How To Turn Recruiters Into Worthy Clients, My Advice To One-Person Businesses

Happy Sunday friend!

Last week, I shared 5 Ways to Improve Your Life & Work Today Using Traditional Samoan Rhetoric. This week, I took my premium subscribers through a deep dive into Chanakya, India's forgotten "Machiavelli."

For today's weekly wrap-up, I'll use some of my learnings from Chanakya to show how I turn recruiters, head-hunters, and employers into clients as a One-Person Business (OPB).

Let's dive in.

Last week's premium newsletters:

• Daily #096: Granath v. Wright & Dark Waters (click here for an exclusive Notion page I put together for subscribers, documenting both sides of the trial)

• Daily #097: Chanakya, India's forgotten "Machiavelli" 

• Daily #098: Chanakya, Maurya & Corporations

• Daily #099: Chanakya on Impoverishment, Motivation & Disaffection

• Daily #100: Dharmacism - an answer to Capitalism & Communism? 

I recently had a chat with a friend who was considering their next career move. They were worried about their options, thinking that their skills could not be applied to other industries.

Upon closer inspection, I saw they had a lot of value but just didn't know how to package it up and apply it to other industries. So I shared that all our experiences (even theirs) can be made valuable if we simply learn how to:

1. Analyze our own unique way of doing things

2. Package up the value and process

3. Communicate that value effectively

Doing the above creates new options that you may not have thought about before. When it comes to business, if I'm presented with Options A or B, I often try to think of and present Option C. Why? Because being a creative problem-solver frees you from the restrictions others may try to place on you.

Let me use some pop-culture references to prove my point before sharing how I do this specifically as an OPB.

Tyrion's Frame Trick

Tyrion Lannister is a fictional, dwarf character from a hit TV series called Game of Thrones. However, despite his perceived disadvantages and often being looked down upon, he excels when it comes to rhetoric.

As a result, he often creates third options when other characters try to give him binary ones while attempting to assert their dominance. At around 7:02 in the clip above, you'll see one of the most famous scenes in the series, where Tyrion manages to escape death or exile by presenting an option no one expected.

This is a hint to the mindset required to start turning options in your favor.

Parkour & Freerunners

Back in 2014, something called parkour (aka "free-running") made an appearance in the US comedy series, The Office (above). I still remember it to this day and chuckle every time I'm reminded of it.

However, despite the ridiculous antics seen in The Office, parkour is actually a very serious discipline that was coined by French actor, film choreographer, and stunt coordinator, David Belle. In a nut shell, parkour is about getting from point A to point B in the most fluid way possible. So where some may seem see obstacles, parkour practitioners see opportunities.

Below is an example of how a practitioner might view something as mundane as going up a flight of stairs:

Something as simple as the design of a flight of stairs often restricts your options in terms of getting to where you want. In parkour, there's more than just what "society" limits for you.

Sure, you might see this as strange behavior. But that's only because we're so used to doing things that have been shaped for us. This is no different from the way someone may present only two options for you (like in the case of Tyrion), or how someone may subtly influence you with certain words or phrases to limit your responses (e.g. the illusion of choice).

How I turn recruiters into clients

So now that I've shared some cultural references and mindset examples, let's look at how I do this specifically with recruiters.

As I've shared throughout my writings, I build productive communities in the blockchain space as a one-person business. As I go about this, I share my learnings so you can hopefully apply them to your own career, regardless of industry.

So, let's take a look at what's been happening since I doubled down on this OPB route:

1. Optimized my LinkedIn profile for the keywords blockchain and community (study Justin Welsh)

2. Started getting head-hunted by recruiters and HR folks from other Web3/blockchain companies

3. Received requests to setup calls and discuss new roles (often "full-time")

4. Often replied with, "I'm busy, but happy to set up a call if you can share more details about the role."

5. Booked calls

6. Listened carefully to the needs of the recruiter's client or direct company

7. Asked follow-up questions; probed deep into their true needs

8. Suggested doing the same role but on a part-time basis, remote, contract only

9. Shared results from other clients

10. Gave my price range (and refined with each call)

Although this may look like a typical consultant call, the key thing here is the flipping of power dynamics. Instead of having to consider going "full-time" for someone, present them with an option that might not have been considered.

I've often found that recruiters or employers seek one thing, but I'm able to dig deeper and find out what they truly want, present a game plan, and then go from there.

Instead of giving up the way I like to work, I harmonize both my and the other's needs. I stay confident in the fact that I'm able to achieve more in less time.

Turn "Full-Time" into Flexi-Time

"Full-time" is often not the real requirement of a prospect, nor a correct measure of the desired value. When I can articulate back what the prospect is truly seeking, and sometimes in a way they might not have expected, it opens up options and shows expertise.

There are of course caveats to the above, which are important to take note of:

1. I've been in community management for ~10 years

2. I've been involved with Bitcoin since 2013, blockchain formally since 2018

3. I have experiences that are now emotionalized, which helps increase my confidence in execution abilities and tap into during negotiations

4. I have an entrepreneurial side that has always pushed me to learn the basics of business

5. I can translate complex technical jargon into simpler language (as I started as a programmer early on in my career)

6. I had family experiences growing up where I was forced to see all sides to every situation, and know how to speak to each person based on their communication style

When we're presented with systems or step-by-step processes to "success," we're not often told about these backstories or caveats, hence me sharing mine. There's probably a lot more that might provide useful context, but I'll leave that to a future biography.

Key Takeaways

So going back to the original conversation with my friend. When packaging up value, what I try to do first is:

1. Write down everything I do unconsciously on repeat

2. See if there's a process to the way that I think when doing those things

3. Brain dump it all somewhere (analog or digital is fine)

4. Reorganize it into a process or "method"

5. Try it out consciously on prospects (this is what I have been doing with recruiters)

6. Refine the process with each opportunity

Is there anything above you could apply today in your career? Have you always accepted the options others (e.g. recruiters or employers) presented to you, or have you tried thinking outside the box and creating additional options they might not have considered?

Until next week amigo, remember: through patience & persistence, it will come.

GeorgeTwitter | LinkedIn | Blog