Hey Folks,

Lots of good news coming out of the industry. There seems to be a sizable pickup in the tech market, manufacturing and healthcare are still firing and overall sentiment is positive.

With the uptick we are also seeing a significant rise of fractional and embedded services. These services are not new but many of you may have not heard of it or explored it as a service offering. That’s why I had Justin Wade who started and dominated in the embedded space.

Justin joined me to unravel the intricacies of the evolving recruitment environment, specifically focusing on fractional recruiting—a model that continues to redefine how we approach talent acquisition today. As we dove into our discussion, we explored several prevailing trends and challenges in the industry, bringing forth actionable insights for adapting and thriving in this dynamic market.

Navigating the Shift in Candidate and Client Expectations

The episode began with an examination of the rapidly changing expectations on both sides of the recruitment spectrum—candidates and clients. We are witnessing a significant demand for candidates who not only excel technically but also understand and contribute strategically to business goals. This shift means that the traditional recruitment approach, predominantly resume-driven, is no longer sufficient. Instead, as recruiters, our role has evolved to focus more on presenting candidates as overall solutions to our clients' complex problems, rather than just an addition to their workforce.

Justin emphasized the importance of arming ourselves with market data and substantial research tailored to each client’s needs. This approach is especially crucial when dealing with millennial decision-makers who prioritize evidence-based decision-making. Tools like Google X ray searches and the innovative capabilities of AI, like Chat GPT, have been instrumental in collecting this intelligence, enabling us to tailor our pitches and services to meet specific client demands effectively.

Leveraging Technology and Networks

During our talk, Justin highlighted his use of technology—particularly his savvy with automating systems and reinventing traditional processes to stay ahead in sales meetings and candidate placements. The strategic use of these tools isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about carving a distinct niche in a crowded market and offering a level of service that goes beyond the conventional.

Moreover, the role of personal networks cannot be overstated. As Justin pointed out, whether it’s about managing candidate relationships or navigating client negotiations, the human element remains central. Building and maintaining these relationships through a community-driven, insightful approach ensures we're not just filling a position but fostering long-term partnerships.

The Contingent Model and Its Evolution

A significant portion of our discussion revolved around the contingent model. While acknowledging its benefits as a great door opener to extensive networks and opportunities, we also addressed its limitations, particularly in terms of conversion challenges. The solution, we agreed, lies in educating clients throughout the contingent process and gradually guiding them towards more committed, value-driven engagement models.

Setting Up for Success

Justin’s tactics in ensuring meeting preparedness were particularly inspiring. He shared how he sets specific requirements and service level agreements right from the onset, making the process straightforward for both parties. This proactive stance not only streamlines operations but also positions us as consultants who are serious about delivering results, not just pitches.

Driving Change and Embracing New Models

As the industry continues shifting towards more flexible, project-based recruiting roles like fractional and embedded models, understanding how to effectively integrate these into our services is crucial. These models offer a glimpse into future recruiting norms where flexibility, efficiency, and strategic alignment with client objectives are paramount.

The Path Forward

In wrapping up our discussion, Justin and I agreed on the necessity of continuously adapting and embracing innovative models like fractional recruiting.

The key takeaway?

Stay informed, be prepared, and always aim to exceed expectations by offering solutions that address the broader business impacts of talent acquisition strategies.

As we continue navigating these changes, let’s keep these discussions going. Your feedback and insights are invaluable as we together chart the course of recruiting's future. Stay tuned for more explosive content here at Live Dynamite Events, and remember, in the world of recruitment, dynamism is our strongest tool.

If you want to watch the full episode check it out below.

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It’s halftime folks!

Walking into Q3 and the Independence Day weekend, don’t make the mistake of putting your feet up, cracking open a beverage and lighting off fireworks BEFORE assessing your year so far.

Now is the time to make the adjustments and plan for the remaining 6 months.

Every year at this time I ask myself the following 3 questions:

1. What were my metrics and how were those numbers reflective to my results?

2. What candidates and clients got away from me and how can I re-engage?

3. What new tools do I want to integrate into my workflow?

In this edition, the focus is all around how to answer these questions effectively now and moving forward.

Metric Math

Putting a value to your metrics is one of the simplest ways to predict the likelihood of your outcomes. To do this I actually use my Metric Math worksheet to determine the activities I need to have the highest possibility of achievement.

It looks intimidating but its actually quite simple to implement. Once you put in the specific numbers the formulas and macros do the rest. Let me know if you’d like a copy and I’ll send it right over with instructions.

The Ones That Got Away

Reviewing your past work requires you to have a clean and organized desk. Something many of you do not have. But even those of you who do have that desk managed well, your notes are often shorthanded and impossible to search. This is where Metaview can come in and help. You can actually search your candidate roster and conversation notes to upwell those folks who got away.

Tools & Integrations

With all the AI tools popping up, it can be easy to over purchase products that may not be moving the needle for you. Lots of times that can be because the tool itself is not as good as promised, but a lot of times its because the platforms don’t connect with eachother to make a simple and easy to use flow. This is why I like Recruiterflow as my ATS. It has an open API which means it can connect with almost every tool that has similar API access.

Mindset

Now none of this matters if you aren’t coming to work with the right mindset and character needed to succeed.

The key in todays recruiting market is leaning into authenticity, communication and delivering at the highest level possible.

Back in November I had the opportunity to pick the brain of one of the best in the industry, Stuart Mitchell of Hampton North, who does just that.

Below are some of the key takeaways along with the full recording for those who want to have a listen. .

Until next time, remember: authentic communication, niche focus, and adaptability are the cornerstones of a transformative recruitment journey. And always, keep your dynamite spirit alive!

Happy 4th and be safe out there!

Will McGhee

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What’s up Geniuses!

Time is flying, election season is in full swing, and the economy is showing hope for all of us.

However, many of you are still struggling, while other are thriving and hitting record breaking months.

So what are they doing that you aren’t?

In today’s episode, we are going to be exploring that and hopefully give you a bit of strategy around what we call the Recruiting Conversion Cycle.

Also, we have a few announcements… So let’s get into it!

Announcements

The Recruiter Growth Summit

Ben Mena from the Elite Recruiter Podcast is throwing the largest FREE digital event for recruiters this year. It’s called The Recruiter Growth Summit. He brought together 14 of the best billers, thought leaders and agency owners to help level you up.

It started on Monday and its closing out Friday March 8th but you can still join.

He was kind enough to ask me to be a part of this group of presenters and my talk is going spill the tea on how modern agency recruiter are able to generate and increase revenue nearly overnight.

Join over 500 recruiters using the link below!

Register

New Content and Courses Coming to P-Club

We have some big things coming to the Boomlab P-Club members. Not only do we have some new courses dropping at the end of April, but also adding in content from some of your favorite recruiting and marketing coaches.

More announcements coming March 27th!

But in the meantime check out my flagship course, Precision Prospecting to learn how to pick up your next 10 recruiting clients in the next 90 days. You’ll learn how to identify hot markets, target the right accounts and craft MPC messaging that converts.

Check it out

Increasing Your Recruiting Revenue

One of the cohort members asked how does the content strategy, productization strategy and the MPC strategy all play into each other.

Recruiting can sometimes feel like a chicken or the egg situation when you focus solely on transacting through MPC marketing. For example, if you have no roles or candidates, do you first reach out to clients about some “ghost candidate”? or do you engage candidates about a random job you saw?

That’s because the only value you are able to bring at any given moment is a resume or a job posting.

When this is the only reason you reach out you are actually conditioning your prospects to look at you solely as a resume resource and you become a vendor vs a partner. The trick is to go all in on relationship building.

What you see below is what we call the Recruiting Conversion Cycle a visual of our process.

Content and building a personal brand is by far the most scalable and fastest way to cultivate relationships. Content builds awareness and helps build trust.

When you have assets and content you are not just doing it for audience building. You actually are setting yourself up for success for future prospects who will do research on you as well.

Your content acts as a validator for people who have more than enough options to go with and allows you to stand out.

Additionally, it’s a nurture function for those not ready or who need more time.

Your productization strategy is all about centering your domain knowledge and expertise and packaging it. If done well you are able expose gaps and build demand. This is how you sell yourself, your business and your unique offering.

Productization gives you reasons to connect and reach out and reasons for your prospects to exchange time, money and attention to you and your business even when they may not have a hiring need.

Productization is the real path to actual sales processes and relationship building and is what everything is centered around.

MPC marketing is for quick fast transactions with buyers who are ready OR willing to make decisions today. This is 3% of the market and literally 100s of recruiters are clawing to get the placement.

This isn’t sales… this is actually more marketing. Marketing’s primary goals is to convert the 3% on the market that’s searching and ready to buy. While sales is responsible for actually building relationships.

Think of it like this….

A real estate agent will market a new listing to buyers who are likely ready and qualified to make the investment at the time.

Gif by monnahanslatongroup on Giphy

However, the sales process actually begins by door knocking, going to community events, and building relationships with people in a local area (targeting).

The more sales activity they do (relationship building) the more qualified buyers they have to market to when they get the listing. In that same activity they will naturally uncover potential listing opportunities.

Now to start, there is a whole lot more marketing to unqualified people who may not know them, naturally (volume). But as they build momentum that changes.

If that same RE Agent is now in a room full of other RE Agents all going after the same business how does one stand out?

Well by showing them a process that not only is effective and reliable but reduces all obstacles they might face.

Everyone has a “process” but the winners are those who can demonstrate, package it and kind of help the prospects become mini experts themselves on how that RE Agent does things (productization).

They might have worksheets and calculators to help them determine buying power or even an app and portal that aligns them with ideal homes.

This is true account development/sales.

As recruiters we were never taught genuine sales processes and account development. We were taught buyer marketing, intake and fulfillment. Productization helps because it's the center piece to all of your content, sales frameworks, scripts, marketing and intakes.

The whole thing becomes easier to land clients. Whether your offering is contingency, retained, RPO or whatever else. Packaging your system allows you to sell it better, gain repeat business & referrals, and even increase your revenue per deal.

Anyway hope this helps.

And if you are an experienced recruiters or agency owners looking to increase your monthly revenue upwards of 20%+ in the next 30 days, let’s get a consultation started.

Unfortunately, I’m only one person and can’t speak with everyone so please apply below.

Hello Genius,

It’s been a while since my last drop and I’ve missed writing to all of you.

I’ve been BUSY!

Here are the top 3 milestones of the 3,423,952 things I’ve been working on.

• Launched our newest program Rec To Revenue

• Dropped 18 knowledge bombs with our LDE experts

• Completed the long awaited Boomlab community!

In September, we launched v1 of Boomlab through Circle. That was such a great learning experience on what y’all wanted from the community.

However, I just didn’t find the interactivity you all were looking for on that platform.

Circle is a great “Community Only” product. But I really struggled to drive engagement, connect with you 1:1 and ultimately have a single place for all of the resources I’m planning to provide you.

The Kajabi platform brings everything together! It allows us to create Challenges, have leaderboards, spark competition, lives, publish blogs, launch courses, provide 1:1 & group coaching and SO much more!

Boomlab is now THE community for busy Recruiters ready to exceed their revenue goals by developing modern B2B Sales and Marketing skills that you probably never learned at your old school agencies. #runonsentences

That ole “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality is why recruiting is so far behind as a profession and why so many of you struggled in 2023 to bill.

Yes, the market changed and it was difficult, but there were plenty of recruiters (some in my program… shameless plug) who adapted and made record strides in revenue last year.

The problem is that with the rise of automation and AI tools, both the sales and recruiting world adopted what I call, a “Click button. Get value” mentality…

…It’s not a good thing!

Combined with the layoffs and the low barrier to entry in our field, there are now 1000s of options for our clients and candidates to choose from.

Everything from…

• Internal

• Independents

• Boutique

• Fractional

• Embedded

• RPO

• Contingency

• Retainers

• Containers

• Exclusives

• VAs

• Marketplaces

• Software

• AI & automation

And there are more categories and competitors popping up daily!

