As a professional recruiter, I am a networker. I am a conduit of information. I am an instrument of knowledge. I am an agent of awareness.
I am not a salesman.
Being a salesman necessitates mastering ‘the art persuasion’. In other words, persuading people to take actions they might not otherwise be inclined to take. And to do so regardless of whether it is actually in their best interest or not. Sales do not benefit people. Sales benefit companies. Sales have everything to do with boosting profit margins. And sales have nothing to do with boosting people.
That is why I am not a salesman.
Ask yourself this simple question; is persuasion even necessary in order for somebody to take action in a way that will clearly benefit them? Certainly not. In the context of recruiting, people know what they want in a company. And companies know what they want in people. So the process of connecting them is not selling. It is introducing. The act of selling cannot occur between two sides that require no inducement in order to accept each other. If both sides feel the relationship is mutually beneficial, what is there to sell? Good recruiters intimately understand the needs of the candidates and companies they represent. So when introductions are selectively made, there is nothing to sell.
Thankfully, I can honestly say I don’t know. And I believe not being a salesman is precisely what makes me a good recruiter.
