Maureen S
5000+connects TopLinked.com Telephone Name Sourcer/MagicMethod Trainer-Names Generator
What are the phrases a telephone (names) sourcer should NEVER use?
Telephone names sourcing is a subtle function that relies almost entiely on your skills as an audio communicator. What are the things an experienced phone sourcer should never say when trying to elicit information?
On the other hand, feel free to chime in with things you DO say that work to elicit information.
Good Answers (1)
Sarah R
HR Consultant @ PZ / Recruitment Consultant @ IT& business consultancy
Best Answers in: Staffing and Recruiting (1)
interesting question....my experience tells me it is a complete no go to ask "can you give me the name(s) of...", "what is the name of..." avoid everything that is too direct, but find other ways: "can you give me his emailaddress"(most of time at least part of a name is in there) or just "I need Mr.....what's his name, the one from ..."
also suspicious is when you ask 'I need to know who is..."don't use sentences that give away your eagerness to find out a name.
another useful advice (I think) is to work from low towards high profiles, because people are most likely to give away names of superiors, but superiors are not likely to give names at all.
More Answers (12)
Natalia K. B
Executive Search -- Retained
Best Answers in: Job Search (2), Purchasing (1), Mentoring (1), Using LinkedIn (1)
THINGS THAT I SAY THAT WORK TO ELICIT INFORMATION:
When I call a potential candidate to see if they have an interest in the search I am currently trying to fill for a client, I not only ask if they're interested, but if someone in their network is interested. Since today, there are very many executives in career transition I word it like this -
".... I'm calling to find out if you or anyone in your professional network, who may currently be outplaced or looking for another opportunity be interested in this position."
So far, it has worked for me very well.
André V
Recruitment projectmanager at Schuitema
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Is this call convenient for you at the moment? (or anything in that family).
The nature of the work means that you always interupt something.
And opening with closed questions as a means to cover up the purpose of the call.
The most important thing is to always have a valid reason for why you want the individual's name when asked: you want to mail some information on an upcoming industry conference, you had been in contact with their predecessor but not sure who their replacement is, something. Gatekeepers are trained to keep you out! You need to give them a reason to let you in that makes you an exception to the rule.
Another tactic, instead of asking for the manager's name right away, ask to go to a more clerical-level individual in the department that would typically take a lot of external calls. A/P clerks, collections, recruiters, IT help desk, customer service. Most of these individuals will forward you on to their manager or offer their name. They're less-trained gatekeepers than the receptionist.
Jim T
Executive Recruiter & Business Development Executive for Retained and Contingency Search
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Think the biggest issue is, a gatekeeper is that, a gatekeeper. They have their job for a reason. To keep pesky people away from their employees who are; making the cheese, counting the money, building, designing or improving the widgets, collecing money on the widgets sold, etc.
So often this person can be your ally.if you can give them a reason to 'want' to help you get to the right person who can help you. State or make a compelling reason why the person should transfer you to the right individual who can help you and more often than not, they'll be willing to give you a hand.
Neil L
Industry Exec/Trainer LION FREE 8 week "Recruiting System" mini course! Now available at http://www.TheDynamicSale.Com
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5) "Hi, I'm a telephone sourcer"
4) "Don't worry, you can tell me, I promise I am not a telephone sourcer"
3) "Are you busy right now?" "Is this a good time?" etc etc
2) "I am conducting a survey.. yada yada yada"
and the number one answer.....
1) Anything that they are reading from that will make them sound like it's scripted.
Himanshu K
Senior HR Professional, Singapore
Best Answers in: Mentoring (1), Compensation and Benefits (1), Corporate Governance (1)
Telephone names sourcing is as as good as a cold call for marketing... Brrrrrrr. But if you are sounding warm and genuine it wont lead it to be a cold call !!
I guess the opening statement says it all. Anything that is scripted and read out stacatto always sounds very suspicious.
I agree with James - Consider the person you are speaking to as an ally and not as a foe. So, knowing his/ her name helps. You could ask "Sue, I wonder if you could help me *blah blah (*a convincing line pertaining to your query)"; chances are she will tell you the name and even the probable time you should speak.
Persistence helps. Keep the conversation flowing. Dont take No for an answer easily. You can try the shadow tactic... its sleazy though!! Say "My Head of Sales would like to speak.. please hold on".. and then have someone else take over. Most often trained gatekeepers too falter when psychologicaly faced with a senior honcho.
Lastly, I would venture to say that most people take decisions with their heart and justify them with their head. Work on that analogy in your conversation. There is no thumb rule - just the way each person is unique, each call is unique!
Rob E
IT consultant, commentator, writer and trainer, a.k.a. The IT Skeptic
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"Hello Mr England"
Don't call me. My telephone is for communicating with people who matter.
Clarification added 5 months ago:
Sorry but I put name sourcing in the same category as telemarketing and phone surveys and I don't like any of them intruding on my time or privacy.
I cringe when I hear someone who sounds like they could be the announcer for a game show.
"HELLO, Let ME tell YOU what you've WON"!
Be sincere and genuine
Listen more than you talk!
Lindsay Olson has a delightful blog post about a similar topic, link below with some phrases that . Worth a read!
Links:
A few tricks I used to use: avoid the gatekeeper entirely by routing through main switchboard into a department you DON'T want to resource from - then when you get through explain you have been misdirected. A geek in IT or a creative type in marketing is not interested in being a gatekeeper for someone in finance for example, so they'll put you straight through with no questions, on a direct line as this is what will appear on the internal directory.
One method I used when I was new to search was to call companies for a survey, conference etc and sell the gatekeeper some story about my being a temp/student/similar - lay it on thick that you have to meet your quotas or get fired after you have a couple of names and they'll give you more - and of course you can always interupt the call for a moment while you (faking it audibly) try to assuage 'pressure' on your end of the line from a (non-existent) line manager etc. Paint a picture.
Todd R
Recruiting Professional - Highly Disciplined, No Surprises, Superior Performance
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Sourcing conversations pretty much go through a consistent pattern. I've been keeping an objection log for a few months now, ranking the most common objections to the least common. I've learned to try not to ask questions where I didn't already have 1) a good idea of the response(s) and 2) have follow up questions to the response which keep the discussion heading in the right direction. If you do the job for one week, you should be able to notice a pattern.
For example, the most common deflection I get is, "Would you mind sending me your information so I can get back to you?" If you do that you can pretty much expect not to hear back. However, if you respond with the phrase, "Sure! you must have someone in mind - do you think this person would mind if I contacted him or her today?" you've maintained the flow and you've deflected the potential "blow-off." You'll either get another objection, "Uh (pause) no, I don't have anyone in mind, I just wanted to think about it." OR you'll get a "maybe, I need to call my friend first" OR you'll get something which continues the flow. These dialogs can be charted and prepared. Just don't talk yourself in to a corner.
Tara G
Talent Acquisition & Business Consultant
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Hi Maureen,
Some great responses! I like what Elizabeth says about going in the back door - think of what departments are as far removed from your target department and call them - typically they will give you titles, correct spelling and give direct lines - all of which are fabulous!
When I was headhunting I would often do this, as well as using the phone tree - I think you call it voicemail bingo? Fun stuff guessing what people's titles were and how senior they were - sometimes we would make it into a game with points.
It is true that using the phone to elicit information, whether it be for sourcing or sales purposes does take a certain je ne sais quoi - and I think the best of us really love people and love learning about human nature. People really want to help and if a sourcer can appeal to that basic human nature, sourcing can actually be fun!
Tara