All of which are following the same strategies, using the same tools, and flooding the same inboxes…

IT’S NOISY!

Now, our prospects are demanding more value than ever.

And many of the recruiters who are winning aren’t even as good as you, nor do they provide nearly as much value as you could…

Trust me! I’ve met a lot of them.

They are winning because they simply have better sales and marketing skills then you.

Thats why, my sole mission with this community is to help you badass recruiting geniuses develop the skills to truly stand out from a highly saturated industry.

It's free to join!

NOW, if you are looking for more than just community, consider upgrading to a P-Club membership.

This is for recruiters looking for deeper guidance on how to shorten the gap to earn more revenue in 2024.

You’ll get:

• Unlimited access to all our current & future digital courses

• The library of recordings from our experts

• Cheatsheets, templates, frameworks and tool tutorials (COMING SOON)

• Daily copy review and BD strategy audits

A P-Club Monthly subscription comes with a 14 day trial for those of you on the fence.

While Yearly gets 2 Months Free + A Bonus 90 Day Game Plan 1:1 coaching call with me.

Whatever you choose, I’m just thankful for your patronage.

You all are allowing me to realize a dream.

Thank you and see you there!

P.S. Should I start calling members “Boomers” now? Let’s take the word back from these young ones! haha

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, Geniuses!

This week’s episode is all about the the secondary tools I’d recommend adding to your stack if you have the budget.

I left out the obvious calendar apps and really focused on workflow optimization.

But before we get into it I just wanted to say how thankful I am to have you all apart of this journey. It’s been a long ride and as we come up on our 1st year, I’m proud of the connections I’ve made and the work I’ve done with all of you.

Has it been perfect? No. But thats why you are all so special to me. You stuck through it, asked questions, and were active participants.

In doing so you’ve been the ones teaching me in so many ways.

Thank you!

Automation Tools For Your 2024 Recruiting Tech Stack

Alright you’ve been running a full desk recruitment strategy for a few years now. You’ve found success but you’re finding difficulty scaling your operations as you continue to grow.

This is where automation software can be extremely useful.

Please keep in mind, these are the tools you should go after when you have revenue to invest. These aren’t mandatory and are more nice to haves. 

I’m not going to go into the ones I mentioned in the Must Have Tools.

These tools will only work if your process and stack is already dialed. Making these subtle tweaks to your stack will help delegate the repetitive tasks to software and put your prospecting on auto pilot.

If you’re a control freak, this may be hard for you but you need to learn when to delegate to software. But keep in mind this is something to worry about eventually not something built in out of the gates.

To start the automation journey you need to map out your process in detail and use something like Mindmeister or Figma to create a flowchart. Here’s an example of the one we built for Atalent.

Then find the steps that are repeated most frequently.

Then the ones that have the least amount of consequence for quality errors.

Think job descriptions, some nurture campaigns and follow ups, research, scraping, trigger events (status changes, invoicing, new jobs, start dates etc) and chatbots. These things are low risk automations that can be time consuming in your daily and I always start here.

You can then move up the risk ladder depending on your tolerance and function of automation.

General Automations

Zapier is a tool that connects your apps together to automate trigger based tasks. This tool can help save you time from doing mindless tasks and keep you focused on building pipeline.

One of the best things about Zapier is it integrates with almost every tool on the market. Hubspot, Slack, Click up, Asana, Dropbox you name it, they’re connectable.

Giphy

For example, Zapier can add inbound leads into a spreadsheet without needing to click a single button. The team is even building out AI chatbots to power your website. How great is that?

On the other hand, PhantomBusters is better for micro tasks like sending invites to your company page. The app is a little limited in functionality and there is some overlap with other linkedin automation tools.

They both offer free trials so you can try them out risk free and see which one suits your needs.

If you want to move fast, Zapier and Phantombusters are both magical tools to get every last drop out of your tech stack.

If you’re a Solopreneur, you’re going to need some help so you can spend your time on more important tasks.

Choose the level of automation that fits your style and works for you..

No More Job Board BD

It’s 2023 and there is absolutely no reason you should be spending hours on the job boards to identify new opportunities for your candidates.

There is a better way.

Jobleads.io delivers fresh curated job lists to your inbox. These jobs are recent and posted within 30 minutes. They are then screened by our AI to ensure they fit within the scope of your ICP. And can either be sent as is or enriched with contact data. If you don’t want to think about it, they also have a done for you service that will do the outreach for you.

I’m personally not a fan of the DFY outreach for lifestyle and boutique agencies, as you won’t have the scale needed. However, if you run an agency and want to feed your recruiters with these types of leads, this could be a great option. They can focus on the deeply personalized 1:1 interaction while the org works on the job postings at the high level.

No more VAs getting the job leads wrong and managing their workflow.

No more costly subscriptions to web scraping tools.

No more late nights and early mornings wasted.

Check them out!

LinkedIn

This is how you’re going to rev up LinkedIn as your candidate machine.  Automating your LinkedIn will help you farm leads with little to no upfront work. Don’t confuse this with NO WORK!

These tools are going to depend on where you’re at in your recruitment journey. But here’s the foundational work we do to start:

1. Build your target audience of candidates and clients

2. Segment that list based on specific observations and indicators

3. Tailor your campaigns around how you would actually behave on LI.
   

An important rule of thumb for LinkedIn outreach is to be a human. Ditch the pitch! Connect with genuine curiosity and a place of giving. Not in the sense of I have the perfect job or a candidate. Instead, from a place of Problem Prompting vs Product Pushing.

Problem Prompting is basically taking the observation you made, create a hypothesis of an issue they may have, and inquiring.

Jen Allen-Knuth lays it out really well in this post.

More than anything, don’t make the mistake that will get you banned from LI or kill your reputation. Limit your connections to 100 per week, be intentional about who you are looking to engage, what you observed and why they should connect with you.

Now I’m about to let you in on a little secret… OctopusCRM & Dripify are two of the biggest names in the LinkedIn automation space. And they’re owned by the same company. 

Yet the pricing and available features are wildly different. 

OctopusCRM is a simple but intuitive tool to build campaigns on LinkedIn. If you’re just beginning to explore automation this is a great place to play around and learn.

Gif by showtime on Giphy

On the other hand, Dripify is more nuanced for the meticulous sequence builders with IFTTT playbooks. It’s putting your LinkedIn on steroids and requires a bit more strategy.

Just keep in mind OctopusCRM’s most expensive plan at $24 a month is still cheaper than Dripify’s cheapest plan at $39 a month for less features.

An added bonus, OctopusCrm and Dripify are both compatible with sales navigator.

For posting and engagement, I’m still a big fan of Tapilo. Mainly for the scrapping ability and finding relevant content features.

Tapilo is a Lempire product so works best with Lemlist. But it can easily be used with my suggested sales navigator and Apollo stack.

Supercharge your Meetings

Gif by netflix on Giphy

What was that note about their stack? What was the biggest pain they said they were trying to solve? Who was that candidate they said they liked?

All of us have been there after a call. Taking notes while trying to be present in a sales call is a terrible combo. You just miss things.

There are plenty of video call AI notetakers so lets explore.

If you have an Apollo plan, they have a tool called Conversations that is a part of their suite. It gives an outline of the meeting, pain points, and next steps.

If you don’t have Apollo and want a low cost option with some pretty good AI, take a look at Fireflies.ai and Otter.ai. Both fantastic tools.

However, if you want one that can be a major value add to your recruiting game specifically, check out Metaview. 

It's sort of like Gong for recruiters. Metaview can streamline the screening process by highlighting parts of the interview and sharing it directly with hiring managers.

Metaview will give you an outline of the call and give you the opportunity to make edits. If you own the license you don’t even need to be in the meeting room either you can task Metaview to appear on the interviewer side.

If you like it, you can bring on more services such as interview coaching. The AI integrates with scorecards, will tell you if you skipped questions and ask you to get clarification if you didn’t dig deep enough. 

You can also send snippets of the conversation you had to get clarity on if that is what the HM is looking for. Imagine if you are able to take whole steps out of the hiring process because every interview is neatly recorded and bookmarked for all stakeholders to reference.

Another added benefit is Metaview integrates with other apps pretty well. The notes after the call can be directly uploaded to your ATS or CRM.

Closing Thoughts

The adventure of optimizing your recruitment journey never truly ends. There will always be a new shiny tool out there.

With every tool now riding the coattails of AI, it can be very tempting to pull away from the human to human tasks… Don’t overdo it. This is your differentiator in a robotic world.

If you are just beginning the automation journey, start small and build up. Get each automation working great and consistently before you start adding something else. You can get automation pros to come in and help build these things out which I’d also recommend, but only after you have a rocking proven process.

While these tools are impressive, remember this: You don’t need them to be successful because at the end of the day tools are useless without a skilled recruiter like yourself.

Before you go, read that last line again and then one more time. Until next time!

If you’d like to be added to this list and reach 1000s of recruiting pros please email will@recruitingwithdynamite.com

Hi Geniuses,

Before I begin, a few quick announcements:

Starting today, I’ll be adding links to the recordings of our Live Dynamite Events. They’ll be past episodes so if you want the most current ones as they come out, you either have to join live every Thursday or be in the Boomlab.

Speaking of which… Apologies to those of you still waiting for access. We have taken a bit of time getting all of you into the Boomlab because we decided to migrate from Circle to Kajabi. There is a lot more functionality and ability to make the community a lot more lively. This is especially true after our Live Dynamite Events because we can have worksheets and challenges set up for y’all to take action.

I’ll be sending everyone a link to join the free community site so be on the lookout.

I’ll also be adding in a little Christmas gift to all of you for being supportive of RWD and the growing pains.

Lastly, we have our BD Blast Cohort coming back January 6th!

I learned a lot from the first one we did back in June. This one is going to be a mix of digital courses, live group weekend workshops and even includes 3 monthly 90-minute one-on-ones.

As an added bonus I’m working on something very special for those of you looking to up that client onboarding experience.

We only have 20 spots so I’m being selective about who joins to ensure the group can gain from each other and we can match you up with piers, not competitors.

I’m keeping registrations open until the end of the month and we have a 40% discount for the first 10 members who join.

If you are interested, please click the link and apply before December 31st.

LDE Recording: 7-Figure BD Process

Check out Mike Anderson’s Webinar on how to bill 7-figures consistently every year.

This was my first Live but Mike brings the 🔥 and is still one of the most viewed and commented on lives we’ve done.

Your Must Have Full Desk Recruiting Stack for 2024

2024 is on the horizon! Rates are coming down, the economy is slowly but surely spinning its wheels, and my prediction is 2024 will be ripe with opportunities but not for everyone.

Opportunities don’t come without risks. With the rise of AI and automation, outreach channels are more clogged than ever. As a result Google is cracking down.

Even top sales execs are changing up their style because, the old tactics won’t work, even in a bull market. Check out what KD Dorsey had to say about it.

To stick out, we need to be authentic and personalize our outreach, and our tools must be calibrated as well.

It’s pretty easy to rip through a budget when Recruiter costs $6k, $11K for ZoomInfo, and $8k for Seekout…and we’re not even counting webpages, domains, or an ATS!

Choosing the right tools are almost as important as recognizing the opportunities themselves.

The Client Stack

The combination of Sales Navigator, Lavender, and Apollo gives recruiters everything you need to source, prospect, and write effectively.

Sales navigator is a gold mine for great data driven intent signals like when did they post, what did they like, and you can filter by account as well. 

For those running a lifestyle or boutique agency, sales navigator lets you save both accounts and candidates.It has far more functionality with more bang for your buck. 

One of the many reasons I love Apollo is because it's a swiss army knife for outbound. 

It’s a dialer, enrichment tool, sequencer, and it can even record meetings. You can search as granular as you want with accounts by industry and keywords and Apollo has fantastic data for list building.

