Using Google Alerts to Spy On Your Clients and Competitors

Here’s a really cool idea from those smart people at Google. It’s called Google Alerts.

According to Google, “Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results based on your choice of query or topic.” If you don’t already use Google Alerts, you need to check it out today: http://www.google.com/alerts.

Basically, you tell Google Alerts which topics / search terms you want it to monitor. Every time your keyword is mentioned on the web (including blogs, videos, groups and news) then you get an email from Google with a link to the relevant webpage.

I personally use Google Alerts to:

• See what my competitors are doing
• Stay current on my industry news and gossip
• Keep track of my clients’ activities
• Pick up new leads and gather market intelligence
• See who’s talking about ME, and what they’re saying!

It’s extremely fast and easy to do, and you can track as many keywords as you want – automatically. Here are some suggested search terms to get you started:

1.  Enter your own name and/or company name as a search term.
2.  Enter all your competitors and key clients
3.  Enter any specific keywords that relate to what you do. E.g. mine are “recruiter training” and “recruitment training.”

You can even select how often you want to receive alerts: as it happens, once a day, or once a week. Again the link is: http://www.google.com/alerts.

With Google Alerts, you’ll always be “in the know” and can impress clients and candidates with your market knowledge. In the recruitment game, information is power and even a slight advantage is worth having.
See more at: http://www.recruitmentcoach.com/

3 Reasons Why I Love Recruitment

You have to love being a recruiter. Otherwise you wouldn’t last very long!

Let’s face it — recruitment is not as glamorous as it looks. With all the frustration, knock-backs, disappointments, and the constant pressure to perform, it can be pretty tough. Recruitment has often been described as an emotional rollercoaster. One minute you’re jumping for joy, the next minute you feel like you’ve been kicked in the groin.


So why on earth do you do it? Lots of reasons! Here are three good ones…

1. The Money

You’re motivated by money. It’s OK to admit it. The potential rewards in recruitment are phenomenal — top performing recruiters can earn more than doctors, lawyers and accountants. That’s a pretty big incentive, but the reality is that money is only part of the reason you love recruitment.

2. The Buzz

You’re addicted to the buzz. Recruiters run on a mixture of caffeine, adrenaline and endorphins. Think of it… The rush of persuading a new client to give you a job order. The excitement of finding the perfect candidate. The anticipation of booking the interview. The exhilaration of getting the offer. The joy of the candidate accepting the offer! The triumph of getting your commission cheque! Ever since your first taste of success, you’ve been hooked.

3. The People

You’re a “people person.” You get enormous satisfaction from helping others and building relationships. Recruitment really does give you the chance to make a difference. You help your clients to hire great people and grow their businesses. You help your candidates to find out about new opportunities and develop their careers. What we do has a positive impact on people’s lives! And that’s a cool feeling.

There are other reasons why you’re a recruiter. The desire for success, the variety of the work, the satisfaction of winning, the sense of significance, the feeling of contribution, being part of a team, the chance to make new contacts, the ability to determine your own income and take control of your own destiny.
Of course not every recruiter loves recruitment. And nobody loves it all the time — especially not in the moment your candidate has accepted a counter offer or walked off the job on the first day! But the fact remains that you can’t become a Big Biller without feeling passionate about what you.

So why do YOU love being a recruiter? Why have you chosen this profession? How does your success in this business enable you to realize your dreams, goals and desires? By asking yourself these questions every day, reminding yourself of the bigger picture, you’ll develop the determination and mental toughness to deal with any challenge that comes your way.

See more at: http://www.recruitmentcoach.com/3-reasons-why-i-love-recruitment/

The 3 Ways to Differentiate Yourself from the Competition

Most recruiters are desperate for new business right now, which means clients are inundated with calls. As a result, they’re becoming more resistant and less receptive to marketing calls. In order to survive and thrive in the current climate, you need to find ways to differentiate yourself from the competition.

Your goal is for the client to perceive you as the recruiter of choice within your market niche. I believe you have three chances to achieve that goal.

1. Short Term — Make a Positive Impression on the First Call 

The first opportunity to differentiate is the very first time you contact a prospect. Whether your initial communication is a phone call, letter or email, this is your one and only chance to make a positive first impression.

 2. Medium Term — Build Rapport by Following-up on a Consistent Basis 

The second opportunity to differentiate is the way you follow up. After the first contact, every subsequent communication is a follow up.

Having an effective process for following up with your clients and prospects consistently is even more important than having a great call opening. It’s more difficult to differentiate yourself in the first call because you can be the best sales person in the world, but if you are the twentieth person who has called them that day, they may not be in the most receptive frame of mind!

However, here is the “hidden” opportunity: 99 percent of sales people and recruiters are poor at following up. And the follow up is the key to building a relationship. People buy from people they know, like and trust. Especially in a client driven market, they are going to choose the person or the company they have a relationship with. So if you are better at following up, you are going to build a better relationship.

In addition, if you rely on the first contact, you only have one chance to distinguish yourselves from your competitors. But by following up consistently, you have multiple, ongoing opportunities to differentiate.

 3. Longer Term — Develop a Relationship by Delivering Exceptional Service

The third opportunity to differentiate and that is in the service delivery. This is probably our most important chance to differentiate when the client says “yes” and gives you an opportunity to fill a job. Now you can differentiate in several ways:

•  • Your professionalism when writing the job order • How rapidly you respond with relevant candidates 
• • The value that you add to the client’s hiring process — e.g. the advice, expertise and market knowledge that you bring to bear 
• • How confident and competent you are at managing the entire placements process 
• • How much the client enjoys the experience of working with you 
• • Most importantly — by getting results and filling the job!

Next week, we’re going to go into detail about how to open the call in a way that creates an impact and leads to a productive conversation. In the meantime, remember that even if the first call doesn’t go as well as you would have liked, don’t give up! You still have many more chances to differentiate.

See more at: http://www.recruitmentcoach.com/