If you recruit for a living, we've all been there.  You're having trouble filling a position, so you've turned to sourcing candidates.  You end up with a target list of 5 candidates, and now the time comes for the initial cold calls.

Which poses an interesting question - Are you selling a job or your skills as a recruiter on that first call?

It matters more than you might think.

If you're selling a job, you're selling a commodity.  The candidate on the other end of the line doesn't know you, and if you're simply pitching the job, you're like every other recruiter that has the guts to actually make a cold call.  It's great that you made a call, but you still look like part of the pack if all you do is sell the job.

But there's another way.  Maybe you should sell your skills as a recruiter in helping people not just find a job, but the right job. The logical next step in someone's career. That would be value add for the candidate on the other side of the phone.

How do you start to do that when today still finds you calling them for the first time?  The simplest way to get started on this track is to understand their background and actually have a take why this job might be the right next step in their career.  Do that and then incorporate the reason you think the job is right for them by talking about something specific in their background that you like and think is a match - in the first 60 seconds of your call.

Compliment the work they've already done. Tell them why that work and experience makes them perfect for the job you have.

Do that and you're no longer a commodity.

Get busy selling or get busy dying.