The Mike Ames Recruitment Show

Pipeline management: How to Turn Contacts into Clients

Dan Sullivan, once said, "all the money you need is in the pockets of the people you know and the pockets of the people they know" In other words, the size and strength of your network dictates how successful you'll be. It's confirmed in the numbers too, from research we and others have conducted. About 80% of your high-value clients (the minority who generate most of your profits) will have originated from a relationship. You could have met them anywhere: online, an event, an introduction etc but you built a relationship with them first. In this edition of the hashtag#MARShow [https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/all/?keywords=%23marshow&origin=HASH_TAG_FROM_FEED] we're going to explore the grossly misunderstood topic of Real Networking: - ✅ What is a Real Network and Real Networking ✅ How you add new people to your network ✅ Creating strong working relationships (there's a framework for this) ✅ How to monetise your network Along the way we'll debunk the many myths around real networking, especially the one that says you must attend events to build a network. If attending events and meeting people works for you, keep doing it, but if that's not for you, please remember it's entirely optional. In the corporate world I occupied, the decision makers I needed access to, never went to those kinds of events so neither did I. It never held me back. So, click ATTEND and join us to discover how to build and monetise a powerful business network.

Getting the Most out of the New LinkedIn

Either by accident or on purpose, organic reach for LinkedIn posts is harder now, which means fewer people are seeing your content. Let me explain. Nobody knows for sure, but it looks like LinkedIn has a cunning plan. That's why I'm so excited about this episode of the #MARShow with Darren Westall, founder and CEO of Paiger. Darren spends his days working with hundreds of recruitment firms and sees, in real time, what's actually working on LinkedIn right now; and what absolutely isn't. Together we talk about: - ♦️ Why LinkedIn is shifting towards a pay-to-play model (and what to do about it) ♦️ How to use thought‑leadership ads without becoming spammy ♦️ Why posting alone isn't enough unless it supports outbound BD ♦️ How to combine content, signals, and timing to open real conversations ♦️ What recruiters misunderstand about their LinkedIn "personal brand" in 2026 This is practical and proven advice you can follow to boost your reach. It's about using LinkedIn deliberately to support business development and create opportunities. If LinkedIn is part of your growth strategy (or should be), this episode is for you.

The Real Power of Knowing your "Walk Away" Number

You may be like the many business owners I speak to who haven't considered how their business will fuel their retirement. "It's too far off". Along with income tax and death there are two other absolute truths about life: 1️⃣You'll need more money than you think to live a comfortable retirement. 2️⃣ If you don't build that fund nobody else will (especially the government) So we're going to discuss this very real issue with Christian Mather [https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianmather/], an expert in the field. Together, we'll explore: - ✅ Why many recruitment founders build successful agencies yet remain financially dependent upon them. ✅ The gap between business performance and genuine financial freedom. ✅ The key "walk away" number every founder should know and how to calculate it. ✅ Why relying on a future exit alone can limit your options and how to build flexibility alongside it. ✅ An alternative way of becoming wealthy without having to sell your business. This is going to be a very practical session giving founders something they can act upon. What it isn't is the usual financial advice – you don't need that now. This is for you if you like to be ahead of the game when it comes to your financial freedom.

How to Never be Short of Vacancies

Imagine when you were short of roles to work you just picked up the phone and an hour or so later you had another couple of roles to work exclusively. Well, that's the world of our next guest in the #MARShow. Shane Fairchild is a solopreneur recruiter in Columbus Ohio and he has a superpower. He knows how to build a network of people who like him, trust him and want to use him above his competition. He truly is an Apex Supplier and he's coming on the show to tell us all about it: - ✅ How he has built his network ✅ How he maintains it and keeps it current ✅ Why his clients work with him first by choice (yes, there is a formula you can copy) ✅ How he goes about getting vacancies from his network whenever he needs them. Ladies and gentlemen, he will not be unduly affected by the rise in AI because AIs can't build relationships. I know we're all busy, but I would urge you to tune in and listen to what Shane has to say. Think of this, of all the hundreds of people I could have asked to come on the show and talk about this, I asked Shane. I did this because he's darned good at it.

How to Boost Revenues without Growing your Team

Did you know that if you lift your recruitment revenues but keep costs the same, 80% of that additional money generated is net profit. And yet, talk to most recruitment company owners and to them growth equates to hiring more people. More cost; more risk. There is an alternative though and that's what we'll be discussing with our next #MARShow [https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/all/?keywords=%23marshow&origin=HASH_TAG_FROM_FEED] guest Sean Anderson of Hoxo. This is a really big topic especially in these days of uncertainty, and one you can't ignore. If you can grow revenues without hiring more people you become more profitable without increasing your risk exposure. Together we'll be discussing the many ways you can do this including: - ♦️ Use of tools and AI ♦️ Lifting fees and margins ♦️ Making more placements ♦️ Being choosy on the vacancies you work on and clients you work with ♦️ Productising your offerings ♦️ Training and coaching All relevant but there are other ways you can boost productivity. We'll no doubt cover these too.