Module 4 – Business Development Secrets of Top Producers
This special session brought together three high-performing recruiters — Mike Williams, Katherine Gerald, and Melanie DeBeer — to share how they’re successfully using cold calling to win business. Each shared a real example of landing a client through outbound calls, along with a breakdown of their call structure, follow-up cadence, and advice for handling objections.
The discussion focused on practical, repeatable strategies rather than scripts, with an emphasis on consistency, tone, and qualification. Common pitfalls were addressed — like sending resumes too early or relying too much on research — and the session wrapped with tips on how to track progress and keep improving.
Timestamps:
[00:00–03:00] Intro and leaderboard highlights
[03:00–10:58] Panelist intros: Mike, Katherine, Melanie
[10:58–19:10] Mike: client win from cold call to competitor’s team
[19:10–25:05] Katherine: million-dollar client from 700 voicemails
[25:05–31:48] Melanie: consultative pitch led to biggest billing months
[31:48–38:10] Katherine: cold call structure and talk/listen ratio
[38:10–43:35] Melanie: short intro, open questions, no spec requests
[43:35–51:20] Mike: tonality, candidate-first call, how to qualify interest
[51:20–58:45] Planning, mindset, and how to prepare lists
[58:45–01:06:00] Dream 100 strategy and lead research
[01:06:00–01:14:08] Katherine’s 4-step follow-up process
[01:14:08–01:19:22] Mike: why you should record and review your calls
[01:19:22–01:22:33] When (and when not) to talk about fees
[01:22:33–01:27:21] How to handle confidential roles with candidates
[01:27:21–01:31:03] Effective qualifying questions
Responses