As I’ve said, I firmly believe client and candidate side engagement must be separated. You don’t need a new CRM to add to an ATS, but your outreach should be two separate types of emails.

My take: Apollo is a must have for me at the very least for the scraping features, prospecting and work emails. These features come free. 

If you haven’t checked them out yet, use my link and sign up for free.

Now that you have fresh leads sourced from sales navigator  and locked into a sequence in Apollo, Lavender is how we connect with our prospective clients.

It’s a built-in email coach to personalize your messaging and prevent you from getting too verbose in emails.It is only $29 a month and it even offers a free plan, so why wouldn’t you use it?

For more, check out this article.

Price check: We’re still at $99/month using Sales Navigator and free versions of Apollo & Lavender.

Candidate Stack

For the candidate side there are two routes you can go, the first is Betterleap & RecruiterFlow.

Betterleap adds another layer to your candidate sourcing. It’s best utilized as an engagement and enrichment platform. One of the most notable factors is that users get unlimited candidate enrichment and does away with pesky credit systems entirely. 

Paired with the programmability of RecruiterFlow’s automation will make sure you never miss a follow up in your pipeline and allows you to check in with 5 star candidates regularly without the admin overload.

They complement each other well because they’re both great at what the other lacks in. Betterleap & RecruiterFlow have open APIs so they can talk to each other well along with other tools.

It’s great if you're less technical because all you will need to do to get started is a text and Phone integration.

Pricing: Both offer month to month options and together they can be as low as $290 per month. 

The second route is using Loxo.

Loxo currently holds the crown for the all-in-one recruiting platform. In fact, you could just use Loxo for both client and candidate side sourcing, enrichment, outreach, management, email, text and phone. The product has so many features! 

However, its cookie cutter outreach makes it difficult to stand out with candidates and in 2024 we’re all about relationships and personalizing at scale. It is on a credit system, the data is not as accurate, and it can be difficult to set up if you aren’t particularly technical. 

Don’t get me wrong, it’s fantastic for smaller agencies. But its not my top choice if I had the full budget and was looking at scale. There are UI issues, a skilled IT professional is recommended, you need to integrate an email validation tool, additional contact enrichment tool, and a job page work around for a cleaner look on your modern websites.

But still a fantastic cost saving option.

Pricing: Bills you $299 per month for an annual contract, and $359 monthly but you still are locked in for an annual contract.

For more on Loxo, check out the Loxo Podcast with Sam Keuhnle on how to become a hiring machine.

Kick off 2024 with a Bang!

If you’re like me, you’re constantly evaluating new technology and wondering what apps aren’t pulling their weight. 

For the client side you can easily get away with Sales Navigator, Apollo, and Lavender for as little as $99 a month.

Meanwhile for the candidate side you can go with Betterleap and Loxo’s free ATS to start if you are going out on your own. Just know it will be a bit more manual getting the data from Betterleap to Loxo.

Don’t know if I’d pay the $200+299 for the full version of each. They still won’t talk to each other and I’d probably just go with the Loxo if that was the case. I’d only do this if the integrated VOIP and text was critical.

But if you want deep custom automations, connectivity, and month-to-month flexibility, get the Betterleap + RecruiterFlow combo. RecruiterFlow has really grown on me over the last year. I like their roadmap, the UI/UX is awesome and you really can build a Super Saiyan level ATS since they have an open API.

Our next article goes over the add on tools you should all be considering if you have the budget. Many of which already have integrations with RecruiterFlow.

Keep an eye out for the drop and don’t forget to apply to the BD Blast Cohort.

Till next time!

Hello Geniuses!

It is so good to be back after a short break. What’s everyone been up to?

I’ve been really happy to see the market starting to come back for some of you. I hope the GTM Series helped you take advantage of the uptick.

Big changes coming in Q1 that will impact everyone who uses email to pick up business and engage candidates. Google announced they are cracking down hard on spam and going to start blocking domains with a .3% complaint rating.

I’ve been worried about this and had a feeling this would be coming. But luckily we’ve all pulled away from mass blasting worse practices…. right???

Anyway, today’s release is packed. To start, we have some exciting updates.

Lets get into it!

Updates & Announcements

Precision Prospecting Launched: After a long wait my free BD course has officially launched. Right now we are limited on seats so be sure to sign up fast. Anyone who joins this week’s Live will get immediate access. Which leads me too….

Live Dynamite Event: This week’s LDE will be the first time we open up our webinars to the public. Will Allred, COO & Co-Founder of Lavender.AI will be joining us to share his Cold Email Secrets and how recruiters can level up their game. If you don’t know who Will is, go read his value packed LI posts immediately! RSVP here and add it to your calendar.

Q4 Season 3 Arc: If you are like me, you are probably evaluating your tools at this time of year. Evaluating what worked, what didn’t, ensuring you are utilizing what you purchased and trying to find some cost savings.

That’s why the Q4 season will be all about tools. I’m going to be reviewing, demoing and red flagging the ones to avoid. So send over any tools you love, hate or are considering and I’ll add the most requested ones into the newsletter schedule.

Now on to today’s article…

Betterleap Review: Is It Worth It?

In 2020, Anna Melano and Khaled Hussein, two ex-Airbnb product gurus, came together to create Betterleap. Initially, they aimed to help tech companies find top-notch talent. But as they delved deeper, they realized boutique recruiting agencies were craving a tech solution tailored just for them.

Fast forward to today, and Betterleap is this all-in-one sourcing and outreach platform, packed with features from an AI assistant to client management, all without breaking the bank. And the best part? It's built to grow with you, adapting to various recruiting models.

Features Overview

I've categorized the features under the main components of Betterleap: Candidate Sourcing, Engagement Suite, and Workflow Engine.

Candidate Sourcing

Database: Betterleap isn’t just any database; it's a treasure trove. Imagine having access to nearly 1B contacts and 60 million companies. That's a lot of potential candidates waiting for you!

Contact Enrichment: Here's where Betterleap shines. Tired of those pesky credit-based systems? Betterleap kicks them to the curb. No more surprise costs when you're hunting for more candidates. Plus, their database isn't just vast; it's accurate. They boast an impressive 83% accuracy rate for verified emails. And for some sectors, it was even higher! Bonus: You can also peek into a candidate’s other social profiles. Giving you the ability to engage them where they are.

In-app Search Filters: Easily create lists, set search parameters, and tag personas. Betterleap did the heavy lifting, spotlighting the most relevant leads. When you input your project, you are immediately moved to the search function to seamlessly add people. The Sourcing Copilot feature felt like having a personal assistant sifting through the database for me (more on this later)

Enterprise Features: Betterleap has a few enterprise features that are only available to companies with 10 or more seats. The one I’m most excited about is their chat-to-search function. Your team can literally give a sentence description of the type of candidate you are looking for and the Copilot AI will create the boolean and filtering systems for you. It can even search based on diversity objectives.

Engagement Suite

ATS Connection: This is one of my favorite features of Betterleap. Not only can you directly connect to your own ATS datasets but also the ATS data of your clients. If they use tools like Lever or Greenhouse, you can get informed on if a candidate is already in process. No more screening or sending duplicate candidates.

Sequencing: Crafting personalized emails and setting up automated follow-ups was a breeze with Betterleap. What I love the most is the ability to personalize an entire sequence for an individual candidate with the extension. Meaning your most targeted MPC candidates are getting that personal touch at every step. There is also an AI assistant to take your framework/template and customize the initial message to their experience and background.

Chrome Extension: It's user-friendly and super quick. Whether you're adding candidate profiles to your database or setting up a sequence, this extension has got your back. Just a heads-up, it currently only supports standard LinkedIn and Recruiter/Recruiter Lite. Soon there will be a SalesNav capability, you can always pair it with tools like Apollo, Dripify, and OctopusCRM to scrape and upload CSV files for now.

Multi-Domain Outreach: This feature is all about keeping your emails out of the spam folder and letting a single researcher or sourcer engage prospects for multiple recruiters. And guess what? Betterleap is working on an automated switch feature. Exciting times ahead!

Workflow

Sourcing CoPilot: This feature learns on the go. The more you use it, the smarter it gets, refining its predictions on what you are targeting for each role. Many products have this but what I like about this one in particular is its based on a project by project basis vs universally identifying your candidate types.

Kanban: If you've used tools like Trello, you'll feel right at home. While I'd love to see more customization options, it's essential to remember where Betterleap's real strengths lie: accurate sourcing and engagement.

AI Copilot: This isn't just another AI tool. The AI Copilot in its beta version is versatile and allows users to actually interact with the platform and your data. From crafting inclusive job descriptions to providing job training, it's like having a Swiss Army knife in your toolkit. You can even ask it about your data and learn things like the best time to send is based on open rates and how many candidates you have in the interview process. It doesn’t stop there. You need a list of competitors to send a candidate to or to poach candidates from? Ask Copilot 🙂 

Pricing

Betterleap keeps it simple. $200 per user per month for almost all of their features.

• No yearly commitment.

• No tiers unless you are buying in bulk

• No confusing credit systems here.

It's a breath of fresh air, especially for boutique recruiters who want value without the hefty price tag and an option to offboard if it doesn’t work for them.

They do have a few exclusive features for Enterprise Accounts of 10 or more licenses but they are mainly focused on reporting & collaboration.

Alternatives

Gem

Gem is the OG of contact sequencing platforms in the recruiting space. Gem made its mark early on, offering a solid workflow system and a bunch of customization options. But here's the catch: while it's a fantastic tool, it's primarily designed for internal teams. Think of it as a candidate relationship platform on steroids. But the free version won't get you very far.

To unlock its true potential, you've got to shell out some serious cash. They're a bit hush-hush about their pricing on the website, but from the grapevine, I've heard it's somewhere in the 4-5 figures annually.

However, Gem falls short on the in-app search function, customized sequencing and the many AI features that come with Betterleap. Not to mention the contact enrichment.

Loxo

If you're looking for an all-in-one platform, Loxo is the most value for the dollar. It's packed with features, but most don’t take full advantage of the product due to the complexity of the setup and UI.

You need to be very tech savvy or have a solid understanding of modern platforms to get it set up right. Its great if you have an IT professional AND a recruiting operations person on your team to build it out.

Their generative AI has some nifty campaign-building features, but it's a bit limited beyond that. And while Betterleap offers flexibility with its AI, Loxo's AI & insights feel a tad boxed in.

The credit system can also make sourcing a pricey affair. And if you're someone who loves playing around with different tools, Loxo's limited API integrations might be a bummer.

Where Loxo shines in comparison is its in-app multichannel outreach capabilities (VOIP & Text), robust automation capabilities and the CRM aspects of the product.

As for the price tag, it's on a yearly contract, ranging from $299-$359 a month, depending on your billing preference. But remember, you only get 250 credits per account, regardless of the number of seats. Any extra, and you'll have to pay up.

Would I replace Loxo for Betterleap? If I had a well integrated Loxo system and I loved what it provided me, not yet. But I would add it to the stack if I had the budget.

HireEZ & Seekout

These platforms are like the cool kids on the block when it comes to sourcing. They've got some killer features, especially when you're looking for verified data.

HireEZ boasts a similar machine learning capability to that of Betterleap and Loxo. On the other hand, Seekout is your go-to for diversity hires, thanks to its extensive filter options.

But Betterleap offers a similar data source, a whopping 1B searchable profiles, and an impressive 80%+ verified email rate.

And the cherry on top? The unlimited credit system and the AI Copilot.

However, if you're into research analytics and market mapping, HireEZ and Seekout have the upper hand. But with Betterleap's recent funding and the AI Copilot's capabilities, I've got a feeling they'll be catching up soon.

As for the price, HireEZ starts at $170/user for the self-service option with 100 credits. One of my clients does have a $15k yearly subscription for 1 high tier license.

Seekout is a bit mysterious with its pricing, but word on the street is it's in the $5k-15k range. And like most platforms, they operate on a credit system. But here's where Betterleap has an edge: it integrates with your client's ATS, a feature both HireEZ and Seekout lack.

