The question of “who do I call” comes up frequently when consultants are asked to make telemarketing or prospecting calls. Think about how the word prospect is both a verb and a noun, which can be neatly combined to focus our attention to the job at hand; “to sift for a likely/potential client/business”. When you think about prospecting, do it the smart way rather than the hard way e.g. phoning everyone from the phone book, which is how I started in recruitment. That was a long and tedious way to strike gold. So regarding the question of who to call for more business, think laterally and you may be surprised who you come up with and perhaps even more surprised at what business, you can uncover. Here are 7 ways to get you started:Here are 7 ways to get you started:

1. If your current clients are happy with your service, ask each and every one of them:”What else can I help you with?” The open question encourages them to think and also to tell you what else they have on whether they think you do it or not. Years ago, I asked a very good client this question and he replied:”well I am looking for a permanent person, but you only do temps”. I promptly introduced him to one of my permanent colleagues who could assist him. Do not assume that clients remember what your company does. It's your job to re-iterate it. Do not ask this question as:”Is there anything else I can help you with?” A closed question will not elicit the same amount of thinking.
2. Ask also of your current happy customers:”Who else do you know that could use my services/this temp/this contractor?” Again this is a broad open question. Once you have asked it, wait for them to think. I have asked this question and received many referrals from within the client company but also to contacts in other companies. A very powerful question and so very different from the standard closed question:”Do you know anyone who needs this service/temp/contractor?”
3. Look at your current client base and define who their competitors are. Chances are if you are already recruiting in that industry, you will have solid knowledge of it and already have a database of temps and contractors. Call your clients' competitors; they are always curious to speak to suppliers to their competition. This is also how you become an industry expert.
4. Look at where your current clients are based. Identify and call other companies in the same geographical area. You already know the area and would have temps & perm candidates who will travel there. It's a good way to use your database better in times of skills shortage and cheaper than having to recruit for each position and not being able to offer your candidates and temps other opportunities in the same area. It ends up saving you time, effort and money.
5. When reference checking, always ask at the end of a reference check:”who looks after recruitment in your company?” I have been asked:” are you always this thorough when you reference check?” which then makes it easy to ask that question as my professionalism had been on display.
6. Clients that you haven't had any business from in the last 3 months or old clients that you may have had a fall out/disagreement with. Too often I see consultants avoid the conflict and give up on that particular client. But remember that once that company chose to deal with you and that the true measure of any company is how you handle a dispute. It's more efficient to resolve a difference than to convert a brand new client.
7. Go back through your quotes, tenders and contracts that you lost. Revisit these clients. Do not assume that if they chose to deal with someone else then, that the client is happy in that business relationship now. Sometimes recruiters will lose a tender for provision of temporary staff, but not ask who looks after the permanent staff hiring and just leave that company altogether. If you can get your foot in that company somewhere offering something, then that puts you in a much stronger position for the next tender.

Depending on which prospecting method you use, there will be different openings leading to quite different conversations. Testing