In these challenging times, keeping up to date with all your contacts is one of the most important steps you can take.

Never has staying in touch been more vital. Here are three top tips to make sure you and your company are among the survivors — and indeed thrivers — during the downturn.

1. Two a day

• Speak with at least two NEW decision makers EVERYDAY.
• Use every decision maker, or DM, as a source for names on the jobs you are currently recruiting for, to gain referrals and to reference check your best candidates.
• Having established your credibility and expertise, assume there are vacancies you can help them fill and ask for them.
• Most of all create and leave a positive impression.
• By speaking with 10 new contacts a week (two a day) you will have a contact base of 500 in 12 months.

2. 90-day contact cycle

• Set up a 90-day contact cycle for every new decision maker you speak with.
• Evaluate each conversation and diarise the date of your next call. (Obviously the client who gave you an existing requirement will get a second call from you sooner than the DM who is cold and resistant to your call the first time).
• Promise yourself that you will call the most negative people no later than 90 days from now (or sooner) when you have a good reason to do so.
• Just because someone says no the first time doesn’t mean they will always say no. Remember that 80% of sales are closed on the 5^th call or later.

3. Set up your next call

• Set up a fail safe procedure to guarantee you four phone contacts a year with every decision maker.
• Pick a day EVERY month to go through your contact file and identify every decision maker who has not been contacted in the last 90 days.
• You will have 20-22 working days that month to call each of those DMs with your best reasons – jobs you are recruiting for and candidates you are marketing.
• Use them as sources and ask again for new Job Orders, referrals and information.
• Making the second call moves you closer to success. Did you know that 86% of recruiters NEVER make the second call!
• Going through your contact file the same day every month you will see names that prompt you to call sooner than 90 days.

Roy Ripper is a leading skills trainer on search and selection techniques. www.recruitmentjuice.com