Phillip Gagnon directly addresses camera:  You love your company and the value you add for agents. So when you meet a potential recruit, you immediately get excited and talk to them about the great things you offer. Not so fast.
      I'm Phillip Gagnon, founder of the recruiting data company 3Data Pulse in Orlando. Let's take five minutes to talk about how to be more intentional and effective with your recruiting.
First, think about the agents you want to recruit. Are you a brokerage that offers a lot of hands-on training to bring new agents up to speed quickly? Or do you value experienced agents who don't need as many tools and services? Next, look at the agents you have and figure out which ones you would clone if you could. Everyone has a few agents at their brokerage who they think, wow, if I had 50 of these agents, I'd be set.
      What is it that you like about them? How are you helping those agents succeed? Then, ask those agents what they love about your company. Why did they join? Why do they stay? That can be a scary question because you worry about putting an idea in their head, but it's essential information. Find out what coaches they like, podcasts they listen to and books they read. That will help when you speak to potential recruits and target the agents you want for your brokerage.
      Now, let's talk about dating, because it directly correlates to recruiting. When you think about dating someone, it's more important to be interested in that person than to be interesting to them. Think about that, as it also applies to recruiting agents to your brokerage. So, my first point is that all your recruiting discussions must start with the agent. Everyone wants to feel special, and most agents don't care about the awards you won or how you have innovated your company unless that translates into increased production for them.
Ninja Selling Founder Larry Kendall offers an easy way to remember this. Start all conversations using FORD. That's family, occupation, recreation and dreams. These questions will help build trust, which is the foundation of every relationship.
      A CRM designed for recruiting is going to be critical to your process. If you have a goal of recruiting 50 agents, you will need to make appointments with more than double that number. Now that you've identified the type of agent you want, look through the MLS and find agents who fit your production ranges. There may be multiple ranges. For example, you may decide that you want 85% of your new agents to be in a mid-range of production, 5% new agents or low producers and the rest top producers. Now, break down the services you offer. Which services are best for agents who do between five and ten deals a year? What about those who do 20 to 50 deals a year?
      Next, always customize your presentation to the agent you're interviewing. How do you do that? Ask a lot of questions and follow-up questions. Most of your time should be spent discovering what's important to the agent. What are their goals? What happens if they reach those goals? For example, if an agent says they don't use a lot of technology, don't try to sell them on your CRM and transaction management. Lead with something important to them. You have many services and tools to offer, so figure out what they need and talk about those items.
Don't just pull out your recruiting pamphlet and go through it. I suggest you print out and share information about your training, services, marketing and more. It will help them feel confident that you have these elements and are not promising something you plan to develop later.
      The golden rule of recruiting is to deliver the right message, to the right agent, at the right time. With a little front-end work and presentation customization, you'll find agents who are the best fit for your brokerage.