Nailing the art of the follow-up call

We love talking about follow-ups here at Hector.

In our eyes, all great recruiters have mastered the art of the follow-up, whether that’s over e-mail/LinkedIn or on the phone.

Today, we’re going to take it back to ‘old-school’ and talk about follow-up calls.

Why are follow-up calls important?

Calls are specifically important because they allow you to build a true human connection. 

Sure, e-mails, texts, and LinkedIn messages are all still viable ways of following up, but they aren’t always going to be received well by candidates and clients. 

Despite all of us being heavily reliant on technology and instant digital connection on a day-to-day basis, there’s nothing better than a bit of ‘old-fashioned’ human connection before the digital world took over our lives.

In recruitment, your day-to-day is incredibly people-focused. So, it wouldn’t be crazy to assume that you should be speaking to people to build that connection and, essentially, do your job well!

Did you know that 66% of meetings are confirmed when done over a call? 

To assume makes an ass out of you and me

Ever heard that phrase before? 

It was one of my old manager’s favourite phrases when I’d hit him with an excuse for why I couldn’t (or didn’t) want to call someone.

A lot of us assume nowadays that people prefer to receive texts or e-mails, but these assumptions often lead us to shoot ourselves in the foot instead of shooting our shot and making a call. 

In fact, because so few people receive phone calls nowadays, you’re probably going to be in the minority of people who does actually pick up the phone and try to talk to someone.

Messaging vs Calling

Now, we aren’t demonising messaging and how powerful it can still be as a follow-up tool, however, we wanted to outline a quick pros and cons so you can see the value in making a follow-up call.

All pros and cons aside, it’s important to recognise that follow-up calls are still considered the ‘elite’ when looking to establish yourself as a respected recruiter and top biller. 

The rule may have some exceptions, but generally, the telephone still trumps them all!

How to nail a follow-up call

Step 1: Pick a reason to follow up

No one wants to spend their precious time talking to you when you have no agenda. 

Why are you calling? Why are you taking up my time? 

You should already know the reason why you’re following up otherwise it’s a waste of time for both parties.

Some reasons could be:

These are some, but not all. Your follow-up call should always have a purpose.

Step 2: Remind the client who you are and the problem you’re looking to solve.

It’s really important to keep this short and concise. 

Especially if this is the first follow-up call you’re conducting, remind the person on the other end of the phone who you are and the problem (of theirs) you’re looking to solve. 

This will establish who you are as well as allow you to start building rapport with the individual. 

If this is the first follow-up call, they may not remember who you are - it’s your job to remind them as quickly as possible to keep them engaged!

Some Script Example: 

We met at X event.

I sent you an e-mail last week.

We spoke on the phone a month ago.

I was recommended to reach out to you by X who we mutually know.

"Hi, [First Name],

I know you’re likely getting a flood of automated follow-ups, so I wanted to break through the noise with an actual conversation. Thought a quick call might be a refreshing change."

Step 3: Pay close attention to their tone of voice and cues that indicate interest or disinterest.

Some of these may be as follows:

Interest: Engaged in what you’re saying, asking further questions, and responsive to your rapport building (laughter, remembering who you are, keen to get next steps booked in). 

Disinterest: Impatient (wanting to get you off the phone), curt or blunt responses showing lack of engagement, or straight up saying ‘no’.

Of course, nobody wants the latter - but it’s so important as a recruiter that you develop your listening skills when conducting follow-up calls and not going in ‘all guns blazing’ just so you can achieve your wants. 

It takes two to tango.

Step 4: Book the next steps (achieving your initial goal on the call) or add another ‘building block’ for next time.

In an ideal world, if you follow steps 1, 2, and 3 correctly (and your client complies) then you’ll have a successful follow-up call and get your desired outcome. 

This could be a meeting, a role, or simply exiting the call feeling fulfilled by the conversation you’ve had.

If you’re not having much luck with the person on the other end of the phone, how you end the call (and add another building block for next time) is crucial.

Some examples could be:

If they are curt/trying to get you off the phone immediately: {name}, I can sense that now may not be a great time for us to speak. 

When is a more appropriate time as the {reason for follow-up} is something I think you’d want to talk about when you have more time?

If they are disinterested, or you can sense they are uncomfortable: 

{name}, I can tell this {reason for follow-up} isn’t something that is going to benefit you right now. I will call you in {x time} for us to discuss this again. How does that sound?

If the timing simply isn’t right: 

{name}, I’ve really appreciated your time on the phone today. When would be the most appropriate timeline for me to follow-up? In the meantime, let’s keep in contact over X (text, e-mail, LinkedIn) so we don’t lose touch.

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