From One-Off Deals To Long-Term Wins, with Rebeka Mulk

What helped you shift from chasing deals to building long-term partnerships?

“When I first started, I didn’t get it. I was just chasing jobs to do deals to hit my targets, but that changed, especially when I joined Opus.

What shifted for me was understanding that people buy from people. 

Once you start getting to know the people and the business, from their tech stack to hiring patterns, you begin to provide actual consulting. 

You are not just speccing CVs, you are scoping out long-term solutions, and when you nail that, you earn the client's trust, which in turn opens up other avenues.

What does the term “a healthy desk” mean to you?

For me, it’s numbers-driven but with purpose. I track:

• 6 to 7 interviews per week
  

• At least 2 new jobs
  

• 24 or more interviews per month
  

• 3 to 5 face-to-face meetings

Those metrics tell me my pipeline is in good shape. 

If I’m consistently getting candidates in front of clients, I know I’m creating opportunities.

What’s the first thing you do with a new client to set the stage for repeat work?

The first placement sets the tone for the entire relationship. So I treat it like a trial run for a long-term partnership.

I start with deep discovery, not just the role, but their team, pain points, timelines, and decision-makers. 

Then I’ll lock in a cadence: Monday check-ins, SLAs, agreed feedback loops. Everything’s documented, I want them to feel like they’ve just added a high-performing extension to their team, not another agency.

What are the common mistakes recruiters make when trying to turn one deal into more?

Impatience. That’s the big one.

Too many recruiters push candidates into roles solely to meet KPIs, even when there are clear red flags. 

That short-term mindset kills trust. 

If the person leaves in two months, the client wonders why they paid you £20,000.

You must think long-term and refrain from pushing your own agenda. 

Don’t ignore red flags. 

Always explain your process and help clients understand why certain things matter.

How do you re-engage clients who haven’t given you a job in a while?

You’ve got to stay top of mind, if they don’t hear from you, they’ll forget you.

What I have found works really well for me is:

• Two to three touchpoints per month

• Provide market insights and competitor updates

• Speaking to more than just one hiring manager

• Tapping into retention and culture projects, if they’re happening internally

It’s about staying visible and useful, even when you’re not actively working with them.

You get a lot of leads through referrals, how do you create those moments?

It comes down to tone and timing.

If I’ve built trust during a call and I’m putting a candidate forward, I’ll say something like,

“If my client is interested, they’ll want to move fast, it really helps to know what other processes you’re in.”

That conversation naturally opens the door to competitor insights, referrals, or other leads. 

The key is not to be pushy but to be consultative.

You said looking backwards is part of your BD strategy. How do you do that in practice?

I use our CRM to pull up:

• Past interviews

• Inactive jobs

• Terms agreed, but no placements

This is what we refer to as top-of-pyramid work. 

These are warm leads so you’ve already done the hard part. 

You just need to go back in, rekindle the relationship and pitch a call or a meeting.

It’s low-hanging fruit that people ignore, and it really works.

What’s one thing recruiters can start doing this week to generate more repeat work?

“Call every hiring manager you’ve sent an interview to – even if it didn’t lead to a placement.

Then look at the last 90 days in your CRM. Pull a list of clients who’ve engaged but not converted and book 5 calls.

There is so much opportunity in your own CRM and your company’s existing clients.

Look for overlaps, reconnect with warm leads, and don’t let those relationships go cold.

P.S. Whenever you're ready, there are 2 ways I can help you:

#1: Do you listen to my podcast? I release a weekly episode with either a top-performing recruiter or recruitment entrepreneur to find out how they achieved their success so you can learn directly from their journey Check out my latest episode and subscribe to the show.

#2: Want to win more business, book more meetings, and level up your billings? Our Hector certified courses are built by top billers who’ve been where you are and cracked it. No fluff. Just real, proven strategies you can use immediately >>>> Browse Courses – Start Closing More Deals Today (Use code Limitless_Learning at checkout for 15% off: exclusive to newsletter readers)