So That’s What Recruiting Is All About!
June 19th, 2008 by Ann Vertel
So you think you hate sales and you’re no good at it. Or perhaps recruiting (which is also sales) feels too “pushy.” You don’t like trying to convince someone to do something they don’t want to.
Then stop!
Where on earth did you get the idea that sharing the opportunity was about hogtying some poor unsuspecting soul, throwing them over your shoulder, and dragging them into a happy life? Did someone along the way tell you that you had to convince, connive, cajole, arm-twist, lie, fib, leave out details, put on a fake voice and a phony expression and do your level best to force someone into a decision to join the company?
There are two ways to look at recruiting. The first makes you feel like you are doing something smarmy and underhanded; that you are on one side of the table and your prospect is on the other side of the table and it’s a big game of chess. Your prospect becomes your opponent and your mission becomes the defeat of all her objections until there are none left and she simply surrenders out of exhaustion. This is the mindset of scarcity and competition. A winner and a loser. A victim and a victor.
The second way to look at recruiting is through a mindset of abundance (there is plenty to go around) and collaboration (we are in this together).
Now don’t discount the enormity of the difference between the two - it is huge. A chasm in fact.
If I showed you a gathering of 100 women and told you to go convince ten of them to join, it might seem like a daunting task. But if I told you that there were ten women in that group that didn’t need convincing, they just needed to hear about the opportunity and they would jump at the chance to join, and all you had to do was go and find out which ten they were, could you do that? Of course you could (and I probably couldn’t stop you!)
That’s what recruiting is all about. It’s not about convincing women to do something they don’t want to do. It’s about finding the ones that want to do what you have to offer.
You simply need to sort them out.
Now go have a POWERFUL day!
- Ann Vertel, UnitCoach
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This entry was posted on Thursday, June 19th, 2008 at 6:05 pm and is filed under Recruiting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
August 18th, 2008 at 11:55 am
Ann,
Wow! I loved your two ways of looking at recruiting: scarcity/competition vs. abundance/collaboration. That’s looking at it in a totally different way! I love it.
I’ve had such negative experiences from people wanting to push me into something, I’ve always shied away from wanting to recruit, because it just felt too pushy. But coming into it with the abundance and collaboration mindset (”I love it, I thought you might too”) takes the pressure off. No more hog-tying…just simply sharing.
Brenda L.
November 12th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
wow, I’m soooo glad I found this site!!! I love your examples, they’re so reasonable, it totally makes sense!
I started to be myself few weeks ago and whenever I meet women, I just tell them sincerely what I like about the company, what company has to offer and I ask them if they are interested. If yes, I book their interview and share more information with them.
I was amazed how well it works. It takes away all the pressure. I love the idea of looking for the right people instead of convincing undecisive ones!
November 12th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Hi Silvia,
Congratulations on figuring it out! No one likes to “be sold.” Just be yourself - genuine - and you’ll do very well.
- Ann