Hi Danny,

Hello, I just signed up yesterday so this is the 1st time I’m using the program.

When you speak with a possible candidate and they are not interested however ask you to send your contact information of course you ask them who they know not someone that they know is looking but anyone who is good at what they do. What is a good email message to send them for referrals? Thank you.

Danny’s response,

Welcome to the According to Danny family! We hope to be a contributing factor in you reaching your goals!! (So let us know when you have a deal pending and we’ll cross our fingers and do our relentless hope dance!)

Meanwhile, you’re right that “send me your contact info” can be anything on the spectrum from “…I’m brushing you off nicely and we shall never interact again…” to an excellent opportunity for you to maximize this call.

My recruiters would instinctively…

• Thank this person for his/her time, let them know that the real value in connecting was starting a relationship. We like to tell our candidates that the one thing we know is that circumstances can change overnight, and that everyone should have 3 numbers on their fridge, their doctor, the police and a headhunter immersed in their niche, because what is more important that your health, your safety, and your livelihood?
• Get their cell number and offer yours. (then you can text them, and people respond to texts much faster than any other channel)
• Get their email so you can “send the info” and tell them you will send a LinkedIn Invite. (if you haven’t already obviously)
• “While I have you, let me borrow your expertise. Let’s brainstorm. The client for the job I called you about will begin interviewing soon, who do you know with a similar profile to yours that you respect enough to want to help? (It needs to be that open ended. You want them ruminating, you don’t want them remembering a guy who just got fired for poor performance, so don’t ever ask who is looking or available.) This can also be in the email you follow up with if you choose rather than on the phone, but I’d do it live.
• Tell them you are always interested in new clients and you know they are wired into what is happening. Who else is hiring that they know of?
• I’d close by reassuring them that you are a call or email away if they ever have career questions or issues, and not to hesitate to use you as No Judgment Sounding Board.

The email should be no more than a couple of paragraphs. Include a short description of the job you are searching for (without so much info it gives the identity away), and suggest: “Feel free to forward this to anyone you think it might benefit and have them get in touch with me.”

Some people create templates, but I prefer you, if you can be succinct enough, create this message for every quality candidate you speak to. You CANNOT afford to do this for everyone. Some people simply are not worth your time. That sounds cold, I know, but you are not a social worker.

Good luck!! I look forward to working with you!