"Sure, the typical cost for this solution is slightly higher than a contingent service because there's more work, more time and resources involved. It typically carries a fee of 30% and we break it down into three stages:

• The first, payable on commencement of the assignment
• The second, on confirmation of agreed shortlist
• The balance paid on acceptance of offer

However, for this first project, in order for us to have the opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach, we're willing to carry the project out for the same as our current contingent fee."

"The beauty of this is that it carries no additional cost. The only difference is the payment schedule. A third of the fee is payable on commencement of the assignment and the balance on completion."

"Look, if you're happy with the service that your other suppliers are providing, and the way that they're working is working for you, then there's no need. I don't see any need for you to do anything different. I'm not looking to interfere with the process if you're happy with it and it's working for you.

But my understanding is that you're frustrated with the poor quality CVs that you're receiving... or the lack of candidates coming through... or that the position is still empty.

And this is the way to solve that."

[Then close]: "I'd like the opportunity to show you. Can we trial it on this project so I can show you how much better it is working in this way?"

"The commitment on this service is mutual. We work with you until the position is filled. We might face challenges - if there's a shortage of skills, it might be tough - but we're committed to you and we'll work with you to re-steer the project accordingly until we reach a result."

[Add confidence]: "We haven't failed on a retained basis yet and I don't want this to be the first. If I didn't feel absolutely certain of my ability to fill this position, I would not be recommending that this is what we do."

[Then close]: "So can I have the opportunity to show you? I'd really like to demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach."

"Listen, how about for this first project, in order for us to have the opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach, I'm happy to work on a reimbursable basis for the first two weeks. If on completion of the second steering call you're not satisfied with the progress of the project, we'll cease work and we'll reimburse the commencement fee. Does that sound reasonable?"

"Only 30% of any given talent pool is active - like 30% of an iceberg above water. These are candidates who will apply to an advert, reply to a LinkedIn message, reply to an email. On a contingent basis with limited time to risk, every recruiter typically only engages with that visible 30-40% of the talent. Unfortunately, 60-70% of the talent pool goes unspoken to."

"Imagine you drive past a house and there are multiple 'For Sale' signs outside. What does that make you think? What perception do you have of that house? And that's exactly what happens when you have two, three or four different agencies working on the same assignment."

"Every contingent recruiter has a grading system to prioritize jobs. Jobs with competition, niche skills, or challenging locations go down the priority list. By sharing a role between multiple agencies, what you think you're doing is duplicating efforts. What you're actually doing is diluting the effort you get from each and every recruiter."

"I liken this to a maths exam, where you get one point for the answer and nine points for the working out. How often do you show a client what you actually do? You might present them with three CVs, but do they know that you've reached out to 80 people, that you've spoken to 10 that aren't right, 25 that aren't interested, six that have changed their mind partway through? And those three are a result of all of that work and effort. Do you think they'd still ask you for more candidates if they had that information?"

"The whole process has been transparent. I've shared with you every week our progress, showing every candidate identified, every candidate approached, all the candidates who have said no and the reasons why. At the end of the process, you can be absolutely confident that you are making your hire from all of the talent available to you in the market at this time."

"The typical cost is slightly higher than a contingent service because there's more work, more time and resources involved. But consider this: on a contingent basis, you're likely only reaching 30-40% of the talent pool. That position has been open for how long? What is that costing you?"

[First Project Offer]: "For this first project, in order for us to have the opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach, we're willing to carry the project out for the same as our current contingent fee. There's no additional cost - just a different payment schedule."

"That's exactly why our process includes regular steering meetings. We work with you transparently, sharing our workings weekly. If we face challenges, we re-steer the search accordingly. We never go dark on you."

"That's a failure of process and commitment. Our approach is different - we have scheduled weekly calls, transparent reporting showing every candidate, and we're committed to working with you until the position is filled. The commitment is mutual."

"I completely understand. What specifically would you like to think through? Is there anything I can help clarify?"