Betterleap just blows these guys out of the water on every level.

Pros and Cons

Pros: 

- Unlimited contact data

- Best Advanced AI application I’ve seen

- User-friendly

- Reliable data

- Loads of connectivity options

- Budget-friendly

Cons: 

- Not currently supported on SalesNavigator.

- No Text, VOIP or LinkedIn integrations

- Limited automation.

- Search filters aren’t as robust

The Verdict

Betterleap, though a newcomer, is making waves. It's simple yet powerful. If you're on the hunt for a new sourcing and outreach tool, give Betterleap a whirl. Its future looks promising, and it's perfect for recruiters of all shapes and sizes.

For those of you working closely with clients, like in embedded search models, Betterleap's seamless integration and tailored analytics are game-changers. And if you're a team looking for a cost-effective sourcing option, Betterleap might just be your match.

To wrap it up, Betterleap is not just about what it offers now but where it's headed. It's a tool with immense potential, and I'm excited to see where it takes us.

So is it worth it? Absolutely!

Happy recruiting!

Thank you to our sponsors who keep RWD free:

Q4 is renewal season! As we adapt to new tools, AI is now in the equation. Many agencies have 100s of tabs open for their ATS, sourcing, contact retrieval and more. Wasting $1000s per user per month for an unconnected stack. Betterleap’s ATS combines these tools into one platform with one price. With its AI, recruiters can quickly generate a JD, source and reach out to candidates in minutes. Plus, it connects with your client's ATS to avoid duplicate submissions, saving time and energy. Did I mention it also has UNLIMITED personal data retrieval included? You can get rid of those pesky credit limits from yesterday’s talent intelligence tools and join a modern recruiting platform. Try it out for free and see why they are one of 2023’s fastest growing all-in-one agency recruiter tools.

Hello Geniuses!

Welcome back to the final installment of our GTM series. Before we begin, there are a few announcements I’d like to make.

Announcements

#1- The Boomlab hit our first 100! Which I’m dubbing the OG 100.

I’m going to be leaving invites open to RWD subscribers for the next 5 days and after that we are closing memberships so I can focus on serving who we have in the group. I couldn’t be more proud of the caliber of folks we have in the Boomlab. 7-figure yearly billers, booming agency owners/executives and independents who are showing us how its done.

#2 - Every Thursday at 10am pst, we hold a live interactive webinar called Live Dynamite Events (LDE) with some of the best recruiters and thought leaders I know. This week we have the one and only Stuart Mitchell, Founder of Hampton North, giving us backstage access to his process that has generated him over $1.5M in the last 12 months.

Yeah! In one of the toughest markets right now, Tech.

His big secret is how he turns clients and candidates into active participants in the growth of his brand and business.

RSVP in the Boomlab and join in live.

#3 - I know I promised the BD course, Precision Prospecting, to be out in September… I unfortunately missed the mark. I’m doing my best as a 1 person band so please be patient with me. Luckily, we are officially in the process of sunsetting Atalent and getting Christina over to RWD which will give me more time to do it. The course is built, I just need to record & edit. If you are still interested in it, ping me in my DM so I can give you early access. Its completely free.

#4 - Lastly, I’d like to hear from all of you about how you are enjoying the newsletter and what you’d like to see more of. Please fill out the survey and help us improve your experience.

Today’s Episode

As we've journeyed together, we've delved deep into the intricacies of the creating a GTM plan for your recruiting practice. Today, we're taking what you’ve learned and scaling your efforts through automation, and AI.

While we dive in just remember, our guiding principle remains steadfast: technology should amplify our human touch, not replace it. The winning strategy is increasing your human-to-human (H2H) interactions as it is going to be the driving differentiator in a massively automated/AI driven world.

There is a lot of noise out there regarding using AI for things like cold outreach, content creation and even video messaging. My goal today is to give you some guardrails when evaluating all of these tools so you don’t burn bridges or ruin your reputation due to a poorly executed strategy.

The Power of Automation

The landscape of sales is evolving at a breakneck pace. Those who harness the power of automation are not only keeping up but are setting the pace. Consider the modern CRM and ATS’s.

Gone are the days of manually logging every call or email. Today's tools update in real-time, transforming your CRM from a mere digital Rolodex into a dynamic sales assistant. Then there's the magic of lead scoring. AI-driven systems like Apollo.io now rank leads based on their likelihood to convert, offering salespeople a clear roadmap of where to focus their energies.

And let's not forget about the Playz feature that turns sales playbooks into automated sequences. These are no longer static documents but dynamic guides that adjust based on a lead's actions, ensuring that every step is calculated and strategic.

Also we aren’t limited to products like Zapier anymore. There are much more specialized tools like PhantomBuster, Bardeen.AI and Cheatlayer that have their own strengths and benefits. Personally I find PB better for more LinkedIn driven automations, while Bardeen has some very cool AI components across an array of your favorite platforms. Cheatlayer is great for people who want to just speak their simpler automations into existence.

AI-Driven Insights for Client Acquisition

While automation streamlines, AI illuminates. Predictive analytics, for instance, is revolutionizing how we approach sales. By analyzing past data, AI can predict future client behavior, offering invaluable insights. I honestly haven’t found one specific to recruiting yet. The ones I have seen are more for enterprise functions. Tools like Gong and Outreach for example. So if you know of any I should be looking at that’s built for folks like you, comment below.

Then there's sentiment analysis, which allows us to gauge the mood behind client communications, ensuring our responses are always in tune. My favorite affordable tool built for the everyday salesperson and recruiter is Lavender. Its easy to use and such a great coaching tool to help quickly personalize and deepen relationships with clients and candidates.

In a competitive market, AI-driven competitive analysis tools are invaluable, offering a window into your competitors' strategies, ensuring we're always two steps ahead. We also need to consider market analysis and trends. Personally, I’m a fan of Clay for this. It allows you to take massive dataset’s from over 50 of our favorite data sources, use OpenAI to analyze, rank and even start personalizing outreach.

And lastly, I know many of you have heard me say that “job boards are a massive waste of time to get leads”. I stand by that. Don’t waste hours of your day…

• Scraping data

• Clearing out recruiting agencies

• Analyzing each role

• Filtering out companies that are not matches for your MPC

• And finding all the contact data for the ideal hiring manager.

It’s a brain drain. However, I do believe it is prime for AI and automation implementations.

Most job ad based services out there give you old data making you even later to the game. The process listed above used to take hours and a lot of human monitoring. However, jobleads.io get all of that done in minutes. You get real time lists every morning that you can tackle for your niche. If you want to delegate the outreach, they are vertically integrated and have a package for this as well.

But again, don’t let the limits of your BD minds keep you from the full potential of this data. You can use this to determine trends in your market and what kind of roles are quickly becoming important for your Keystone Clients for example.

Enhancing Outreach with Automation, AI, and Video Messaging

In our digital age, standing out in a crowded inbox is a challenge. Enter AI-Generated personalized email campaigns. I don’t advise my clients to use what I call blind AI in their initial outreach. Blind AI is the use of AI without human quality control. But, it can be good to generate a starting point for intros and personalization if set up correctly.

Frameworks are your best friend for this. Even still you should review every AI written email before sending. With AI-driven tailored sequences, emails transform from generic broadcasts to personal letters. Lavender, again, is fantastic for this. But why stop at text?

Tools like Maverick, Bhuman, & Potion are ushering in the era of video messaging. Imagine the impact of sending personalized video messages at scale. It's outreach on steroids. Each of these tools have their own way of reaching the same goal.

Many of you are thinking that using these tools for cold outreach is the key. However, I find these most effective after you capture the lead. Using these tools properly gives a unique experience to your clients that most recruiting firms are simply too lazy or not informed enough to do. Use cases that I’ve seen the highest ROI are in welcome emails, post connection acceptance, nurture campaigns, and audience engagement. Don’t let the limits of the sales process stop your imagination though. There are some fun ways you can even integrate these short personalizations into marketing efforts.

And for those who've mastered the art of social media, automation tools are a boon. They ensure consistent engagement, allowing you to schedule, post, and analyze with precision. Tools like Taplio, Repurpose.io, and Deciphr.ai are making waves for this. As a content creator Deciphr.ai is probably my new favorite tool simply because it streamlines my content creation process from all the videos, podcasts and webinars I do.

The Balance: When to Use and When Not to Use Automation/AI

So here’s the deal, I just listed a bunch of tools for you to try out and use. But you don’t need AI and automation for everything. You have to really understand and map out your process, how you want to do business and then find tools that can make sucky tasks you are already doing, less sucky.

Don’t run up your credit card buying all these tools, instead find 1 or 2 at a time that will make your life easier. Once you have your current business process laid out, identify the points where you can leverage tech in a way that is going to lower costs and increase productivity. I created a 8 point checklist to evaluate if the tool you decide to implement is a good idea for your business. When starting off be sure your tool hits all 8.

• Is the task highly repetitive?

• Is it a simple task with little to no variation?

• It doesn’t require deep personalization?

• Are the consequences of an error low?

• Will there be a significant time savings?

• Will there be a significant cost savings?

• Is there a way to measure success?

• Will I this help create more H2H interaction?

If it doesn’t hit all 8 then don’t add it.

As we conclude this series, let's remember one thing: In a world racing towards AI, our genuine human touch is our differentiator. It's what sets us apart. So, as we harness the power of automation and AI, let's use them as tools to be more human, not less. I really hope you enjoyed this series.

Please give me your honest feedback. I’m building this newsletter and community for you and with you. Let’s keep improving and helping each other get to our goals.

Until our next adventure, happy hunting!

Welcome back to Part 4 of our Go-To-Market series!

Today, we'll explore how to craft compelling content, engage in direct outreach, and leverage nearbound strategies.

This article brings everything we worked for in parts 1-3 together and is going to be the most action oriented part of the series.

After today, you should understand what it takes to build a world-class GTM effort that’s specific to recruiting. Obviously there is much more to this, but I have done my best to lay out the basics. If you want to get more guidance on this as we approach Q4, then let’s book a call.

But before we dive in, I want to be sure everyone reading is RSVP’d and joining this Thursday’s call with the one and only Benjamin Mena, host of The Elite Recruiter Podcast. Really excited about this one. Tune in live and have questions ready because we are going to be diving into how to turn podcasting to profit.

Next we have Dani Hao, the former Community and Events Lead at Mutiny, who is teaching us how to leverage communities as a value proposition & differentiator.

Also, if you missed last week’s call, I announced our line up for October. Boy do we have some heavy hitters.

• October 5th - Stuart Mitchell who turned his agency into a $2.5M machine in 2 years with only 2 reps. He’s showing us how to convert your clients and candidate into advocates for your business and fuel lead gen.

• October 12th - Joel Lalgee who is a social media king in the recruiting world & has built a following of over 400k people across LinkedIn, TikTok, IG and Twitter (yeah I’m still calling it Twitter). He’s going to be showing us how to build that brand!

• October 19 - Break

• October 26th - closing out the month with Christina Le. She’s a community building powerhouse who’s showing us how to build one that converts to revenue.

You don’t want to miss out and you can only RSVP in the BoomLab. 

With that out of the way, let's get into today’s episode!

Angles and Messaging: The 5 Stages of Awareness

Every prospect is on a journey. Specifically, they are on an awareness journey and you are the guide. Like every great guide, it’s your job to move them through the trail, answer questions and show them things they didn’t even know were possible.

Understanding where they are on this path is crucial to crafting the right message. Ultimately, there are 5 stages of awareness which I’ve hinted at in past articles. A quick visual describing each of the stages is below.

5 stages of awareness

Initially, our messaging targets a broader audience, but as prospects move through the stages, our communication becomes more direct and personalized.

