Drills
Real moments that catch people out. Read what they say, answer out loud first, then compare.
Opening Conversations
- Stranger in the coffee line“(He sighs and checks his watch.)”
- So, what do you do?“So what do you do?”
- Cold call: I am busy“Who is this? I am quite busy.”
- You forgot their name“So that is how we ended up in Wardha.”
- Leaving a long talker“And another thing about the subsidy rules...”
Keeping It Going
- One-word answers“Yes. Gujarat.”
- Silence after two minutes with an HR head“(Silence. She sips her tea.)”
- An answer with three doors“We moved from Bengaluru to Indore last year. Setting up a new team, and honestly the hiring has been a…”
- From chat to business“Anyway, these days staff just do not stay.”
- They share good news“By the way, we just got our first order from Dubai.”
Staying Calm
- Your fee is a scam“Eight percent? This is a scam. Agents are all the same.”
- That will not work“That will never work in our plants.”
- They contradict your numbers“Your salary numbers are rubbish. Nobody pays that.”
- Angry WhatsApp at night“Your candidate backed out. Total waste of our time. Very unprofessional.”
- He keeps cutting you off“Yes yes, I know all this. Get to the point.”
Selling and Proposals
- What do you do? at an exhibition“So, what exactly do you do?”
- Tell me about your company“Go ahead, tell me about your company.”
- I'll discuss it with my MD“This sounds good. Let me discuss it with my MD and get back to you.”
- Proposal sent, no reply“(No reply to your last two emails.)”
- Sounds good, let me know“Okay, sounds good. Let me know.”
- I'm busy right now“I'm busy right now, I'm in the plant.”
- Asking a happy client for a referral“Anil is doing really well. Thank you for finding him.”
Objections and Negotiation
- Fee is too high“10% is too much. We can't pay that.”
- Just send me your details“Sounds interesting. Just send me your details on email.”
- Not this season“We've done our hiring for this season. Maybe next year.”
- We already have an agency“We already work with a big recruitment agency. We're happy with them.”
- Price asked in the first minute“Before anything else, what do you charge?”
- Can you do 6%?“Everyone else does 6%. Can you match that?”
- We've been burned by agencies“Frankly, we've had bad experiences with recruitment agencies. They take money and send rubbish.”
- The buyer who can't decide“Can you send a few more references? I want to be completely sure before we go ahead.”
- Send CVs first, then we'll talk fees“Just send us some CVs. If we like someone, we'll discuss your fee then.”
Words That Work
- So, what do you do?“So, what does your company do?”
- Asked to take a role outside your focus“Can you also find us a software developer?”
- Getting real input on a proposal“The proposal looks fine.”
- Why you over a big agency“Why should I use you instead of a big national agency?”
- No reply to your WhatsApp“(No reply after the shortlist was sent.)”
- Client doesn't follow your jargon“What is this RPO you keep talking about?”
Voice and Speaking
- Surprise request for an update“Quickly, where are we on the hiring?”
- Moderator puts you on the spot“Do agri graduates make good salespeople?”
- Stating the fee“What's your fee?”
- Ten minutes to present results“You have ten minutes. Please don't bring thirty slides.”
- A colleague says words don't matter“Don't worry about the script. 93% is body language anyway.”
- Team lead suggests power posing“Everybody, two minutes of power pose. It boosts testosterone.”