The votes are in, and people want to know about outreach automations, which is the core function of what we currently provide our members. So, I thought we should break down the four stages of outreach and explain the kind of automation and AI that recruiters can integrate into each phase.

If you want to dive deeper after understanding each stage, simply book me here and we will get started with a free outreach audit.

Every great recruiter and business person has a process they follow. At the end of the day, your business is simply a series of these processes performed by you and your employees. Even your value-added services are simply processes that you package to sell. The key to an efficient and fast business is the ability to perform these tasks with as little human capital as possible, as fast as possible, and with the highest degree of quality. There is no difference in outreach. So, we broke down our outreach process into four stages: Prospect, Enrich, Campaign, and Permeate. Each stage has its purpose and automations/AI tools associated with it. The important part is to find the least amount of tools possible, ensure quality, and make them all flow together, so that you aren't running around with a thousand different tabs open.

Prospect

At the prospect stage, it's all about finding your match. It's like if tinder had a speed dating setting that allowed you to batch swipe. You need a tool that can filter, target and batch your audience. Standard LinkedIn Recruiter and Sales Navigator just won't cut it. You need a tool that can scrape and pull that data for you at scale. And not all tools are created equal. So, be sure to pick the right plugins and extensions that can easily extract and move candidates into your list for the next stage.

Enrich

In the enrich stage, it's time to get to know your candidates. Think of it like pre-date internet stalking before you go out with that aforementioned Tinder match. You need a tool that can quickly find valuable contact and context data to use in your campaigns. Some tools are better for pro emails vs personal and others are better for finding cell phone numbers and social media presence. Loxo and HireEZ are great, but to really step up your game, you need a product that can sit on top of your browser and extract and enrich lists of data at the press of a button.

Campaign

The next 2 phases are my favorite parts of every outreach consultation I work on. The first two center around data while these next two use the data and gets the creative juices flowing. In the campaign stage, lots of folks think we start by immediately writing the copy. This is completely wrong! When creating a campaign you need to map out your target's journey. You're not just writing copy, you're telling a story. Map out their steps and create compelling, contextualized, and slightly personalized copy. Tools like Betterleap, Gem and Chatkick can help, but lack in some of the LinkedIn automation parts of the sequence. If you want to really impress, set up a stack of specific tools that allow you to walk away and let the automation do the work for every step. However, be warned many of you will go looking for tools in these first three steps and land straight into spam, have your emails flagged and/or get blocked from LinkedIn. There are precautions and steps you need to take to implement the first three stages of this strategy.

Permeate

Finally, in the permeate stage. This stage is about deepening your position, staying in front of your targets and building a sustainable pipeline. You want your targets and your competitors saying "Will? I see that recruiter, everywhere". This stage can be tricky as your goal is to stay in front of your targets but with purpose. In order to do that, you need to provide consistent value. Value isn't always considered information. It can be entertainment, education, inspiration and community. This is where the automation and AI components come in handy. Focus on content creation, engagement, and triggers/action sequences, and you'll be sure to get repeat business, referrals, and reengagement.

Conclusion

These stages aren't novel or new. In fact many marketing and recruiting agencies are doing these tasks manually or have a team of college grads doing the grunt work (poorly I might add). With the help of automation and AI, you can create a "team" of robots that are consistent, work every day and cost you a couple hundred dollars a month. From identifying your ideal candidates, to crafting a compelling campaign and staying top of mind, the right outreach automation stack can make all the difference.

If you're not using a highly automated outreach stack that allows you to set up and get started in just a few minutes, you have three options. The first option is to continue down the current path and get beat by recruiters working in their sleep. The second option is to spend countless hours testing and experimenting with various tools to figure out what works best for you and possibly get email or LinkedIn banned. Or alternatively, you can take the smarter route and reach out for a free audit to start optimizing your outreach process.

For the last 5 years, I have been tinkering and tooling to build out stacks that have allowed me to bill $500k+ while working 20 hours a week. My email has never been flagged, nor has my LinkedIn ever been blocked. I'm looking to help you streamline your process and focus on what really matters: finding the perfect candidate and clients. Get in touch today and create your own little recruiting team of one.

Book me here and let's take your efforts to the next level.