One of my favorite ERE columns tells the story of a meeting that won me a big search. Here’s the short version, with a link to the full story below.

The Story

I had been trying to reach an executive I’ll call Mr. King for weeks. The day I was flying to Houston to train a recruiting firm, his assistant called: could I come in that afternoon? I said yes. At the airport I grabbed my rental car keys while everyone else waited on bags, changed into my best suit in the restroom, and drove straight to his office. My first Superman.

He told me about his 18 years with the company and how critical this hire was. Then he looked me in the eye and asked, “Joe, is this a search your firm would be good for?” I looked right back and said, “Yes.” Not “yeah,” not “I think so.” Executives want certainty in that moment. When he asked how long it would take, I said “Sixty to ninety days” without hesitation.

Then he slapped the desk, as if to wrap up. A voice inside reminded me: when you are in the presence of the King, don’t be in a hurry to leave. Let the King dismiss you. So I stayed. I asked about the family photos behind him. We talked about his kids, then basketball, and then he switched back into work mode and showed me more about the business. We talked for over two and a half hours. I flew home, and I got the search.

The Lessons

  • Let your yes be yes and your no be no.
  • Give executives certainty, not maybes.
  • Don’t fear silence in a meeting.
  • Always let the client end the meeting.
  • Stay away from complainers on the way to a big meeting.

This article first ran on ERE in April 2008. You can read the original on ERE here: https://www.ere.net/articles/superman-and-the-king.

I’m Joe Pelayo, an executive recruiter for 40 years and founder of Joseph Michaels International here in Dallas. We recruit for roles with base pay from 75K to 2 million, and one call to me reaches our network of 700 recruiters. Right now we have 1,619 open jobs.

Let’s Talk

Need a recruiter who will give you a straight yes or no? Call me.

Call me at 1-800-786-1099 or email info@josephmichaels.com.

Joseph Michaels International, 13355 Noel Road Suite 1360, Dallas, TX 75240