10 Real Answers to 10 Common Objections

Presenter: Greg Doersching, Founder – The Griffin Group

For the past 15 years, Greg Doersching has been recognized as one of the most cutting edge
voices in the recruiting industry. He is an international trainer and has presented dozens of
workshops and keynote addresses for recruiting association events. He is consistently rated as
one of the top presenters for each conference. Greg is Managing Partner and Founder of The
Griffin Search Group, a national search firm working in the direct hire placement industry. He is
an active recruiter who still runs a highly productive desk; he is in the trenches day-to-day, just
like the rest of us. He is also developer and chief architect of the highly successful Bullseye
Recruiting Process.

About This Segment

In this presentation, Greg shares his guide for how to manage the common resistance we hear in
recruiting. He takes us through the three most common categories of resistance including: client
development objections, “working together resistance”, and candidate resistance. Greg provides
numerous ideas, talking points, and actual scripts to use to manage resistance and close more
business.

Meeting, Week 1: “10 Real Answers to 10 Constant Objections” by Greg

Doersching
If you are reviewing this episode with a team, break this episode into two different
segments. Watch the entire first half, and pause the segment at intermission. Week 1’s
suggested viewing schedule and exercises are below.

Facilitator: In this first segment, Greg looked through a critical lens at five of the most common
forms of client development resistance encountered on a phone call. Before we discuss and role
play each of those pieces of resistance, let’s talk first about his opening statement – what can you
actually overcome?

Take a moment to list out ten of the typical statements that are made when your phone call is
answered on the other end by either a candidate or client. These objections may vary from
recruiter to recruiter, and be impacted by tenure, niche, and style so it’s important to create your
own list to evaluate. Now, take a look at that list and engage in an open dialogue around the
following:

• Can each of those statements actually be overcome?

• Remove your “recruiter hat”; what is really going on when a candidate or client raises
that objection?

• What is not being said by the candidate or client when they raise the objection(s) listed?

• How confident, or prepared, do you feel with your current delivery when responding
to each of the statements listed? Why do you not feel more comfortable; is it possibly
because you could be better prepared, or is it possibly because you are attempting to
overcome a concern that should not be overcome?
Facilitator: Step one, before moving forward with any client development conversation, is to find
out the answer to one critical question:

DOES THIS CLIENT USE AGENCIES OR NOT?

If the answer to this question is no, anything that follows in the conversation and resistance are
justifications behind why they have made this decision. Essential to realize is that if the answer is
no, the odds are extremely low that they will become paying clients. There’s always a chance –
but move on to the next call after engaging in the following steps:

• Plant the seeds for the future; if and when they ever change their stance on
agencies, set yourself up for success. Share facts about the future, make sure to
send your contact information, and remind them that all client relationships started
somewhere. What does “planting seeds for the future” this look like to you, and how
will you implement within your marketplace?

Greg’s Script:

“Sally, it would be funny if you knew how many of the best clients I have today said
exactly the same thing 5 years ago when I reached out to them. I realize you probably
don’t need me today and I’m not going to try to change your mind. I do know that special
circumstances always pop up and when they do, I just want you to know who you can
reach out to who can offer you a solution for that one-of-a-kind candidate your company
may need one day. This is especially relevant as we head to the future; I just read an
article that in 2010, for every 2.2 people who turned age 65 there was only be 1 person
who turned 35. Ultimately, the way people used to be able to fill key staff positions just
isn’t going to be the same anymore. Let me do this; let me get you both my personal and
company information and when the day comes that you do decide a recruiter could really
be a help, you’ll know how to reach me.”

Facilitator: The second objection that Greg explores is the following:

WE DON’T PAY FEES.

It’s critical to recognize that the “don’t” in the first statement is a very strong term, and it behooves
you to clarify what the actual objection is. It is possible that never, ever in the history of the
company have they ever paid a fee; however, what they are more commonly stating is that they
don’t use recruiters on this type of search or that they don’t use recruiters they don’t know, which
would be you. A universal response that works for this and so many other objections is by
asking, very simply, “why”. Don’t be afraid to answer a question with a question; you might
actually find that it’s more effective and more impactful than any well-crafted rebuttal.
Ultimately, this could still very much be a strong “non-buying” sign. If so, Greg suggests getting
off the phone and starting to think about open positions you have and if any of their employees
might make good candidates! During the call:

• Understand their position, educate them on the fact that the cost of an unfilled
position could be greater than the cost of a fee, and close for next steps. What does
this look like to you, and how do you want to handle this statement in the future?

Greg’s Script:

“Jim, I understand that if you have made a business decision not to budget for the use of
a recruiter, there’s nothing I can say to change your mind. I do know this one thing; there
are a lot of cases where the cost of having an unfilled role is ultimately more expensive
than the cost of my fees. Would you mind if I did this - let me get you my information and
if the day ever comes when you decide otherwise, you’ll know how to reach me.”

