Jobseekers

A successful IT staffing sales representative is someone who is always on the go, constantly looking for new, creative ways to better both themselves and their company. Depending on what stage of their technical staffing career, there are various different ways one may set up their daily routine. In spite of these differences, success can be achieved through the practice of a few basic principles: knowledge of the IT business/market, time management, client relationship management skills and, most importantly, HARD WORK.

The first key to the success of a successful IT recruiting sales rep is time management. Many bright, eager IT staffing salespeople find it difficult to accomplish their goals simply because they lack the ability to manage their time efficiently. It may sound simple, but by being organized and mapping out the day’s tasks, an IT staffing salesperson will be significantly more successful in both the long and short term. By following this routine, an IT staffing sales rep can increase their activity.  This translates to connecting with more clients, but not sacrificing quality. On a given day, a to-do list may include cold-calling into new/potential clients, managing existing relationships, leaving the office for client meetings and prospecting. With all of these things adding up, it is very easy to get disorganized and lose focus – this is why it is extremely important to have a plan of attack in place each and every day.

One of the major downfalls for salespeople in the IT recruiting industry is that they do not spend enough time trying to learn, and fully understand, their clients from both a business and information technology standpoint. With this industry knowledge, an IT staffing salesperson can be seen by their clients as a trusted advisor, rather than  just another salesperson looking for a handout. In a highly competitive industry such as IT recruiting in Boston, it is important for a sales rep to distinguish him/her-self from all the other IT staffing companies in the market. One of the best ways to do this is by having a complete understanding of each client’s industry, environment and technology stack. There are many different ways to acquire this knowledge: client visits, various industry publications (i.e. newspapers, magazines, e-books, whitepapers), networking events, trade shows, etc. A successful IT staffing salesperson will fully immerse themselves in the industry.

A large part of any salesperson’s day in the IT recruiting world includes meeting with new and existing clients. Like many professions in this day in age, just about all of the day-to-day contact can be established via e-mail and/or telephone. Despite this, it is extremely important for the account manager to have face time with their clients. It is in these meetings (whether it be in-office or over coffee, lunch, dinner or drinks) that one can uncover information that would be unobtainable over the phone/e-mail.  Information such as client environment, personality tendencies, etc are easier to get in face-to-face interactions. Too often in this business, IT recruiting companies match “buzz” words from a candidate’s resume to a given job description. From a technical perspective, this is a good first step in identifying quality resources for a client.  However, it is not until you uncover what the client needs in terms of personality that an IT staffing sales rep will truly be successful. Another added benefit in face-to-face meetings is the opportunity to establish a long-lasting partnership through trust. The stronger the relationship, the easier it is for both parties to have open conversations, manage each others’ expectations and successfully place quality high-tech candidates.

Through managing one’s time efficiently and effectively, a salesperson in the technical recruiting industry can generate high volume, quality activity with their clients to help better understand the business, technology and environment within each unique organization. However, none of these things can be accomplished without Hard Work.  It really is that simple. Whether it be spending the extra time to read up on a new client or technology, or making the extra phone call to uncover more useful information, an IT staffing salesperson must have a “do whatever it takes” attitude to find real success in an industry as demanding an competitive as this one.