How do I get recruiting clients?

To get recruiting clients, find companies that are already hiring for roles in your niche, contact the person who owns that hire, and offer one concrete thing: two or three relevant, vetted candidates. Then agree fees in writing before you submit anyone. Start with companies where you already have credibility.

At a glance

• Hiring managers care about the role, not your agency.
• Lead with candidates, not a service list.
• Sign the fee agreement before the first submission.
• Follow up three or four times; most replies come late.

Where do I find companies that need a recruiter?

1. Open roles that have been open a while. A role posted for several weeks suggests the internal process is struggling. Check career pages and job boards.
2. Your own network: former colleagues, previous clients, candidates you placed.
3. Growth signals: funding news, new offices, new department heads.
4. Referrals: ask each client who else is hiring.

Who do I contact?

The hiring manager owns the pain; HR or talent acquisition owns the process. For small companies, the founder. Mention the specific role.

What should my first message say?

Template (edit freely):

Subject: [Role title] at [Company] Hi [First name], I saw [Company] is hiring a [role]. I work with [niche] candidates and have [2] people who fit [one specific requirement from the posting]. May I send their profiles? If you hire one, my fee is [fee %] on [compensation definition], payable on start, with a [guarantee days]-day guarantee. No fee otherwise. [Your name, phone]

Keep it under 100 words. In the US, commercial email must follow CAN-SPAM: honest headers and subject, a postal address and an opt-out. See the FTC guide in Sources.

How do I turn interest into a signed agreement?

Send the fee agreement as soon as they say yes to receiving profiles. If they refuse to sign, do not submit candidates. Keep a client record and store the signed copy. In LiveRec, you can upload the signed agreement and your client confirms by email link.

Step by step: a weekly client-development routine

1. Choose one niche (a role family plus a region) for the month.
2. List 20 companies with open roles in that niche from career pages and job boards. You can also browse roles on LiveRec jobs to see who is hiring.
3. Find the hiring manager for each role and note one specific requirement from the posting.
4. Send your short message, then follow up three or four times over several weeks.
5. Record every reply, meeting and signed agreement in a simple sheet.
6. Review once a month: which messages got replies, which niches converted.

What the law says about outreach (US)

The FTC's CAN-SPAM guide for business says commercial email needs accurate header information and an accurate subject line, must be clearly identified as an advertisement, must include your valid physical postal address, and must explain clearly how to opt out. You must honor an opt-out request within 10 business days, and you cannot contract away your legal responsibility if another company sends email for you. The FTC states that each separate email in violation is subject to penalties, so keep a suppression list. For phone outreach, ask a lawyer about the FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule and Do Not Call lists. This is general information, not legal advice.

Common mistakes

• Pitching a service list instead of candidates.
• Submitting candidates before the fee agreement is signed.
• Contacting every company in a city instead of focusing on a niche.
• Giving up after one email.
• Not recording who said what, so follow ups are late or repeated.

How do I keep clients?

Respond fast, submit fewer and better candidates, give honest market feedback, and report progress weekly.

FAQ

How many companies should I contact? Track your own reply and meeting rates for a month and plan from those. We do not cite an industry benchmark.

Should I send candidate profiles before signing? Share anonymised summaries at most; send names only after signature.

Is cold calling legal? Rules differ (for example the FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule and Do Not Call lists).

What if the client says they will pay only if I send resumes first? Offer an anonymised summary and hold names until the agreement is signed.

How do I stay on top of multiple clients? Keep a client record for each company and store the signed agreement. See add and manage client companies.

Next step: draft your fee agreement.

Sources

• FTC, CAN-SPAM Act compliance guide for business: https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business