Facilitator: Let’s move to the third piece of resistance that may be encountered:

WE ARE GETTING A LOT OF RESPONSE TO OUR ADS.

Greg’s initial suggestion is to be careful not to come across as arrogant when responding to this
statement; take a tone that makes them believe you are more concerned about them wasting
their time than proving you are as good as you say you are. Obviously, as recruiters we know that
passive candidates versus active candidates are two completely different candidate pools.

• Remind the client that it costs them nothing to evaluate for themselves and determine
if your candidates are of a different caliber than the ones that are sourced through
postings. Sifting through piles of resumes requires time they could use somewhere
else, and lots of responses don’t necessarily equate to lots of good candidates.
What will your next steps and approach be for this objection?

Greg’s Script:

“Jim, I’m sure you get the same thing happening to you that we used to get when we ran
an ad – lots of paper and very few matches. The time it takes to sift through all of that
paperwork feels so counterproductive.
 That’s part of what makes working with an agency like ours so valuable. We free you up
to work on other areas of your desk that are more important. I know you’ve heard some
of this before Jim, but let me prove how truly different we are.

Would you mind if I did this? Let me just send you just two profiles, that’s it – just two, of
the very best people I can find. You can compare them to what comes in from your ad,
and if one or both of my people become of interest to you after you look them over, let me
know and we can talk further from there. If they’re not of interest – no problem. There is
absolutely no cost to you to do the comparison. Would that be ok?”

Facilitator: Greg’s fourth objection is certainly a common one:

WE DON’T HAVE A NEED AT THIS TIME.

Greg states that this particular objection walks a fine line; it could be a “non-buying” sign and they
are attempting to give you a polite brush-off, or it could be legitimately that they just don’t have a
need right now. Remember that at times, the best rebuttals come from simply continued
questioning. Be prepared with a list of high-gain questions that you can ask to ascertain if, in fact,
there are no openings – and if there truly aren’t, what needs to happen for there to be.

• Greg suggests making sure to still send the client your contact information, but
assess if they have any possible needs on the horizon and if they did, if they would
use a recruiter to fill it. What will your next steps and approach be for this objection?

Possible Script:

“I absolutely hear you – candidly, not all clients have needs right now – and some may
have even let go of a few people. I’m not saying you should hire MANY, or even ANY
new associates, but ultimately, one of three things will inevitably happen. One, a critical
individual leaves the team, two, you need to replace low producing staff, or three, to
infiltrate a new sector of the market that you currently don’t have market share. My goal
is to get to know you and your organization - what opportunities you face as well as the
challenges. If I can truly get to know you and your wants and aspirations, then I will know
what kind of talent you will need that will help get you there. I have yet to talk to a hiring
manager that tells me they wouldn’t want to consider a candidate that represented an
accelerated achievement of an objective. It is easy to hit delete on your email if the
people I send you are not a fit. But what kind of individual would allow you to expand into
some sectors that you aren’t yet currently in? Or, you agreed earlier that for the right
individual, you COULD create an opportunity – what does that person look like?”
Facilitator: Before we break, let’s discuss the fifth form of resistance Greg shared:

SEND ME SOME INFORMATION AND I’LL KEEP IT ON FILE.

Greg “recruiter’s intuition” on this one is that this is a polite brush off. He suggests getting the
client your information and moving on. An alternative suggestion could be to share with the client
that you will send them your contact info, and they do not have to review anything, respond to
anything, and do nothing but simply answer the phone in one month when you call them back. If
you can seek agreement on that first part, don’t wrap up the call without asking for an answer to
the following – when you do call back in a month, what kind of information from their competitors
would be good to share with them?

• Remember, hearing “no” doesn’t mean that you did something wrong, it just means
that they more than likely weren’t ready to use you – yet. The key is to make sure
that when they are, no matter when that is, it’s you that they use. How will you work
to ensure this within your marketplace?

Possible Script:

“I am more than happy to send you our pretty, professionally printed, slick corporate
dossier. I am relatively confident that it will sit in the stack of other pretty, professionally
printed dossiers that you’ve accumulated on your desk. You and I both know that what’s
important isn’t how our PR materials compare to other firm’s PR materials – what is
important is understanding your needs, your hiring process, and your strategic growth
plans. The only question that you really need answered is ‘can this firm get me the
people I need.’ I ask that you give me your most urgent and critical search, give me one
week, and let me give you a better assessment of our firm than any corporate dossier
ever will be able to. Fair?”
Week 2 Meeting: “10 Real Answers to 10 Constant Objections” by Greg
Doersching
Resume the video where you left off last week (the beginning of the second half of the
video), and use the Facilitation Guide to help you continue to enhance your recruiting
presentations and platforms. Watch through the end of the video.

