Dear Barb:
I have produced over $350,000 the last two years. This year I’m struggling and I’ll be lucky if I produce $200,000. I would appreciate any advice that I can use to turn this around. My luck needs to turn around, and employers need to start making faster decisions so I don’t keep losing my candidates.
Sue F.
Ft. Worth, TX
Dear Sue:
The most important number to monitor is your sendouts. My definition of a sendout is an interview between a candidate and client, either phone or in person. I only count first interviews. Count up the number of sendouts you scheduled in the first half of this year and increase the number each month. The more candidates you get in front of clients, the more placements you’ll make.
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Review your sendout numbers and placements over the past two years to determine your sendout to placement ratio. As an example, let’s assume your sendout to placement ratio is six to one. For every six candidates you send out on a first interview, one ends up being hired. If you want to increase your production by one sale, you now know you need to schedule six additional first interviews.
Your goal should be to have two to three of your candidates in final interviews. I find that the interview process shortens when you send in a rock star. If employers are dragging their feet on hiring decisions, they are probably still interviewing. Regarding your comment about luck, the smarter and more focused you work, the luckier you will become. Go back to the basics, back fill orders, and plan 100% of your outgoing calls and most importantly increase your sendout totals. That will increase your production.
Barbara J. Bruno, CPC, CTS
