
Do you use ‘tentative language’?
We don’t mean to be hesitant, do we?
We want to be bold, believable, and confident when dealing with clients.
We want to leave candidates impressed and trusting of our advice and expertise.
Yet time and again, we use words that are stumbling blocks. Our insecurity takes over.
And we use tentative language.
Words that offer the client or candidate a reason to doubt us. Phrases that reduce our credibility.
Tentative language: How do you know you’re using it?
Do you use words like ‘normally’? The client asks you, ‘how much do you charge? Do you start by saying, ‘Oh, normally…’?
Disaster! Right there. The battle is lost.
You’ve stepped onto a landmine.
When you say ‘normally’, the client knows at once that your price is negotiable. She knows you are not sure of your worth. You may not even believe in your value. And, hey presto – the client is in the driver’s seat.
Recruiters need to evolve to be true advisors. And even if you don’t see it right now, you have a vast amount of insight to offer your clients. Who, after all, knows more about salaries, talent motivation, skills availability (and so much more) than you?
But you can only ‘advise’ if you have credibility. And you can only be credible if you have the knowledge to share.
But it’s also crucial how you deliver it!
We all use many words that prevent us from being in the driver’s seat – ‘Approximately’. ‘Usually.’ ‘I feel that…’ ‘Sometimes’. ‘Our average price’. ‘Ballpark figure’. “Maybe’. ‘Probably’. ‘I will check with my manager.’
These words are not evil in themselves, and there are times they should be used.
But often, combined with a hesitant tone, these words send an instant message to the client’s brain that you’re a bit unsure—just a little insecure. Tentative. Guessing. Bluffing, even.
When the client (or candidate, for that matter) hears insecurity in your words, they can’t but help simultaneously hear the insecurity in your work and your service.
Think about your conversation with a doctor, hairdresser, or housepainter. They say, ‘We could try this because sometimes it can work’. Are you going with that plan? Are you filled with confidence?
Don’t say, “GS Recruiting is one of the leading marketing, creative and digital search companies in Sydney”. You have qualified the statement by prefacing it with “one of the”. Instead, say, “GS Recruiting IS the leading marketing, creative and digital search company in Sydney”.
Who is going to argue? What defines ‘leading’? Claim it!
I am not advocating hubris, BS, or senseless bravado.
But say what you believe with pride and then follow through.
When a recruiter says to a client, “For this job, we charge $20,000, and we deliver an outcome in one week or less”, your client is instantly impressed. The client didn’t hear tentativeness in your price or your ability.
Candidates are sensitive to tentativeness too. In fact, never more so than right now.
Don’t say, “this job might have some of the things you are looking for in a new role”, or “this job is probably worth looking at”. Why would that compel me to go to see that client? Especially when candidates have so much choice right now.
Say, “This is an excellent company with a great client list and a fantastic culture. What’s more, it fits all the criteria you outlined for a job move, including more client-facing time and the international travel you are looking for “(This is an example, of course. What you say must be true!)
Specifics impress.
Remember, it’s not just you that feels the uncertainty in the sales situation. The client is walking in unknown territory as well.
So, as a client, what would you prefer to hear? “The job will be advertised tomorrow, my database will be fully searched by Friday night, and my research team will map the market in a week, and I will have a shortlist in one week or less.”
or,
“We’ll start soon and do our best in a tough market.”
As a candidate, would you rather hear, “You have great skills, and I am going to market your resume to clients A, B and C by Tuesday. We will have feedback by that night”?
Or,
“I will do my best to get you interviews with suitable companies, and we might have feedback soon.”?
Think about your words.
Think about your voice tone.
It can make all the difference.
One thing is sure.
Stop using tentative language. It is holding you back.
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- Posted by Greg Savage
- On December 13, 2021
- 7 Comments
7 Comments