Using the pains and ideal outcomes of our Keystone clients, we can craft "angles" or pillars in our messaging for each of these stages. Personally, I have found focusing on pains and how to solve them is the best way to start creating content for the masses. As you get more direct/move through the awareness journey, you start heavily focusing on ideal outcomes and aspirations.

A good way to think of the early stages is looking at it in the angle of the Cost of Inaction (COI). Highlight the consequences of sticking to the status quo or how things are currently being done. The goal isn't to pitch but to shift their perspective, making them hungry for more information. A good COI message doesn’t even mention you, your solution or your candidates. It simply forces the prospect to question what they are doing. Jen Allen-Knuth breaks this concept down wonderfully here.

If you want to get good at the content thing, you have to start communicating in stories. Those stories should highlight the problems your prospects are facing every day.

The best way to create stories is through frameworks. Here are a few for you to consider trying.

• The Attention Interest Desire Action (AIDA) Framework

• The Awareness-Comprehension-Conviction-Action (ACCA) Framework

• The Before After Bridge (BAB) Framework

• The Consistent Contrasting (CC) Framework

• The Features-Advantages-Benefits (FAB) Framework

• The Friend-Expert (FE) Framework

• The Past-Present-Future (PPF) Framework

• The Problem-Agitate-Solve (PAS) Framework

• The Problem-Amplify-Story-Transformation-Offer-Response (PASTOR) Framework

• The Picture-Promise-Prove-Push (PPPP) Framework

Warm Outreach

I’d like to start this part by saying most of you will completely skip everything I just lined up for you across the 3.5 episode of the GTM series. 90% of you will go directly to this part and wonder why you aren’t getting the results. I’d highly encourage you to do the groundwork before jumping in. Yes, even if you feel like you know your audience and targets really well. It’s a great exercise to do often in your business. People aren’t stagnant creatures; they evolve.

Moving on.

Alex Hormozi is one of my favorite mentors. He’s exceptional at taking seemingly complex concepts and making it really simple to grasp.

In his latest trainings (which are free), he introduced the concept of the Core 4 Quadrant, which revolves around two forms of communication (1-to-1 and 1-to-many) and two types of audiences (those who know you and those who don't).

The beginning of this article talks to the 1-to-many approach through the use of content. Its a pretty basic overview but hopefully you get the picture.

Now, let's delve into the 1-to-1 outreach, which is ideal for prospects in the later stages of awareness.

As you know, there is warm and cold outreach. I’m personally a big fan of the warm kind but we can’t build thriving multifaceted businesses with just that.

Warm outreach is simply reaching out to folks who know you. That doesn’t mean you have to know them. An example of this is me reaching out to one of you directly. I don’t know many of you, but if you are reading this then you know me.

The key to warm outreach is don’t kill the equity you have built by only reaching out to sell them something. This is also true in cold outreach, but the stakes are much higher on the warm side because of the work and time built into cultivating relationships both personally and digitally.

So go into the conversation seeking understanding, with a focus to serve and not to sell. If you’ve ever booked a call with me or engaged with me you have probably felt the difference in our calls and interactions. I’m genuinely interested in getting to know you and helping you in any way I can.

That’s the energy you want to bring to the table as you write emails and make calls.

Cold Outreach

The key to cold outreach is the same as warm outreach. Come in genuinely curious, seek understanding and with an aim to serve not sell.

Even when people don’t know you (cold outreach), it’s important to still engage them based on where they are in the awareness journey. There are indicators in most cases and some will even have what is called intent signals. Platforms like Apollo are great for searching and alerting you about these kinds of prospects.

For example, an indicator for tech companies that might be ramping up hiring soon is a VC round.

Instead of the standard ole “congrats on funding, want to hire this candidate?” line, try this Honeypot framework instead.

Honeypot Framework

Let’s break it down.

Context is everything and we start with that. You can use this context guide for all of your messaging.

There is also have an Avatar Canvas from Digital Marketer you can use that has even more detail. Happy to share it with you and go over how to use it in a consultation call. 

Once you have the context there are 6 rows you need to fill out.

• Observation - What is an observation or trigger you can use?

• Poke the bear - This is a concept introduced by Josh Braun’s cold calling course. Basically its a curious question that bridges the gap from where they might be to where they want to be.

• Solution - Remember if you are working on a standard placement recruiting model, your candidates are the solution, not you.

• Differentiation/proof - Since your candidates are the solution use their experience as differentiators and proof of work. But notice I’m not just listing a bunch of experience. I’m focusing on what they have done for similar companies with similar goals.

• Ask or offer - Most of you will dub this as a call to action. However, data shows calls to action that request time or actual action from the prospect results in a massive drop off in replies. Instead focus on yes or no questions that either ask for more clarity or offer more data. That’s why you see the “OR” in the middle of the 2 questions. You pick one.

• Lastly the subject line - I write the subject line last because its the thing that ties it all together. Notice its 3 words and reads like something you’d get from someone familiar to you.

Bonus tips.

• Write at a 5th-7th grade level

• Make your paragraphs 1-2 short choppy sentences (think how Linkedin posts are written)

• Bullet point experience

• Excluding your bullet points, the message should be no more than 60 words.

• Use 2x more “you”s than “I”s, “our”s or “we”s.

• Stop guessing and spend the money on Lavender and aim for a 90+ rating.

Here is a link to even more frameworks from Lavender if you don’t like mine.

Nearbound: The Power of Partnerships

Lastly, we have nearbound strategy. Nearbound is about leveraging partnerships and borrowed audiences. I built a lot of Atalent on nearbound efforts and Recruiting With Dynamite’s core offerings will have a massive nearbound aspect to it.

What is nearbound?

Isaac Morehouse of nearbound.com, defines it as “the Go-To-Market strategy that taps into those buyers trust at every stage of the journey for intel, intros, and influence.”

If you found RWD due to an interview I did for a Podcast, that is an example of a nearbound strategy. I essentially borrowed trust from the podcast.

Here are a few examples of how recruiters can use it.

• Complementary Collaborations: Partner with brands offering complementary products or services to similar targets. Together, you can provide a comprehensive solution, enhancing value for clients.

• Recruiter Alliances: Team up with recruiters in similar spaces. Share networks, split commissions, and expand your reach.

• Influencer Engagements: Collaborate with influencers and creators. Be a guest on podcasts, write for their blogs, and co-create content. It's a win-win, expanding both your audiences.

I can go into more details about nearbound GTM strategies if you like, just let me know.

Effective marketing, outreach and strategic partnerships are invaluable in today's competitive landscape. This all may seem daunting and exhausting, but this is how great businesses are built. Its how you stay relevant in bad times and thrive to new heights in boom time.

The landscape has changed drastically and the ones who know how to do this are cashing your checks right now. The thing is, none of this is new or innovative. Its just mastering the basics.

If you want deeper guidance doing this in your business or desk, I have a few options for you. You can join BoomLab and freely engage me and the community there, book a 45-75 min consultation or I can coach you. Coaching is limited as I can only take on about 10 at a time so there is an application process.

Stay tuned for the final part of our series, where we'll bring everything together and look at ways to automate for more human interaction.

Till then, happy hunting!

Hey Geniuses!

Quick Announcement!

If you are a subscriber, you should have gotten an email inviting you to join our BoomLab Community this morning.

As promised, below you will find the link you need for our very first Live Dynamite Event with Mike Anderson.

To join, simply sign up to BoomLab, RSVP and add it to your calendar.

These events are fully interactive live events where you will be able to ask questions from vetted industry experts.

No fluff or guru’s who sucked at their job and started a coaching business or a LinkedIn brand hyping up the latest tech trends.

These folks typically charge for there time and you get to learn from them just by being a member of BoomLab.

Our past recordings and future events will exclusively be found there, so be sure to join.

Members will also get…

• A community of recruiters and agency owners looking to learn, build and grow together

• Exclusive content that expands on our articles

• Full product reviews and how to guides

• Courses from the best marketers, sales people and content creators

• Email and scripting advice

• More direct access to me and other experts

Now let’s get into Part 3 of the Go To Market series.

In part 1 & 2 we dove into some strategies to both identify and validate a good market. Today we are going into how to position yourself as the best option for your clients and prospects. To do that, we are going to take what we learned from our data and from our conversations to develop our core offering, keystone clients, and optimize our communication channels. These will be the cornerstone pieces for our marketing, messaging and outreach.

Core Offering

After your research, you should have a fairly good idea of what plagues your clients and what they are looking to attain. You should also understand how either your candidates (your inventory of product) and/or your solution (productized services) can help them. This is your core offering.

Your core offering is what you sell that meets 5 criteria:

1. Central to you business identity: It's what the business is best known for and is typically associated with the brand.

2. Main revenue source: A significant portion, if not the majority, of the company's revenue is derived from the core offering.

3. Competitive advantage: The core offering often provides a unique selling point (USP) or differentiator in the marketplace.

4. Reaches desired state: The core offering actively propels customers beyond immediate needs, guiding them towards their envisioned desired state.

5. Scalability: The core offering is structured to accommodate growth and expansion while maintaining the consistent quality that clients expect, even as demands and market conditions evolve.

Alright here is the key… Say it with me now….

“My core offering isn’t for everyone.”

If you know this then it’s your job to now position yourself as the guide for the exact people it is for.

So we need to clarify who your core offering helps and how it can help them get to their aspirations faster and with less headaches.

This is where you start to build what I call, your Keystone Clients.

Keystone Clients

Recruiters will often market themselves by saying some blanket statement like “I help startups build world class engineering teams.” Thats a bunch of fluffy nonsense.

The more specific you get the better your leads get. Yes, the guy who says “niching is killing your business” is saying get specific about who and how you help. What I’m not saying is let this be the only thing you do.

Every good business will have multiple versions of Keystone Clients who have different aspirations and needs but the core offering will still be able to serve them.

An example of a keystone client for one of my candidates may be

• A CTO named Asha at a martech company looking to inject AI into their SaaS platforms.

• They work at a later stage startup with over $20M in recent funding to take on such a venture.

• Asha comes from multiple startups and has built A-player teams before.

• They simply don’t have the experience or connections on the AI front.

• Their goal is to build a product that generates significant revenue through both market capture as well as upselling their freemium customers to a paid tiers.

• This implementation will be crucial to their business and speed to market is top priority.

• If they don’t implement, they risk losing significant market share as new startups entering the space.

• So having my candidate Jon, a seasoned lead engineer coming from Jasper’s core team, is going to help them get there the fastest.

Another keystone client for a solution service might be:

• Executive Tonya who is looking to inject AI into their internal systems to make quicker business decisions.

• They work at a more traditional business like transportation.

• They generate over $50m in revenue a year and have at least 5 people on their technology & internal software teams.

• They outsource some basic coding and QA work to offshore & nearshore companies and they are struggling to decide on if they should hire someone internally for this implementation.

• Tonya’s goal is to implement with little ruckus and disruption to their current process.

• If they don’t implement this, they’ll continue making poorly informed decisions due to the human error in their business analysis costing them millions in lost revenue each year.

• So Tonya would highly benefit from our marketplace that connects her to fractional CTOs who could help craft that strategy and implement.

Do you see how specific that is? I even named them. When you do this it helps find the common issues that your core offerings help solve across multiple types of clients.

Lastly you would craft your positioning statement so folks can quickly understand the value you provide. I personally have found positioning statements that focus on getting to your keystone clients’ common aspiration is what works best.

Here is a quick framework for that statement.

• Who do you serve (your keystone client)?

• Why should they work with you (the aspiration you help get them to)?

• What is an attribute that aligns you with that keystone client (what makes you unique or credible)?

• What action should they take to get started?

I want to see if this is clicking so I’d like you to be the ones who craft this and participate in this exercise with me.

Based on these examples DM me in the BoomLab with what you think the 1 sentence positioning statement should be for either of these examples.

I’ll showcase the best versions exclusively on BoomLab and give you more details on Saturday.

