We have been discussing the critical importance of recruiting great people (read Part 1, Part 2), no matter if you lead a small sales team, a charity, a sports team or if you are the leader of a big enterprise.

Organizations with the best people win. Get good at recruiting.

In this installment I’d like to give away one of the greatest strategies on how to get people to tell you how to sell them.

This is by not selling, but asking. Not by talking, but by listening.

People will tell you what is important to them, what they are looking for in life, what their hopes, dreams and aspirations are—if you let them. But one thing is for sure: You won’t learn this by moving your mouth.

The question acronym outline I use to this day is FORM:

F=Family and Friends
O=Occupation
R=Recreation
M=Money and Meaning

Recruiting Script Example

A conversation might go something like this (O): “What do you do?” Whatever their answer, my response is, “Oh, you must LOVE that!” People are contrarians by nature, if you suggest they must love it, then they will tell you everything they hate about it. If you would have said, “Oh, that sounds tough or terrible.” They will then tell you everything the like about it.

So even if they tell you what they don’t like, ask, “What aspects of it do you like?” They are there for a reason, there is some value or need it is filling, it is important to discover that.

Then ask, “What are some of the things you like the least or wish were different or you could change?” Now they will tell you all their needs, wishes and desires.

Then if we are on the business conversation I will jump to M and say, “Well you must make a ton of money doing that.” They will now tell you what? Yes, all their financial dissatisfaction.

I’ll follow up, “Is this something you always wanted to do; was it an aspiration since you were young?” 99 times out of 100 it isn’t.

Then I ask, “What was it you wanted to do when you were young or wish you were doing now?” More hopes, dreams and values revealed.

Then if I need more there is always, “What do you like to do when you aren’t working? Do you get to do it a lot? Why don’t you?” Etc.

On the first encounter I won’t make a recruiting solicitation at all. The mistake most people make is they go around like a hormone filled 18-year-old boy trying to close in the first three minutes of every conversation (you’ll end up like an 18-year-old boy-with bupkis!).

In that first encounter, and maybe even a few others after it, all I want to do is to create a relationship and collect information to discover what THEIR wants, needs, pains, frustrations, hopes and desires are.

Then later I will match up their stated desires, in their words with my potential solution.

For example, a couple days later I might call them up and say, “Something you said when we met got me to thinking. Remember when you said you were having a hard time keeping up with your bills with your current job and that you really didn’t like the people you were forced to work with? I remember you also saying how you wish you had more time so you could pursue your passion for painting? It’s interesting because I know a woman who is a single mom who was in a very similar situation—falling further and further behind as her children needed money for orthodontia work, sports fees and other unexpected expenses. She too had an artistic passion that she had to forgo because of her overwhelming schedule. She was telling me about a part-time separate income stream she started and it has grown to be greater than her full-time income. She has since cut back on her hours at her job, paid off all her debt completely, which has given her a huge sense of relief and peace of mind, and now she is taking classes three times a week in her artistic passion and has never been happier or more fulfilled. As a result her kids are flourishing as well. I think you would really love to meet her… or I think you would love to read her story… or I think you would love to hear how she did it… whatever tool you have to share this story.

Two key points here:

1) Facts tell, stories sell. Instead of telling your prospect the benefits of what you have related to what they told you they want, tell it through the story of someone else.

2) Their needs, not my interests. Notice that the “pitch” of what I had to offer was presented completely custom to them, with what they want and their circumstances, not with what I might like about my solution and my valued benefits.

Summary

So, to summarize your new superstar recruiting action plan, take the next person you need to recruit and:

1) Write out a clear and detailed job/role description, then

2) Write out the half-dozen key attributes you want in them in order for them to be successful at No. 1.

3) Now provide that clear description to your circle of contacts. When they suggest people… or if you are out networking on your own,

4) Ask questions, listen intently and collect what matters to them. If they are a “match” for your criteria, then communicate your solution as a match to their desires through the story of someone else just like them who found what they were looking for in your organization.

What additional ideas, tips or strategies can you share with the community in the comments below?

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Tags: ask questions, listening, people, recruiting

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 24th, 2011 at 10:00 am and is filed under SUCCESS. 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.