Facilitator: In Week’s 1 Meeting, we explored the common forms of client development

resistance that are based on “non-buying” concerns. This week, we’ll explore those that are
forms of resistance of a more positive nature – there are objections, but they are “buying”
objections! Let’s dive in to Greg’s first “buying sign” objection:

WE ALREADY WORK WITH AN AGENCY.

The company has already assigned value to building a professional relationship with a search
firm. It’s essential to reinforce that you are not asking them to end that current relationship, but
instead asking for simply the opportunity to run alongside their current firm’s efforts. Ultimately,
every recruiting firm has hands-off clients, and there may be a few organizations that their current
recruiter cannot recruit from that you can. To guarantee full coverage of the market, partner your
efforts with theirs, and earn the right to future business. Greg’s suggested steps including the
following:

• Acknowledge to the client that this is actually a great issue to have! Confirm that you
respect their other relationship, see if the other agency is struggling on a specific
position, and position yourself as a backup. How do you plan to modify this for your
style and discipline?

Greg’s Script:

“Jim, it’s good to hear you actually appreciate the value of partnering with an agency and
I completely respect when you have a good partnership in place. I also understand that
there are certain positions that your current agency may not be as proficient as finding
candidates for as we might be. All I’d like to do is, should you find yourself in the position
that you are struggling with a certain position, reach out to me as resource to back them
up. Are there any positions right now where your current agency isn’t providing you
enough of the quality candidates you need for a specific opening?”

Facilitator: Let’s move to Greg’s second “buying sign” form of resistance – the one that keeps
most recruiters up at night:

YOUR FEES ARE TOO HIGH.

It’s important to recognize that “too high” is certainly a relative term – and sometimes this is just
the standard response to any percent that you ever quote no matter the percent. Sometimes, this
can be a response that you hear if you haven’t yet provided enough value in the call, or when
articulating the process behind the search, to justify the cost of a higher-charging firm. Often, this
client doesn’t realize that there is only a few thousand dollars difference between hiring the best
candidate, or firm, and hiring the least expensive candidate or firm. Greg’s suggestions are as
follows:

• Recruiters who take this statement as an objection are making a huge mistake; this is
the beginning of a negotiation with someone who wants to buy as soon as you can
come to term on price! It is not difficult to raise your prices slightly with clients who
like and value the work that you do – once you prove yourself, your leverage
increases significantly! Build in a guaranteed raise for doing good work after you
prove yourself. How can you incorporate Greg’s discussion points into something
that works for your practice?

Greg’s Script:

“Jim, I’m sorry you feel that way, but for the kind of service I know other agencies provide
I’m not surprised by it at all. If all I was going to do was push paper across your desk and
hope I get lucky, I would also agree then my fees are too high – but that’s not what I’m
talking about. However, I would prefer not to argue fees with you at all, because I believe
our service speaks for itself. Here’s what I’ll do - I’ll send you a fee agreement right now
that agrees to the 20% fee you’re used to. Then I’ll show you the kind of work we do and
I’ll show it to you at that price as many times as you need it this year. But on January 1,
(year) my fee goes to 25% for any work we do after that date and if after a year of
working with me I haven’t proven to you why we are worth that fee you can walk away for
me with no hard feelings. Is that fair?”

Facilitator: Next, let’s explore Greg’s second example of a “buying sign” shaped in the form of
resistance:

WE HAVE AN APPROVED VENDOR LIST.

He recognizes that although this is a buying signal, it’s not a quick buying signal. If this is their
process, they aren’t going to change their process for you. More than likely, the primary purpose
of that list is to maintain some control over who they ultimately utilize for filling their needs, and
don’t end up with thousands of recruiters all vying for their business. Go through the steps to
begin approval, because although what we do is more akin to partnering to help companies solve
higher level problems than just providing commodities for everyday use as a vendor, now is not
the time to change the universal policy. Greg’s thoughts around this process are as follows:
 • Do find out how you get on the approved list, but prior to doing so, see if it is worth
your time to even go through those steps. Certainly, it’s realistic to think that not
every call results in an immediate job order, and getting “approved” might just be the
first step in building that future partnership. How can you incorporate Greg’s
discussion points into something that works for your practice?

Greg’s Script:

“Sally, I completely understand why you evaluate the search firms you work with and
you’re certainly not the first company who wanted some clarification on the value of the
relationship before they entered into it. Let me ask you something, considering my
specialty is (explain niche discipline); is that an area where you find yourself having
reoccurring needs to the level that it would make sense for me to go through the approval
process?”