Optimizing Your Communication Channels

Finally, you'll need to optimize your communication channels. This involves aligning your core offering and brand with your keystone clients and meeting them wherever they are. If you did the research properly, you should have determined where these folks get their info, learn and “live”.

For most of you working traditional business roles, your keystone client will be on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn. They may also often read Forbes and listen to business podcasts for example.

But for folks in industries like healthcare staffing, your keystone clients will more likely be on platforms like Tiktok, Facebook and Instagram.

Everyone is on some form of social platform or digital community. But there may be some cases where digital just won’t cut it and you need to be in a physical location. A good friend of mine is a million dollar construction recruiter and he literally gets business by visiting new sites and talking directly to Project Managers.

In any case, its your job to find ways to meet your keystone clients wherever they are. You then optimize that channel with your positioning statements in your description. On LinkedIn this would be your headline. Your description will give context and showcase how you help. On the other social platforms this will be in your bio under your handle. The key to this one is that it needs to be skimmable and bulleted versions of the framework I had above.

If you have a website or digital landing page, then this would be top of fold and literally the first thing people see. By incorporating this into your digital presence, you can clearly communicate your value to your clients.

So to recap where we are so far in the GTM series. We have…

• Identified a market

• Validated demand

• Crafted/defined our core offering

• Defined our keystone client

• Optimized our communication channels

Now its time to start marketing and outreach which is part 4 & 5.

Till then, happy hunting.

If you want a quicker way to learn about this or just want some help in your current process, first join BoomLab and second book a call with me.

Hey there, folks!

This is probably the most jam packed value episode I’ve ever done. It’s a deep read and there is a lot here. If you make it to the end (or just skip there), there is a cool offer for my subscribers to get free access to the course that I’m dropping. If you are struggling to pick up leads, you don’t want to miss out on this.

If you've been following along, last episode we took a deep dive into identifying potential markets. We explored the ins and outs of market research, and I shared some of my favorite strategies for uncovering those hidden gems in the recruiting landscape.

But identifying a potential market is just the first step. Now, we're moving onto the next crucial phase: validating market demand. This is where we roll up our sleeves and get down to the nitty-gritty. We're going to dig into the data, have some real conversations, and really get to know our market. It’s not just about finding a market; it’s about finding the right market.

So, what exactly is market validation? In simple terms, it's the process of confirming that your product or service (in our case, candidates or recruiting solutions) meets the needs of a specific market. One that’s not just profitable, but sustainable and fulfilling. It’s about asking, “Is this a wave I can ride, or is it a fleeting ripple?” It's about ensuring that there's a real demand for what you're offering.

We are going to explore two go-to-market strategies: the candidate-led approach, this is your typical MPC led outreach, and the service-led approach, where we focus on offering unique recruiting solutions. Both strategies have their merits, and the best choice depends on your specific situation. Either way, the most important factor in this is thinking long term.

Long-Term Thinking

The leading indicator I’ve found on whether a recruiter will be able to make it in a downturn is how they think about their desk and their business.

If they respond to questions in terms of what they are going to extract out of the market this quarter or even this year, then they are often thinking short term and are likely to yo-yo.

However, ones who think in terms of 2-5+ years will have a greater likelihood of success in finding validated markets. Why? Well its very difficult for trendy markets and trendy type offers to last beyond a given period. You are forced to think about the viability of what you are going after and how you can serve the clients, candidates, and your staff.

For example, look at all the mortgage recruiters that jumped head first during the post pandemic boom. Most of them just offered the same products and services to a trendy volatile market. Where are they now?

I really wanted to poke fun at a certain agency here but I’ll not feed my intrusive thoughts… Anyway moving on!

Some of you are thinking “But Will, didn’t you just say follow hot markets?” Yes, but you have to see what is the best way to serve those markets and how that plan is going to add to your long term goal. If you are looking for more clarity on this, I promise if you stick with me through the series you will see what I’m talking about and how to find the balance. So with that, lets get into the demand validation process.

The Candidate-Led Approach

In a Candidate-Led approach, candidates are the product. It’s about finding the talent that companies are desperately seeking and connecting the dots. It’s about being the bridge between talent and opportunity.

Because of this we start with the basics and expand from there. Job boards are a goldmine of information and that’s why I typically start here. The data should reveal things like:

• How many roles are open?

• What’s the average time they’ve been posted?

• How many applicants are they attracting?

• What is the historical data on past roles?

• How many candidates are on the market compared to the amount of jobs?

These numbers tell a story. If there are 1000s of roles open that have been open for months with few applicants, obviously there is a demand for that skill set. But why is it hard to fill? Are these roles typically undervalued/overworked? Or is it a recently discovered demand like AI Prompt Engineers.

Once you come up with a conclusion start looking into the what industries are generating the most demand.

Pinpoint the industries where candidates will be snapped up like hotcakes.

For example, are companies across various sectors all screaming for accountants? If so, identify which have the most demand starting with the industries you identified are getting the most funding.

You can also look at what other recruiting firms are posting.

Are companies like Jobot, Cybercoders and Motion posting a lot of these roles?

Are there boutique firms with 100s of positions open?

These are all great indicators.

If you become proficient with tools like Clay, then these tasks can be done in seconds vs hours.

Outside of job postings you can also look at influencers, publications, and corporate strategies to determine if there is a trend forming. For example, Forbes came out with this article about the shortage of accountants.

And you can find many more like it.

You need to also validate if these roles are open due to a short or long term cycle, then understand at what stage of the cycle you might be jumping in.

As mentioned in my last article, if you start seeing gurus, courses and experts coming out trying to sell to the general public and capitalize, you might be hitting this market too late. Look at drop-shipping, code academies, and web3 as an example. When did those industries start to get randos who shifted industries due to a course they found on a FB ad? Now this isn’t always the case but it can be an indicator. A modern parody on this is when Meta released Threads and influencers were poking fun at other gurus pitching how they could help you amass a million followers.

What if your market is over saturated? Well it’s not “bad” to be later in the game with oversaturation, you just need to change your approach and find opportunity. Because with that oversaturation you will likely find you can better serve the market based on a service. This is a prime opportunity to look at a service-led approach.

The Service-Led Approach

The Service-Led approach is about more than just filling roles; it’s about solving specific, often complex problems for a very specific Ideal Customer Profile (ICP).

For example, you may want to offer a creative services suite like DesignPickle, a marketplace like Upwork (which in its core is a recruiting service) or something more traditional fractional talent acquisition for early stage funding AI startups.

Before diving into this approach, let’s introduce two critical concepts: oversaturation and underservicing. An oversaturated market is flooded with similar services or products, while an underserviced market lacks the depth of expertise needed to meet demand. The magic happens when you find an industry that exhibits both of these qualities.

Let's look at sales. As a profession, its a prime example of this dichotomy. It’s oversaturated; there are countless salespeople out there. But it’s also underserved in specific niches.

This is where Cole Gordon at Closer.io struck gold. Closer.io, one of the fastest-growing agencies in the US, skyrocketed from $0 to $32 million dollars in just two years. They did this by finding an industry with both oversaturation and underservicing. Here is the crazy part, he had no prior recruiting experience or concept of what the standards in the market were. What he did have is a marketing and sales background and a knack for generating great offers.

They didn’t just throw more salespeople into the mix; they offered a full solution suite, recruiting, training, and managing remote sales teams for high-ticket coaching and consulting clients (think Tony Robbins and Guy Kawasaki). He didn't even come in pitching, "I've got candidates for you." He goes straight into the real aspirations of his targets (more on this in article 4). It was a masterstroke, turning a crowded market into a lucrative opportunity. Take a look at his ad below.

To validate this type of Service-Led Approach, you can look at a lot of different factors depending on the service you want to provide.

Continuing using job boards you might see if there is a pattern of roles open in the last few weeks with extremely high applications.

You might find lots of movement in the space but also a high degree of quick turnover like the mortgage and construction industry.

Service-led offerings is a lot harder to validate with quantitative data. But in both cases you still need to get out of crunching numbers and just go ask the market what's happening.

Data you get online isn't going to cut it. It’s now time to listen and understanding. This is where the human touch comes in. Conversations with real people provide the context that numbers alone can’t offer. Data can misleading. It can tell you what is happening, but not why. That’s where human conversations are invaluable.

• Ask your candidates and clients about their experiences.

• How many recruiters have reached out?

• What do they love and hate about the process?

• What is the ultimate goal of someone who is in the position?

• What are their frustrations with current recruiting options?

• What do they wish was different?

• What goals are they trying to achieve and how can talent fit into the mold?

These insights are your secret weapon in validating your market, creating offers, and crafting messages that convert..

I have a whole list of questions you can ask that I’ll be releasing with my course in the next few weeks. But those of you joining the BoomLab community can get early access.

We’ve navigated the complex landscape of market validation, emphasizing the dual pathways of Candidate-Led and Service-Led approaches.

The key takeaway? Validation is not a box-ticking exercise. It’s a dynamic, ongoing conversation with the market. It’s about being a detective, a psychologist, and a strategist, all rolled into one.

Once you have validated demand its time to validate the supply and your ability to meet that demand. This part is crucial but I'm going to stay focused on the BD side of things in this series.

Stay tuned for Part 3 where we are going into your positioning and driving that demand.

Did you find this helpful? Do you want a deeper dive? Well all of that is going to be available on our BoomLab Community that will be launching very soon. Honestly, I was hoping to get it out today, but there are a few tweaks I still need to make and I want to make sure you guys are getting a ton of value from it, day 1. “All good things come to those who wait” 🙂 

There you'll get:

• Exclusive content

• Product reviews & discounts

• Webinars & trainings

• Live interviews with top billers

• And a community of recruiters looking to grow their skills together.

But wait there is more!

In the next few weeks I’m dropping my Precision Prospecting Course that I’m going to be giving away to my community members as a thank you to all of you amazing recruiters that have been with me from the beginning.

This course is a 5 module self-paced course that will change how you go to market, attract business and capture more leads.

It’s going to be free to my initial community members who are signed up on launch day.

If you are a subscriber, you should be getting an email within the next couple weeks asking you to sign up so be on the lookout.

Have a great week everybody!

Let’s start with some quick announcements!

Version 1.0 of recruitingwithdynamite.com is live as of this morning. Go check it out and stop by the tools section to get free trials to the many tools I love.

Also, on August 22 we are officially beta launching our BoomLabs community. This is by far my most exciting endeavor thus far.

Members will have access to exclusive content, courses, resources, interviews, recommendations, tool discounts, lives, a community of like minded recruiters and so much more.

We are even working on a solution for folks to partner and split deals with no middle man fees.

Access will be limited to 100 people starting off. Be sure to join the waitlist here and claim your spot!

Now onto the main attraction.

As we embark on the first chapter of our five-part Recruiter Go-To-Market series, our mission is to equip agency recruiters with the knowledge and strategies to venture confidently into new markets.

Whether you are a recruiter struggling in your current market or a leader looking to expand your reach to meet your goals, the ability to identify and validate is paramount. This segment will illuminate the intricacies of pinpointing a promising new market.

Define Success

Before we delve deeper, it's imperative to emphasize the significance of goal-setting.

Venturing into a new market without a roadmap is akin to sailing without a compass. Begin by scrutinizing your past revenue streams. Dissect them, understand the driving forces behind each dollar earned, and assign tangible values to each activity. This meticulous analysis will provide invaluable insights.

Once this foundation is laid, project your revenue aspirations. To truly challenge yourself/ team, consider amplifying these targets by an ambitious 30%. This not only sets a benchmark, but also ignites the drive to surpass it.

Your exercise might look something like this.

Metric Math

With these coordinates in place, you're faced with a pivotal decision: Do you amplify your efforts, or do you refine and optimize your existing strategies?

This choice will shape your approach to the new market. Also, once you analyze your market, it will guide you in determining if the market is large enough to meet your goals.

Rethinking Traditional Tactics

Historically, recruiters were armed with rudimentary tools: a list, a designated territory, a phone and a pat on the back. Often times being led by someone who might have just been great at volume pounding vs someone who actually has a repeatable strategy.

Getting insights and a process from folks like that is like pulling teeth. Often, their answer is to simply to send more SPAM. Why? Because it worked for them.

If you are having PTSD just thinking about that person (we all know them), I am with you.

However, the landscape has evolved. The old playbook, where recruiters operated with limited business development acumen and can throw spaghetti at the wall, is becoming less effective.

The problem is that, if your traditional market wanes and you're company tethers you to an inflexible plan, PIP might be in your future.

On the other hand, many of you work in a no-territory, goldrush environment and simply follow what the top billers are doing, never claiming the full potential of a market by being a first mover.

The need of the hour is a paradigm shift. With a plethora of data at our fingertips, the transition from a passive stance to a proactive strategy is not just beneficial—it's essential.

This is why we need to know how to identify markets early.

Here are some ways to do just that.

Follow the funding

A time-tested strategy to uncover burgeoning markets is to keep your finger on the pulse of financial flows. Monitor sectors attracting significant investments, be it venture capital, PE or government allocations. Such financial influxes often herald a surge in demand and hiring.

Just be sure you are hopping onto a solid trend line. One announcement is an event, two in the same week is a coincidence and three or more in a month is a trend.

While free online searches offer a starting point, leveraging specialized platforms like Crunchbase, Apollo and Clearbit can provide nuanced insights, streamlining your market research endeavors.

Whats in the news

In the dynamic world of recruitment, information is currency. Regularly tuning into industry chatter can offer a pulse on market health. A lull might indicate stagnation, while widespread optimism could signal potential opportunities. But don’t always look for good news. Downturns have their opportunities too.

For instance, even as the tech sector currently faces challenges, the demand for accountants have surged. Companies, in their bid to streamline finances or attract investments, are currently on the lookout for financial experts.

This demand coupled with the volume of folks exiting the market and the low levels of candidates entering it, has created a highly advantageous opportunity for the savvy recruiters that pivoted back in November.

Tech Disruption

The tech sector is in perpetual flux, with innovations possessing the power to redefine industries overnight… just look at AI.

While it's tempting to chase every new development, discernment is crucial. Evaluate the longevity and disruptive potential of each innovation.

Questions to ponder include the cost-effectiveness of the technology, its revenue multiplication potential, implementation challenges, the scalability across sectors and potential regulatory hurdles.

These questions are generally a good starting point.

Industry Influencers

What are the influencers in that given space saying?

Watch some recent YouTube videos, listen to podcasts and read a few articles from folks who are making a name for themselves in your target market.

I’m not talking about influencer recruiters (most don’t have a clue). Instead the folks that your decision makers and their employees might be getting signals from.

These individuals often lead the charge in research and can offer a vantage point on industry pain points, aspirations, and trajectories.

FOMO

The Fear of Missing Out, or FOMO, extends beyond technology—it encapsulates evolving market dynamics. FOMO is by far my favorite and most lucrative identifier.

By adeptly identifying and capitalizing on emerging trends, recruiters can position themselves at the forefront of industry evolution and ride the wave early and long.

A great indicator of FOMO entering the marketplace is a unique blend of capital injection, economics, SEO trends lines, news coverage and scarcity/limitations. Its essentially every one of these indicators I listed above put together.

I’ve pivoted and expanded in FOMO markets several times in my career. I did it in programmatic advertising in 2013-16, Crypto/Web3 in 2016-18, Healthcare Tech in 2020-22 and now in AI.

As mentioned earlier, its not just tech related. For example, construction saw a massive stimulus due to Trump Era deregulation, the mortgage industry experienced a spike due to practically free money lending in 2020-22, and travel nursing became essential for hospitals to properly staff during covid.

The key is to not jump in at the breaking point as it can give you an extremely short term gain and you could potentially be blocked out by the influx of competition.

You want to have first mover advantage so you have some staying power.

The easiest way for me to identify if I’m too late is similar to when your mechanic became the crypto “expert”… everyone is talking about it.

You might also see an influx of grifters entering the market with courses and low barrier entry trainings with promises of getting rich quick.

Recruiting even had its time in the sun with folks from heavy retail, art and fitness backgrounds entering the market with hopes of high earning potential in 2021. They capitalized on a wave, made some money and now they are “industry experts” giving terrible advice to candidates and recruiters alike…

This is for my Gen-Z audience 🙂 

I digress.

If you see any of this, then you might have missed your opportunity so just get ready for the next wave.

In wrapping up this segment, venturing into a new market is a multifaceted endeavor. It demands clarity in objectives, a willingness to evolve, and a keen eye on financial trajectories, industry updates, and technological advancements.

I go into a bit of this in my podcast interview with Ben and Sam Miller. You can check out the video below. But I’ll be running a live stream next Thursday at 3pm PST going over a more detailed workflow using my tool stack.

If you are interested, be sure to sign up below.

Stay with us for Part 2 of this series, where we'll delve deeper into market validation nuances.

Until then, continue your quest for knowledge and growth.

As the technological landscape evolves, AI Email Assistants are emerging as powerful tools for sales and recruiting teams. Apollo.io's AI Assistant is helping businesses craft personalized messages at scale, increasing their competitive edge. In this article, we delve into how AI Email Assistants can be used effectively, identify their missing features, and speculate on future improvements.

Understanding AI Email Assistants

AI Email Assistants hold the promise of enhancing sales teams and recruiter engagement. They can generate personalized messages at scale with exceptional speed and precision. These assistants can respond to customer inquiries, provide contextualized replies, and answer common questions from candidates and clients. They significantly reduce time-consuming manual tasks, streamlining operations, increasing efficiency, and bolstering customer loyalty.

However, finding one that can generate a solid cold email from scratch is a challenging task.

Bridging the Gap: Expectations vs. Reality

While AI Email Assistants have immense potential, there can be a discrepancy between our hopes and reality. We often imagine these AI tools fully automating tasks like crafting personalized messages at scale. However, the reality can fall short—some messages may be too long or lack substance. Even when there is an attempt to provide some context, AI emails can land your message in the spam box, or worse, get you blasted on LinkedIn like this guy.

To maximize the benefits of AI Email Assistants, businesses need to understand their strengths and limitations. This new technology can produce some eerily good copy, but it's still not able to create great sales copy on its own. AI needs data and inputs to build.

Most outreach products today incorporate some form of AI writing integration. However, they often fall short due to their overly broad, verbose, salesy, and self-serving nature. They tend not to reference successful emails, have little functionality on email platforms like Gmail, and focus heavily on LLM generation vs. coaching on what you wrote. Tools like Lavender do solve that, but wouldn’t it be great if it could actually write cold emails for you?

That's where I was hoping Apollo was heading.

Apollo.io's AI Assistant: A Game Changer or More of the Same?

When I was told Apollo would be launching an AI writer, I was very excited. Apollo is a platform that is user-focused and popular. With the amount of data at their disposal, the potential for something great is afoot.

Unfortunately, Apollo's AI Assistant shares many of the shortcomings mentioned earlier. On the upside, they do have the idea on the right path by allowing users to tweak some of the inputs.

The results just aren’t spectacular when creating a whole email from scratch.

This doesn't mean that Apollo failed. It's their version 1, and knowing how product-driven Apollo is, I know these issues are in the queue.

For now, it can still be a valuable tool in your toolkit due to one of their key features & differentiators, the personalized opener variable. This feature, while not perfect, can act as a good starting point for your emails. See the test message I created below.

However, I still wouldn’t recommend using it in an intro email or blindly sending without an edit. Where it can come in handy is in relevance-based follow-up emails and candidate outreach. For many I coach, they have a hard time generating that opening line based on a prospect or candidate’s LinkedIn.

AI Email Assistants like Apollo.io's have considerable potential to revolutionize the sales and recruiting landscape. However, they are not without their limitations. It's crucial for businesses to embrace these tools, understand their strengths and weaknesses, and leverage them strategically to optimize operations and client engagement. As we persist in refining and advancing this technology, we forge ahead on the path toward harnessing the power of AI, transforming the way we communicate, and unlocking unparalleled opportunities for success.

If you want more content like this, consider joining my weekly newsletter. Our email subscribers get info tools, events, articles, prompts and exclusive offers.

Hope to see you there.

You can't throw a rock without hitting a so-called guru offering their solutions on how to build a converting LinkedIn strategy. Recruiters should be wary of putting too much faith in them. While these strategies may work for other business professionals, many overlook the unique challenges and opportunities that come with recruiting.

Although building a successful LinkedIn strategy for recruiters may seem intimidating at first, it can be simpler with the right approach.

Short-term Lead Generation vs Long-term Brand Building

A LinkedIn strategy can be both short-term lead generation-focused and long-term branding-focused. Before we dive in, we need to understand the difference between the two and set expectations.

Short-term lead generation aims to attract talent or clients through direct email, InMail, and cold calling efforts. Recruiters will often pitch job postings, candidates, or services with the goal of quick conversions and acquiring new clients and candidates. Lead-gen strategies are volume-based efforts with low conversion rates.

On the other hand, long-term brand building is more about engagement and relationship building with your target audience. This is achieved through high-quality, value-driven content that serves the audience instead of selling to them. Our focus here is subscription or lead capture.

Recruiters often make the mistake of mixing the two. A prime example is posting a job opening and trying to convert people with a CTA like, "apply now". These posts get little to no engagement because they are self-serving garbage posts. Yes, I hate them and I will shame any RWD subscriber who continues with this practice.

Conversely, recruiters might reach out to a prospect with a long, drawn-out email or InMail about all their services, stories, and case studies.

We've all been guilty of both. But no more!

How to Use Them Together

As recruiters, we are trained to heavily focus on lead gen. However, Les Binet & Peter Field's analysis in "The Long and the Short of It: Balancing Short and Long-Term Marketing Strategies" suggests that an optimal balance in efforts for branding to lead gen is 60/40.

Research has shown that if your target audience begins to recognize your brand, your lead gen efforts yield far greater results and responses.

If we take Les' example, then a Full-Desk Recruiter's strategy might look something like this:

For a larger view, click the image.

You will notice that the client side and talent side percentages are flipped in weight for lead gen vs brand building. That's because Hiring Managers don't typically engage client-focused content from recruiters on LinkedIn; candidates do.

However, hiring managers do engage with talent-focused content. They follow thought leaders that resonate and help their employees do their jobs better. They'll either discover you on their own or someone on their team might suggest a post. Either way, they can begin to form a relationship with you.

That's why I believe only 10% of your effort should be client-focused content.

The 2-Part LinkedIn Strategy

Building a proper LinkedIn strategy has 2 parts.

Part 1

You have to know your audience. You must:

• Understand their pains

• Have a clear picture of their ideal outcomes

• Identify the things they commonly get wrong that keep them away from that outcome. We call this the "boogeyman".

Part 2

Once you have part 1 down, it provides opportunities to create campaigns outside recruiting, landing a job, and getting interviews. Your content can instead be assets to the functions of the roles you recruit for.

You would then:

• Create free workflows, frameworks, and deliverables

• Break it up into short 30-45 second pieces of easily digestible content

• Every once in a while, sprinkle in a link, download, or pitch (use sparingly)

Here is an example workflow if you were a Full-Desk sales recruiter:

1. Your content heavily focuses on generating more leads with cold outreach.

2. Find influencers in the SDR space like Will Alred and Morgan Ingram, then curate a list of tips and how-to guides from their content.

3. Create a content calendar of broken-up pieces of content driving home the core message of your campaign.

4. Your ideal candidate sees it, downloads your file or signs up for your newsletter; now you have captured the talent lead.

5. A VP of Sales sees that and they might want to hand it off to some of their new reps. They download it, and you now have a client lead.

6. Reach out to discover what caused your leads to sign up. Offer more free resources and a promise to provide some sort of ideal outcome over a digital coffee.

