrepreneurial spirit cringes when I see this missed opportunity by agencies and the many tenured agency pro’s who use this technique unsuccessfully.
This is an area for some awakening and rethinking. These are new times bringing new challenges, which call for new measures. Great solutions are brought about by great problems. We’ve got plenty of them now with this economy. Staffing agencies are enduring one of the longest and deepest gluts they’ve ever seen in business. Don’t get stuck focusing on the “problem”. Go for the “solution”. Those companies that are finding the solutions are innovating their way right through to success. Take a good, hard look at the cold call practice at your agency and see how you can move away from arriving from a needy position. When you do, HR and managers will start taking your calls and you will be surprised at the doors that may begin to open.
I’ve got lots of ideas on this topic, so stay tuned for more on the “cold call” . . .
This is the place for talk about the “temp world”. I’ll be sharing insights, tips, news and other related tidbits to enrich agencies, temps and clients. Each one of these groups touch the other and complete the full temping circle. I will do my best to inform, share experiences and offer ideas. All that will be required of you is your interest and zest for learning and sharing. A good sense of humor can’t hurt either! Thank you for joining me.
20 Responses to Tough Love on Temporary Staffing Cold Calling Practices
David Searns
August 5th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Great article Catherine!
We’ve been up on our soapbox more than ever this year preaching that it’s time for staffing companies to change their sales tactics. While “dial and smile” may have had some benefit when companies were hiring so fast they could not find talent, there is no role for this practice in today’s economy. If you’re going to call, and interrupt someone’s day, the interruption better be worthwhile. You should have insight to offer, information to share, or some other tangible way to add value. Today, if you can’t show HR how you can make an real impact on cost reduction, quality, performance, or risk management, you don’t have anything to GET.
Keep up the great articles!
David
Jon Mufson
August 5th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Hi Catherine,
I understand and appreciate the view from the other side of telephone. I am not sure how you expect these temp agencies to gain your audience. Cold Calling is one way for them to sell their attributes and tell you how they can become a strategic partner. Alternatively these agencies can email or mail you information and then you press delete or throw out the enormous amount of correspondence. I would be interested to hear what suggestions you have so new organizations could gain your audience. I am not in the temp world but in executive search we need to constantly cold call to gain access to decision makers and find out what their needs are. I can assure you that most recruiters staffing or direct hire would love an alternative to cold calling. Cold calling is no fun and I agree with you in this economy not overly effective. Networking and referrals are the best entree to getting new business. I would like to hear your thoughts.
thanks
Jon
Molly
August 6th, 2009 at 8:12 am
I get it – no cold calling, but you provided no real alternative suggestions. How would you recommend we “GIVE” if we can’t speak with the prospect?
Brad Smith
August 7th, 2009 at 8:44 am
Hi Catherine,
Great post, I couldn’t agree more. As a marketing firm that focuses exclusively on the Staffing and Recruiting industry, we work with hundreds of staffing firms and this sales approach is all too common.
Many staffing firms see their business as a numbers game…the more cold calls you make, the more orders you’ll get. That might have worked in the past, but it certainly doesn’t anymore.
Instead of cold calls, we teach our clients how to use education content to position themselves as workforce experts and trusted advisors–not simply a vendor looking for an order. Now this isn’t something that can be done overnight, but over an extended period of time it can be an extremely valuable tool and a very profitable approach to “selling”.
If anyone is interested we have a collection of articles and best practices to help staffing sales reps get beyond just cold-calling at:
http://www.haleymarketing.com/howto/
I hope you find this useful and thanks again for a very insightful post.
Brad
HR professional gives advice to staffing firms | Ask Haley
August 7th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
[...] http://www.catherinepistole.com/blog/tough-love-on-temporary-staffing-cold-calling-practices/ [...]
Catherine Pistole
August 10th, 2009 at 5:00 am
Hi Molly,
Stay tuned . . . I have some solutions that will be forthcoming. I am following a strategy on this topic, since it’s a real hot button for many. My first step is to highlight the issue and bring attention to it so there is thought given as to how it affects clients and why many of the cold calls don’t work. Without a deeper understanding, I don’t think a true change can come. For starters, one of the things you can “GIVE” is an effective introduction. No sale, just introduce yourself and the agency. Prospective clients will be pleasantly surprised with no sales pitch, just a friendly intro for starters. Developing a client will take time, but will be worth it in the long run. Many thanks for your interest and taking the time to write me!
Catherine Pistole
August 10th, 2009 at 5:09 am
Thank you Brad! I appreciate the support. The “cold calling” issue is a tough one, but one by one, people are starting to realize that clients “are just not into you” when an agency calls to sell themselves. You are on to the key . . . EDUCATION and the fact that this takes some time. Cold calling is a yesteryear approach. New times, new methods! I hope you’ll stay tuned . . .
Catherine Pistole
August 10th, 2009 at 5:11 am
Jon,
Please stay tuned. I will be writing much more on this, since it’s a passionate topic for both HR and staffing agencies. I want to highlight the issue with due respect so that it can be digested and a deeper understanding of how this is viewed by clients and why it’s not working. I will be offering my thoughts on how to better approach clients. Thank you for writing me and your readership!