[If they need internal approval]: "Who else would need to be involved in this decision? Would it be helpful if I joined a call to walk them through the process and answer their questions directly?"

"I appreciate that, but the reason I'm recommending a retained approach for this particular position is precisely because sending CVs contingently is unlikely to get you the result you need.

[Reference the pain you identified]: You mentioned the position has been open for some time / you've struggled to find the right caliber / other agencies haven't delivered. That's because the contingent model can't reach the passive 60-70% of the market who won't respond to standard approaches.

What I'm proposing is a thorough search that will identify, approach, and engage every suitable candidate - including those who aren't actively looking. The financial commitment enables me to invest the time to do that properly."

"Sure, the typical cost for this solution is slightly higher than a contingent service because there's more work, more time and resources involved. It typically carries a fee of 30% and we break it down into three stages:

• The first, payable on commencement of the assignment
• The second, on confirmation of agreed shortlist  
• The balance paid on acceptance of offer"

Then offer flexibility for first project:

"However, for this first project, in order for us to have the opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach, we're willing to carry the project out for the same as our current contingent fee."

"The beauty of this is that it carries no additional cost. The only difference is the payment schedule. A third of the fee is payable on commencement of the assignment and the balance on completion."

"I'm not asking for any more money, just a small portion of the fee paid on commencement to make sure I can be certain we can apply our time and resources to ensure we reach a result on the project."

Example:
• Contingent fee: 20% on completion
• Retained structure: 7% commencement + 13% completion
• Total: Still 20%

"For this first project, in order for us to have the opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach, we're willing to carry the project out for the same as our current contingent fee."

"Listen, how about for this first project, in order for us to have the opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach, I'm happy to work on a reimbursable basis for the first two weeks. If on completion of the second steering call you're not satisfied with the progress of the project, we'll cease work and we'll reimburse the commencement fee. Does that sound reasonable?"

Hi [Name], I'm conducting a confidential search for a [Level] [Function] role and came across your impressive background at [Company]. I'd appreciate the opportunity to connect and share some brief details about this opportunity.

Subject: Confidential [Level] opportunity - [Industry]

Hi [Name],

I'm working on a confidential search for a [Level] [Function] position with a [company type] and your background caught my attention.

Given your experience in [specific area], I thought this might be worth a brief conversation.

Would you be open to a 15-minute call to learn more?

Best regards,
[Your name]
[Title]
[Phone]

Hi [Name], I tried reaching you by phone regarding a confidential [Level] search. If you have 5 minutes for a brief call, I'd appreciate the opportunity to share some details. My direct line is [number].

Hi [Name],

I know you're busy, so I'll keep this brief. The search I mentioned is for a [specific detail that might intrigue them]. 

Even if you're not personally interested, you might know someone who would be perfect for this.

Happy to have a quick chat at your convenience.

Hi [Name],

Thought this industry insight might be of interest [attach relevant article/data].

By the way, the search I mentioned earlier is still ongoing. Happy to share more details if you have 10 minutes this week.

Hi [Name],

This will be my final note about the [Level] opportunity I mentioned. If it's not the right timing, I completely understand.

If you'd like to stay connected for future opportunities, please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn.

Best of luck with your current role.

"Hi [Name], this is [Your Name] from [Company]. I've been commissioned to conduct a search for [brief role description] and your background came up as potentially relevant. Do you have a moment?"

"Hi [Name], I'm an executive search consultant and I've been specifically asked to reach out to you about a [level] position with [industry context]. Is now a good time for a brief conversation?"

Option 1 - Reframe:
"I wouldn't expect you to be - that's exactly why I called you directly rather than posting this on job boards. The best people rarely are looking. I'm just asking if you'd be open to hearing about it."

Option 2 - Acknowledge + Intrigue:
"That's completely fair. I'm not trying to convince you to leave your job. But this is a [unique aspect] opportunity and I'd hate for you to miss knowing about it. Can I give you a 2-minute overview?"

