Beyond The Desk: Staffers Target Clients with Lots of Placement Potential

By Nick Andriacchi & Ellen Kroner

When you’re building your book in staffing, don’t just chase the flashy logos. The best clients? They’ve got layers, multiple departments, shifting needs, and room to grow with you. Start smart: dig in with ZoomInfo, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, whatever you’ve got in the toolbox. Find the right names and contact info, but don’t overlook the gatekeepers. They can either block you or bring you in the side door. Make friends.

Get active in your local market. Go where your prospects go: chamber mixers, trade shows, breakfast meetups. Local staffing firms have an edge: they know the area, the people, the pulse. Our contractors show up ready, because they live nearby and buy into the community. And let’s be real, independents move faster. Less layers, quicker decisions, more agile, and real loyalty to the customers who bet on them. 

That leads to better placements, more innovative service which saves their customers real money. Examples:

• Employee turnover is reduced which saves their clients cash as the cost of constantly retraining employees is high. 

• Employees that stay on the job longer are much more productive. 

• Permanent employees can focus on other aspects of their jobs because of high quality work performed by the contractors.

Once you’re in, don’t stop with the first placement. You’re not just a temp provider; you’re a growth partner. Start in one department, then ask: “Where else can we help?” Maybe your warehouse contact can introduce you to HR. Maybe the office manager knows another hiring manager. And don’t forget the supply chain—your client’s vendors and distributors need talent too.

Look at what Ellen Kroner did back in the day running Manpower’s La Crosse, Wisconsin office. She didn’t just sell staffing, she built relationships. She got to know the gatekeeper at Kwik Trip, a major gas station and convenience store chain. That led to an introduction to the decision maker in the bakery department.  Temp placements followed in that department. Once that worked, she moved into other departments like the warehouse, office, etc. Then she asked for an intro to Reinhart Transportation, their distribution partner, and won that account too.  As a side note, the bakery department head that gave Ellen her shot became a great friend.  So much so, she was a bridesmaid at our wedding. Again, make friends. 

The point is, you’ve got to think beyond the job order. Map the ecosystem. Follow the connections. Build trust. The wins are there, if you’re willing to dig for them.