Catherine Pistole
August 10th, 2009 at 5:15 am
Hi David,
Love the “smile and dial” reference! Unfortunately, for clients, they’re being “called and appalled” many times. Thank you for writing me and stay tuned for more . .
Nikki
August 14th, 2009 at 11:03 am
Hi Catherine,
I really do appreciate the information that you shared on this cold call factor for agencies. However when I started my agency last year I vowed that I would become an agency that did not cold call and I am still holding firm to that business practice. However I have been laughed at by other staffing professionals that have simply told me that this is staffing agency suicide. I have used a different approach with some success but it all comes down to building relationships and educating on the fundamentals of staffing and this is something that does not happen overnight.
Catherine Pistole
August 14th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Hi Nikki,
Yes, this definitely doesn’t happen overnight. Work with your clients in partnership and you will get there. You are building for longevity. Things are changing because clients are not responding to the “old ways” or accepting what they might have in the past. Companies are demanding more.
Thank you for your readership and dropping me a note. I very much enjoy the feedback.
Best,
Cathy
Jim Della Volpe
August 17th, 2009 at 9:45 am
Catherine, I agree that if a vendor calls without a WIFY (what’s in it for you) approach, why should you listen. I coach clients to ask for a meeting in odrer to learn about the client , share how they have helped other clients with staffing solutions and then offer to let the client decide if there is a potential fit.
I realize that you & your colleagues can’t see everyone, so why not tell vendors; that you are no longer accepting vendors in category X and that you look at that every 6 months or when ever? If calls are rarely answered then a rep will keep trying to reach a busy person.
Catherine Pistole
August 19th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
Hi Jim,
I think having agency reps try and meet with a potential client when they cold call is one way to go. But, that’s a tall order! My point about callers “wanting something” from a potential client applies here. Reps are much better off offering something with their call such as a brief intro and informational material as a further intro and to demonstrate their expertise. Stalking a client because they can’t take a rep’s call is absolutely the wrong way to go and will turn off a client completely. There’s no excuse for anyone in business to do this. After a couple of tries, best to mail a brochure, business card and that informational material I mentioned and see what happens!
Best and thanks for reading and taking a moment to share your thoughts.
Cathy
Gary Franklin
August 27th, 2009 at 2:00 am
Catherine, very well written and I couldn’t agree more.
There have been many occasions over the last 12 months where I have conversations on this very point with my own in house colleagues and with those in other companies. This issue is not sacred to the temping agencies; all types of agencies do it.
It is tedious, boring and a waste of my time. It still surprised me that even this week I had someone cold call me and ask me what my company does.
Whilst we all know that the cold call is a waste of time, will we ever be rid of it? I think not, it will remain one of those nuisance issues that have to be dealt with. However Catherine I can’t wait for the next installment!
Catherine Pistole
August 28th, 2009 at 12:23 am
Hi Gary,
Thank you for spending some time at my blog page and providing your feedback. Agreed. I don’t think the cold call will completely go away. In a bad market, the calls ramp up and then ease some when things improve. It’s amazing that those making cold calls don’t enjoy doing them, almost as much as those receiving the them!
Until next week!
Best,
Cathy
Rob
September 14th, 2009 at 10:45 pm
The funny thing is everyone on this page owes his/he job to a cold call at some point. Cold calls will never go away and if they do…so will alot more jobs and competition. With that comes higher prices and all the marketing smoke and mirrors being mentioned.
Call prospects and be honest, if you can’t return a call to say “no” then that says something about you. If clients want to continue to pay huge specialty shops prime rates because you can’t take a call then they should disable facebook to free up your time. HR cost the client more due to lack of knowledge and pure power struggle attitudes. That being said I do work with some that truly get it and step out of the way until the deal is inked.
Catherine Pistole
September 15th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Thanks Rob for taking the time to share your thoughts. Agreed, issues on both sides. When each do their part, it’s a more beautiful thing and provides a necessary service on multiple levels. Pls. stay tuned!
Best regards,
Cathy
Bob Goodman
September 16th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Hi Catherine,
The information in your blog is very helpful.
HOW would you handle a situation were HR gets back to you but the department does not get back to HR with feedback?
Bob
Scott Jones
October 20th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Catherine,
I enjoyed reading the blog. I’m wondering how the sales people in your business go about contacting their clients? If you aren’t selling pizza, your phone generally doesn’t just ring with requests for your services or products. Cold calling is ONE effective way of meeting new prospects. If done correctly, the “interruption” should last no longer than a minute or so.
thanks,
Scott
Catherine Pistole
October 22nd, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Scott,
Thank you for visiting my blog. My company works through referrals. It’s not the type of business where they would ever cold call someone. They call strictly through highly reliable referrals. So, the nature of the business will come into play. I write about staffing because I am cold called every day and have been for years. I am sympathetic to their cause because agencies are just trying to make new contacts. I do think there are more effective ways to do this in today’s business world since so much has changed and clients are more sophisticated than they were in the past. Client work differently, so agencies need to match strategies with what clients will relate to. Hope that’s helpful!
Best regards,
Cathy