We asked 45 staffing professionals how they communicated with prospects and then created this report to offer insight into strategies that your firm can use to grow faster.
In analyzing the data we segmented the results by fast-growth firms (those expecting more than 50% growth this year), and slow-growth firms (those expecting less than 5% this year). What we found was amazing. The communication strategies in these segments were dramatically different when it came to phone, email, social and SMS.
Firms in the fast-growth category tend to use phone and email less frequently, while focusing more heavily on SMS and social media. And that’s just the beginning. These fast-growth firms not only communicate using a different channel strategy, but they also use these channels differently.
Based on comments in the survey, slow-growth firms were more likely to use the terms “mass” and “blast” when discussing their approach to using SMS. On the other hand, fast-growth firms talked about using direct, personal channels for “regular communication.”
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Our take is that the difference between the fast-growth and slow-growth firms can be defined by two key factors.
- How personalized is your communication?
Fast Growth: Personalized normal communication
Slow Growth: Mass non-personal communication
- What communication channels do you use?
Fast Growth: Increased use of non-traditional SMS and social channels
Slow Growth: Heavy use of the phone and email
Here are a few of the highlights from the findings:
- More than half of staffing firm respondents expect their companies to grow by more than 20% this year.
- Companies predicting growth rates of 50%+ in 2015 communicate through social media and SMS texting significantly more than slower-growth firms.
- 75% of staffing firm respondents believe that text messaging is an effective form of communication for their company.
Download the Staffing Industry Sales Communication Benchmarking Report
Take a look and let us know what you think in the comments below. Does your firm use non-traditional communication channels? Are your recruiters blasting prospects or starting a conversation? The answer to these questions might matter more than we think. But we’ll let you be the judge.
Your article first says fast growth uses phone less then says they use it more. Which is it?
“Firms in the fast-growth category tend to use phone and email less frequently, while focusing more heavily on SMS and social media.”
What communication channels do you use? Fast Growth: Heavy use of the phone and email
MaureenSharib Good catch. That was a copy edit error. Fast growth = SMS/social.