Option 3 - Plant the Seed:
"Understood. Things change though - would you be open to connecting on LinkedIn so if your situation changes, we can chat then?"

"We want to be able to continue to provide a great service to you and develop our relationship to a true partnership, which is why we are evolving the way that we work."

"Yes I can absolutely help you with that and I really want to help you. But in order for me to apply the time and effort necessary to make sure we reach a result on this project, I'm going to need some financial commitment from you. I'm not asking for any more money, just a small portion of the fee paid on commencement to make sure I can be certain we can apply our time and resources to ensure we reach a result on the project."

"We don't want to carry on providing a substandard service to them and we want to demonstrate the effectiveness of working in true partnership."

"I'd like to walk you through how we'd like to do that. Essentially it's best practice headhunting. You might be familiar with executive search - it's the same principle, but we're having to apply these kinds of sophisticated techniques at all levels now to make sure we reach a result.

First, we'd hold a full briefing session involving all stakeholders to define and agree the full role profile, functional and behavioral competencies, geography, target companies and any off-limits, timeline and process, and EVP - what message are we taking to this talent pool.

Then we enter the research phase, where we essentially cast a net over the talent pool and identify every candidate across the geographical location who looks to have the right skill set to meet the criteria.

We then systematically and professionally approach every single candidate using multiple methods, including direct but professional headhunting.

The whole process is transparent. We share with you every week our progress, a spreadsheet showing every candidate. We can collect whatever data you would like - salaries, benefits, bonuses, the perception of your brand in the market.

If we're faced with a challenge, we work with you to re-steer the search accordingly.

Ultimately a long list of candidates emerge who are what we call QIA - qualified against the criteria, interested in the opportunity, and have been assessed against the brief, both functionally and behaviourally. From this long list, we will jointly agree a shortlist of between three and five for you to interview.

At the end of the process, you will be absolutely confident that you are making your hire from all of the talent available to you in the market at this time."

Subject: Quick question about your [Function] hiring

Hi [Name],

I work with [industry] companies facing challenges hiring senior [function] talent - particularly when traditional recruitment methods keep returning the same pool of active candidates.

I'm curious: how has your experience been hiring at the [level] in the past 12 months?

I'm not looking to pitch anything - just genuinely interested in understanding how companies like yours are navigating the current talent landscape.

Would you be open to a brief call?

Best,
[Your name]

Subject: Re: Quick question about your [Function] hiring

Hi [Name],

I know you're busy, so I'll keep this brief.

I recently helped [similar company type] fill a [similar role] that had been open for 6 months. They'd tried three agencies on contingent - none could reach the caliber of candidate they needed.

Using a retained search approach, we identified and engaged passive candidates they never would have found through traditional channels. Result: hired within 8 weeks.

If you're ever facing a similar challenge with a critical hire, I'd welcome the chance to share how this approach might work for you.

Best,
[Your name]

Client: "So how does this work financially?"

You: "The fee for this assignment would be [30%] of the successful candidate's first year compensation. We structure it in three stages to align with the key milestones of the search:

The first third is payable on commencement - this is your commitment to the search and enables us to dedicate full resources from day one.

The second third is payable when we present the agreed shortlist of three to five qualified, interested, and assessed candidates.

The final third is payable when your chosen candidate accepts the offer.

For a position at this level, we'd estimate a fee of approximately [£X], though we'll reconcile against the actual accepted salary at completion.

Given this is our first project together, I want to make it easy for you to experience how much more effective this approach is. So for this assignment, I'm happy to [offer/flexibility option].

Does that work for you?"

"So I'm absolutely confident in my ability to achieve a superb result on this project. Will you let me demonstrate the effectiveness of working in this way? Let me work with you on this assignment."

"I'd like the opportunity to show you. Can we trial it on this project so I can show you how much better it is working in this way?"

"So can I have the opportunity to show you? I'd really like to demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach."