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Case study

Implementing a BD system at a leading UK executive search firm

What I set up so business development could run every week: hiring signals in Clay, the client side of the CRM, and outreach workflows the team could own.

Signals

Clay

Weekly lists of companies showing a hiring need.

CRM

Recruiterflow

The BD side set up alongside the candidate side.

Outreach

Workflows

First messages and follow-ups that run on time.

The firm isn't named to keep client details private.

The starting point

The firm placed senior leaders and had a strong reputation. What it didn't have was a system for starting new client conversations. BD happened in bursts, usually when a search closed and the desk went quiet. The CRM was full of candidates but barely used for clients.

That pattern is common. Most recruitment firms use their CRM for the candidate side only, and the client side sits in inboxes and spreadsheets.

What I implemented

I was brought in on the systems side, not as a recruiter or a BD rep. The job was to make BD something that runs every week without depending on how busy the desk is.

  • Signal lists in Clay. Companies showing a real need, refreshed every week, instead of a static list pulled once.
  • The BD side of the CRM. Their Recruiterflow was set up for clients as well as candidates, so every conversation, follow-up and next step lived in one place.
  • Outreach workflows. First messages that open on the signal, with follow-ups that run on time even when the desk is busy.
  • Clean exports and handover. Lists the team could use straight away, and a process they could run themselves.

The signals the lists were built around

01

A new leader about 90 days into the role

New leaders have settled in, seen the gaps in their team and are ready to act. Around the three-month mark is a better time to reach them than week one.

02

A recent funding round

Money in the bank and pressure to grow. Senior hires usually follow within a few months, and the first firm in the door has the advantage.

The idea behind the build

Not more emails. Better timing. Reach the right person when a signal says they need help, and keep a CRM that makes sure nobody falls through the cracks.

What this means for your agency

The same system works for contingent agencies, retained search and executive search firms in any niche. It's the system behind Zorexo's lead generation for recruitment agencies.

Want to see what the messages look like? Read the cold email teardown, where I rewrite a typical agency email line by line. Using Bullhorn instead? Here's how Clay and Bullhorn connect.

See it on your own niche

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