Sales, is often seen as a nasty word, even taboo, for those of us in the business of hiring talent and serving the needs of clients searching for the "right" employees. Most people unfortunately shy away from sales.  But if you're a recruiter, you are in fact a salesperson responsible for selling the right candidate the right job and the client the best candidate you know is a good fit for their company.  So what are some of the most essential tools for a recruiter salesperson in this often changing environment? 

Just a few years ago it was enough to simply post an ad in a newspaper or online and wait for the resumes to come flowing into your office.  Unfortunately most of those resumes were either low-quality or simply not the right fit.  What was the problem?  The problem was then, as it is now, getting your job ads in front of the right candidates, those candidates that will be the best fit for the position you're trying to fill. 

Here are a few tips:

1.    If you want to catch fish you must first go to the pond.  Find out where candidates who match your needs are congregated.  There are many associations and groups that may attract your type of candidate; you need to be where they are.  Also, online many niche communities exist that may have the type of candidate you are seeking.  Do they have a job board?  If they do, you need to place your ad there.

2.    Is your ad saying the right thing?  Make sure that your ad clearly states what you are looking for in a potential job candidate and what the job has to offer them.  Remember, even in a tight job market the highest quality job candidates are in high demand.

3.    Make sure that your company is projecting the right image.  When placing job ads and using business collateral material such as letterhead, business cards, websites and even email, make sure that you are projecting a professional image.  High quality job candidates will only respond to recruiters who they believe are professional.  To attract the best quality candidates, project your most professional image.

4.    Using powerful attorney lists to cold call candidates who are more likely to be the perfect match.  Let's face it, there are a limited number of top candidates and it's up to you to find them and connect them with your clients.  At the moment it's an employers market and law firms can be as picky as they want.  So make a smart move and use the list of requirements giving to you by the firm and cold call the candidates you think are the best fit.