7. 99% of that call is about helping them without ever talking about you and your recruiting service. Give them tips on how to search for and engage talent that can fill gaps they are seeing. Maybe even let them know of a candidate or potential mentor whom you could connect them with for free.

8. Your sign-off is your pitch opportunity. Show them how they can get the desired result faster by working with you.

How AI Can Integrate into Your Process

You might be wondering, "Where does AI come into this?"

AI technologies can be used in various ways to enhance content and maximize growth efforts. Here are a few:

Research Target Audience: Leverage AI to quickly research the common pain points of your target audience so you can tailor content accordingly. By understanding your target audience, you can create content that resonates with them and increases engagement.

Repurpose Content: One of my favorite use cases for AI is repurposing and redrafting content (including follow-up emails) based on DISC Types. Depending on the type, AI can suggest language that would resonate with them more.

Optimize Your Profile: AI-powered tools can help optimize your LinkedIn profile. Use them to automate mundane tasks such as analyzing keywords, optimizing search engine result placement (SERP), and scheduling posts at peak engagement times. Doing this will make sure that your profile reaches the right people at the right time for maximum impact.

Although leveraging AI can be beneficial for your LinkedIn efforts, it should not fully replace you. It is important for recruiters to remember that they are still in control of their success. We must use AI only as an additional tool for optimization rather than relying on it completely.

P.S. I didn’t mention engagement as part of this strategy. However, it is a key function in building a brand and multiplying your reach. Take 10-15 minutes a day just to thoughtfully engage with your target audience and their influencers posts. Do this daily and before you post. This is called priming the platform.

Now go out there and make some magic happen this week.

If you found this useful, share it with a friend. I'm running a promotion to get free access to my upcoming Outreach Automation course.

3 referrals = Free course access

10 referrals = Free course access + 2 week live group training

20 referrals = Free course access + 2 week live group training + 1 live 1:1.

Just copy and share the link below.

Recruiters are always looking for ways to streamline their processes and improve lead generation. With AI-powered GPT-4 writing tools popping up every day, it can feel overwhelming trying to pick the ones you need. You might even be asking, "Do I really need this if I have access to ChatGPT?" The answer is often, "not really". The key differentiators of these products from ChatGPT are the UI and what they specialize in doing. If you decide to spend on these platforms, here are the ones I'd consider purchasing first.

Lavender.ai, Writer.com, and Taplio are revolutionizing the sales, marketing and recruiting world. They provide users with powerful, efficient ways to craft emails, generate high-quality content, and target messages more effectively.

Lavender.ai is specifically designed to coach users through the process of crafting cold emails and outreach messages that get replies. Writer.com quickly creates content and job descriptions using GPT-4 technology, and Taplio helps users with targeting their messages to the right people using LinkedIn's vast network. GPT-4 tools generate written content in a fraction of the time it would take a human writer, making lead generation efforts faster and more effective.

Lavender.ai for Cold Email Automation

Lavender.ai is an AI-powered platform that helps recruiters craft effective cold emails. It's AI-driven algorithms generate personalized emails for each prospect, and the platform includes features such as customizable templates, A/B testing, and analytics. Research shows that emails with fewer than 75 words, mobile optimization, and clear, easy-to-read structures receive 10 times more replies, and Lavender.ai helps recruiters take advantage of these findings.

Content Creation with Writer.com

Writer.com simplifies content creation and job descriptions with AI-powered tools and a library of pre-made templates. The platform also provides access to AI-driven features to research and reference older content, which allows recruiters to effectively craft tailored messages. Writer.com can repurpose content into LinkedIn posts, summaries, listicles, and Twitter threads. But most importantly, writer.com gives your team the ability to create content in a unified voice by setting guidelines. This feature is really helpful if you have a few people on your team who like to write for their respective audiences.

LinkedIn Marketing with Taplio

Taplio allows recruiters to be more engaged on LI. Users can generate their own posts or search and engage with others posts using GPT-4 as an assistant. Taplio's generative AI features quickly identify trending posts and create unique spins on popular topics. I wrote about Taplio's social selling features in my past article that you can find here. Definitely check it out as there are some cool strategies you can use to craft personalized messages for your target prospects.

The Limitations of AI

AI-powered writing tools are revolutionizing work as we know it. However, it's essential to recognize their limitations. AI can only provide limited insights into complex recruiting scenarios and depends on the data it has access to. AI cannot effectively account for the nuances of emotion or culture when making decisions. Again, its a tool to help you get work done faster and more efficiently, not a replacement for your efforts.

If you want some help getting your AI and Automation strategy up and running book me for a 1:1.

Hello, Genius!

Exciting things are happening at RWD!

What started off as a passion project has really turned into a business.

Since February, I have:

• Launched RWD and released 11 episodes on automation, AI, and copywriting

• Added over 300 engaged recruiting connections

• Had dozens of strategy calls

• Completed 7 implementations

• Helped agency recruiters add $600k+ in pipeline revenue

Through this process, I am actively listening to you and iterating. My goal is simply to help great recruiters get through the pains of the job and amplify success.

It's been so much fun, and I want to thank all of you who have been with me on the journey!

We've only just begun, and I can't wait to show you what's coming next.

Here are some updates I can share.

📰 Our Newsletter Release

Starting this week, we are going to be moving our newsletter release to Tuesday mornings. This way, you can start using some of the tips, tricks, and tools provided early in the week.

This week's episode will be about text and content creation tools like Lavender 💜 , Writer, and Taplio. It will cover why we love them and how you can use them in your process.

Also, the format of our newsletter will be changing significantly.

We want to get you as much info on our three pillars (AI, Automation and Copywriting) as possible each week.

So, instead of long form blog-like episodes, you will be seeing a more curated approach. Please give us your feedback when you see it!

🤓 Content, Collaborations and FREE Workflows

Currently, my process is done 100% by me. With a newsletter, my recruiter clients, upcoming projects, and family time, it's really hard for me to stay on top of everything I want to provide this following.

That's why I recently added three team members to RWD to help generate more content, find more collaboration opportunities and offer free workflows for you.

Be sure to stay subscribed, click the little 🔔 thing on my profile and follow Recruiting With Dynamite to stay up to date.

📚 Courses

After lots of conversations and trainings, we have a course launch coming in May.

This one is going to focus on how recruiters can use outreach tools like Apollo.io to become lead-gen machines, best practices around getting set up and the best tools to add to your prospecting AI & Automation stack. It will also include sequence and copy templates that you can plug into your outreach platforms.

I’m running a promotion for anyone who refers recruiters to RWD!

• 3 referrals = Free course access

• 10 referrals = Free course access + 2 week live group training

• 20 referrals = Free course access + 2 week live group training + 1 live one-on-one.

Just share the link below to your recruiter friends, your managers, and co-workers.

There are few other courses underway. Topics include creating a AI Assistant with AutoGPT, deep dives into Loxo build outs, and crafting unique solutions that make your services stick out.

If there is something else you’d want to learn, let me know. I’ll either build one or find one that I trust. In the meantime, join our waitlist.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Community

This is the one I’m most excited about and I probably won’t be launching until the end of Q2. Building a solid community has been a mission-based driver for me for the last 5 years.

I’ve always hated how the industry has been built on secrets and withholding information from one another. The older generation of Recruiters are often skeptical of each other and built their careers with a scarcity mindset.

Honestly, its understandable considering the industry was smaller and very few companies used recruiting services.

However, today the world is different! Recruiting has become mainstream with lots of opportunity for all of us to thrive.

I truly believe that with a great offer, a solid system, a defined niche and growth mindset anyone can create a successful recruiting practice.

I’m really looking forward to building this community with like minded folks who can collaborate, learn, share and build each other up.

If that sounds like you, be the first to join our waitlist.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Hi Geniuses,

After I had written most of this issue, I stumbled upon a recent LinkedIn Live event hosted by Lavender’s Will Allred and Morgan J. Ingram, founder of Ascension Media Productions. I highly recommend you follow them both on LinkedIn.

Will has extensive knowledge in crafting effective emails, and his platform Lavender powers this expertise. Morgan is a well-known influencer in the SDR space, often seen wearing his signature Majin-Buu hat.

After watching it, I realized that they covered most of the information I had planned to share in today's message, and they explained it in video far better than I ever could in writing. So, I've decided to go through a few high-level tips on how to build out a Target 20 cadence and then link the video to go through the exact cadence structure for your BD efforts.

Let’s begin!

Last week, we discussed three sequences every Client Side Recruiter should have in their arsenal. Today, we'll focus specifically on the Target 20 accounts sequence, the research involved, the ideal outreach cadence, and building momentum in these accounts.

Creating campaigns takes time and effort, but once they're established, you'll be up to 80% more efficient with your time.

Let's explore the process:

Identifying your target accounts

Don't just list companies you think would make great clients. Understand why they're in your Target 20 accounts. Start by researching past clients to find commonalities across various description points. A significant factor for Target 20 accounts is your ability to expand business development efforts across multiple hires and departments. If you'd like more information, feel free to book a call with me.

Building your cadence

Determine how often you should reach out and which channels to use for each step. Tailor the cadence to your target company's needs and responsiveness. For instance, if there's a major procurement cycle, take that into account when planning the length of your cadence. For now, let's focus on the SMB market, targeting Decision Makers directly.

An ideal sequence lasts between 20-30 days and consists of 8-15 steps across various communication channels. Start every cadence with a LinkedIn connection, leaving a digital footprint. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is optimized to resonate with your target audience, particularly your LinkedIn headline. By optimizing your headline, you can effectively connect without having to craft a custom message.

Morgan emphasizes the importance of personalization in the first email. For your Target 20, this is crucial. Engage them meaningfully, and personalize any new-thread emails. In-thread replies can be automated. Limit prospecting emails to 5-7 total, spaced 3-7 days apart to avoid landing in spam. Morgan also suggests relevance-based emails, visual emails, and "goodbye" emails.

Relevance-based emails can be MPCs for specific openings, offer solutions to pains and even provide helpful guides and workflows.

Visual emails can also address MPCs uniquely, such as using a spider graph. Another visual could be sharing infographics on hiring demand.

“Goodbye emails” should be friendly, like ending a conversation with a friend. Include links to your profile and relevant company resources. Lots of agencies offer market maps and salary guides so think outside the box a bit and come up with something unique. An example might be a LinkedIn branding guide to attract top Senior Accountants or a ChatGPT prompt library for the hiring process.

There's plenty of room between five emails and numerous calls in a 20-30 day cadence. The only thing I’d add to Morgans points is that for your Target 20 prospect list, don't just email, call, and leave voicemails at each stage. Depending on the cadence stage, triggers (like views, clicks, and profile visits) you can add a few steps that will help you stand out.

Consider adding a video message if they connect with you. Or if you're recruiting locally, try delivering coffee or snacks to the office. Attend keynotes, webinars, and engage the company on LinkedIn. Get creative.

Ground swelling

Ground swelling is when you engage with team members below the "powerline" in a non-sales way. It helps build rapport and brand within the company you are targeting. A great target 20 campaign doesn’t just end with more leads but it has a whole organization knowing who you are in a positive way.

Some ways to do that is by providing valuable and helpful tips without asking for anything in return. One idea I recommend to my clients is creating a hiring guide to your specialization. You would then send it to folks involved in the interview process, but who are not the Decision Maker.

Lastly, here's a radical idea: befriend the internal recruiting teams. It's incredibly valuable to have them on your side for larger target accounts. You will be forced to work with them at some point or another, you might as well build a relationship that is enjoyable.

By identifying your target accounts, establishing a tailored cadence, and incorporating personalized, engaging strategies, you'll increase the efficiency and effectiveness of your outreach. Don't hesitate to explore creative ways to connect with your prospects, and remember the importance of nurturing relationships at all levels of an organization.

For a more detailed look at a solid cadence structure take a look at the webinar from Will and Morgan below. If you want some hands on help then feel free to book me for a quick audit here.

Happy recruiting, and until next time!