(If yes)

“Excellent; tell me what I need to do to get on that approved list and I will gladly provide
the documentation I need to be evaluated.”

Facilitator: The next objection that Greg raises is unfortunately a reality in our industry:

WE HAD A BAD EXPERIENCE WITH A PRIOR RECRUITER.

When it comes to the art of knowing when to respond to resistance, this is a great example of
when ‘answering later’ may be in your best interest. When you are dealing with true, valid,
understandable objections (as many of these are), it can be advisable to empathize and then put
it on the back burner. Let it go. Move on. Acknowledge their position, move on to further
conversation, and ask a series of other questions. Dig into what worked with that other firm and
what didn’t work. Once you’ve gathered this information, you can bring it back together with a
solution that addresses their valid concerns.

Ultimately, we can use an example that possibly many can relate to, in that we’ve all had bad
experiences at some point or another. Just because you have a bad experience with a certain
mechanic doesn’t mean that you’ll never take your car in again to get it fixed; it just means you
won’t make the mistake of going back to that same mechanic again. You still need to maintain
my vehicle; you just choose wiser next time when you pick a mechanic. Greg shares his thoughts
on this particular statement as well:

• Apologize for the experience, even though it had or has nothing to do with you
personally. However, you now have the opportunity to customize your terms,
process, and policies and prevent something like that from happening again.
 They are admitting they are at least open to using a recruiter, you now have a chance
to swoop in and knock it out of the park. Testimonials can be a phenomenal tool
here as well. How can you incorporate Greg’s discussion points into something that
works for your practice?

Greg’s Script:

“Sally, I apologize that you had a bad experience. What happened that left such a bad
taste in your mouth?”

As an example, if Sally responds: “We saw about a dozen resumes and only one of them
was worth bringing in and the constant phone calls trying to find out why we didn’t like
them was so annoying.”

“I can only imagine how frustrating that must have been, but let me assure you that that
experience would never be repeated if you worked with us. It is a strict policy of ours that
we never send you any candidate who doesn’t meet at least 90% of the skills you require.
They have to fit the salary range you specify, and they have to be motivated by at least
one thing other than the money, or we would never send them to you. Sally, let me do
this for you. Are you familiar with (name), who is Vice President of HR over at (client) or
(name), Director of Recruiting at (client)? They work with us all the time and I would be
glad to give you their number if you’d like to call them and see what their experience has
been working with us.”

Facilitator: The following objection can very easily be a polite “non-buying” response, but Greg
shares a new approach for this longstanding response:

SEND ME CANDIDATES AND WE WILL DISCUSS A FEE.

To Greg’s point, your policy may very well be to never send a resume without an agreement in
place. However, sometimes it seems like you’ve got to prove you have a product before a client
will take you seriously! Use this time to establish mutual commitment and buy-in; you could
certainly push to confirm a pre-set interview for a date and time that can be cancelled by the
hiring manager if, after reviewing the resume, they deem that candidate not suitable.

Now, before sending anyone, it’s critical to know what they are looking for in those initial seconds!
What the key things are they are looking for, what is the salary range, and what kind of benefits
(the value proposition) they offer are all imperative elements to understand so you have a
stronger chance of hitting the mark with the candidates you submit.
As an example, when a candidate submits their resume to you (the recruiter), you make a
judgment in about ten seconds as to if this candidate has the desired job stability, has achieved
certain quantifiable accomplishments, and perhaps has experience in certain industry specific
areas. Greg weighs in with his opinion on this subject as well:

• The answer to this one is a personal business decision, but one that you certainly
need to ask yourself: Are you willing to prove to someone you can actually do what
you say you can do before you talk about price. Make sure that you consider if this
company has needs that are in alignment with the types of candidates you are
already sourcing for existing clients. Make sure that this is a company that
candidates would want to join because of the reputation, benefits, leadership, vision,
location, and so on. Is having another option for your candidates who are currently
evaluating your other clients a good thing? If you do decide to pursue, express a
willingness to make this work and ask questions that will let you test the viability of
this prospective relationship. What are your thoughts on getting past clients who ask
you to “send a resume first before discussing fees”?

Greg’s Script:

“Jim, no problem; I am more than willing to prove I can actually provide good candidates
to you before we put a “value” on those candidates. I’ve actually started a lot of great
client relationships that way. Tell me this – what is your most pressing need and what
are you looking for in a candidate to fill that need?”

Final Point: Greg reminds us all that just because the way a partnership with a hiring manager
starts does not meet your desired terms and expectations, that doesn’t mean it won’t be the
beginning of a great relationship! Strong partnerships are built over time, and they have to start
somewhere. Use Greg’s discussion points, scripts, and thoughts to get started!