Clients and candidates are the lifeline of our business. Recognizing this fact will help enable you to better serve their needs and keep...and grow...your business. Personal relationships are critically important in that you can differentiate yourself from your competition by being someone who is more than just a vendor trying to make money.

Building personal relationships can develop into long-time clients. Be a sounding board for your clients. Often they may have a problem and just need to bounce ideas off a friendly ear. Listening to them, knowing what problems they have, may enable you to help them in some tangible, or intangible, way. Learn what they would like to improve and see if you can help them. If you cannot help them directly, don’t hesitate to refer them out to one of your peers who may be of assistance. These selfless acts of kindness will earn you your clients’ gratitude and respect.

Take the time to learn some personal details of your clients. Schools attended, children or grandchildren’s activities, sports interests, fun trips taken can all be topics to break the ice and encourage your clients to relax and open up with you. They will be more willing to share issues of concern or perhaps discuss new business with you if they feel at ease and appreciated. A sincere and genuine interest in your clients will return benefits to you.

As Carol Wenom, nationally recognized trainer, recruiter, and President of the Pinnacle Society, relates: “There is no ’I’ in placement.” Making a placement is about somebody else, not you. Finding the candidate the right job and finding the right person for the job for your client company is what placements are all about.   

When the time is right, you can develop a more personal touch by calling versus texting or emailing. Supplement impersonal means of communicating, e.g., bulk emails, newsletters, and Website messages by reaching out to your clients now and then in a personal way. Hand-written notes are a refreshing way of keeping in touch and will differentiate you from your competition. An occasional personal visit to the office of your client or an invitation to coffee will enable you to maintain your personal connection and demonstrate your commitment to their interests.

Once you have a clear grasp of what issues are most important to your clients, focus on these issues and become an expert. Attend industry meetings, trainings, and seminars on these topics. You will become the go-to person for your clients when they have a question or problem. Follow these tips and GET PERSONAL...WITH TEMP AND CONTRACT PLACEMENTS!