Keeping the Faith

Hi Danny, I'm a 20-year veteran of the business and have had a fair amount of success ($5+ million in placements). However, I specialize in IT and, as of late, find myself rethinking whether I'm still capable in this field. I've zipped two months in a row and am having a very hard time staying positive and pounding the rock. I find myself disgusted by 2 p.m. and indulging my own personal "Weapons of Mass Distraction." I've worked my way out of slumps before and weathered the recessions of ‘82 and ‘91/92 but am finding this recession even more frustrating. Other than increasing my confidence through success (placements) which obviously works, is there another elixir of confidence out there? What should I be reading, listening to, drinking, smoking? Hey, trust me; I'm keeping all options open on this. Danny's response, If this were 12-18 months ago, my advice would be the same that I gave the two IT recruiters in my office, and the two IT recruiters I had working virtually for me on the West Coast. That is to say: “Stick a fork in it. You’re done in IT. Move on. Let’s try Biotech.” In the case of the people in my office - one does pharmacists, the other [...]

We’ll Never Be Royals or Loyals

Hi Danny, For some reason I am finding old clients going to new sources although our candidates are staying, no one left, and I can’t find any issues. Without seeming desperate how can I ask them what happened? I have asked one and they said it wasn’t their call and they don’t know why. We don’t work on exclusivity so I can’t understand what happened. At the same time, for some reason some companies are still signing contracts, giving us a mandate then not replying although I know they are working with other recruiters on the mandates we were asked to work on or they leave me in the dust. What am I doing wrong???? I feel like the market is picking up yet I had the two most terrible quarters imaginable…H-E-L-P Danny's response, The world you want, and think you have earned, one in which whenever there is an opening or staffing need at the clients you’ve done quality work for, they all sit in a meeting, sign off the req and then send out the Bat Signal into the night sky with your company’s logo, doesn’t exist anymore, if it ever did. One of my big “aha” moments in business and life was when I realized [...]

Doing Time

Question : Hey Danny - what do you do when your candidate after my follow up who just passed the guarantee period with a Fortune 500 company tells you: "Just between us…I am not really happy here. It's starting to feel a bit like prison… :( So if you have other similar positions I may consider moving in a few months. But not before you receive your bonus for this transaction. :) If you'd like, please give me a call tonight after 7pm, I will discuss with you in more detail." My response was: "Thanks for your feedback. Sorry to hear that you have had a bad experience. Unfortunately there is not much I can do for you - but to recommend for you to talk with your hiring manager about this after you give it a bit more time to see if things get better." Anything else I should have done to cover it better? My Response: While you handled this like a virtuoso from an ethical point of view, from a consultative, empathetic point of view, you were tone deaf. He/she is not leaving. At least not anytime soon. (When they are leaving you don’t get a call from them, you get a call from your [...]

Deal or No Deal

The Warning signs that your deal is dying and how to respond. When you lose a deal, it shouldn’t be a surprise. Your client and/or candidate have been trying to tell you for days and even weeks that they have changed their mind. BUT YOU CAN’T HEAR THEM. You’re too busy trying to recall a canned script or overselling the parts of the deal that are unimpeachable. Lots of energy is expended, lots of prayers are sent skyward and lots of nervous nights. It doesn’t have to be that way. First you have to HEAR what they’re saying. Then you have to MEASURE the concern, weigh your ACTIONABLE options, and deliver a solution without emotion. And if, as is sometimes the case, you have to abandon the deal, we’ll talk about how to do that with a certain level of grace.  Tweet any questions to @ATD_Danny & feel free to email me : danny@accordingtodanny.com. Member Price: Meeting on DVD: $107.99 Webcast On-Demand: $34.99 (FREE for Premium Members)