11:45 – Q&A with Bill & Bo
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Veteran recruiters Bill Wolfe and Bo Stevenson shared their strategic approaches to landing "Rhino" placements. Here are the highlights.
Time Investment and Value Proposition
- Bo shared that his largest deal took several months, starting with an outgoing president's succession planning and evolving into a board-directed search
- Bill noted that some executive placements can happen in a single call once you've established market presence
Building Relationships for Executive Search Success
- Bo leveraged an existing relationship with a company president that evolved into a board-level search for a $200M glazing company
- High-level searches open doors - Bo found that CEOs and EVPs were more responsive when representing significant opportunities
- Bill emphasized the cumulative effect: success with one executive placement leads to more opportunities
Strategic Approaches for Breaking into Executive Search:
- Reference Check Strategy
- Use candidate reference checks strategically to connect with senior executives
- Position these conversations to naturally transition into business development
- Frame discussions using "we" instead of "I" to establish credibility
- Market Positioning
- Present your firm as specializing in confidential, C-suite placements
- Use current or recent executive searches as credibility builders
- Maintain exclusivity when possible to protect both your and the client's brand
Handling Challenging Situations:
- For positions with high turnover, thoroughly understand and communicate the "why" behind previous departures to candidates
- Some candidates, particularly change agents, specifically seek challenging situations
Additional Valuable Markets:
- Senior Project Managers on major projects
- Director-level positions ($250K salary + 50% bonus potential)
- Chief Estimators and similar senior technical roles