Speaking vs. Talking vs. Communicating vs. Connecting

I have made it a point in my Top Echelon Network articles, trainings, webinars, phone conversations, and emails over the years to encourage members to pick up the phone and talk to one another.

That’s because “magic” can happen in a conversation. It allows people who are fighting the same battles every day to connect and find a way to work together towards success.

Yet, from time to time, when a Network member says, “We are not receiving a good response from the recruiter in regards to the candidates we sent over for their job,” my reflex and response is to ask “Did you call the recruiter before you started working the job?”

Sometimes there is a moment of silence. Sometimes there is a “Yes” and then I find out, which I usually do, that the “call” was actually an email conversation.

So in order to help everybody, I want to define the types of conversations that can occur in Top Echelon’s split fee recruiting network.

Speaking = A phone conversation. This is where you can establish rules regarding how you will communicate in the future while working on this job order and those to come.

Talking = A phone conversation and possibly an email dialogue.

Example: A candidate interview, sent via email

“Hey Sally, I scheduled Fred for a face-to-face on Friday @ 3:00 p.m. Regards, Drea.”

“Thank you, Drea. Let me know how it goes and if you need me to do anything. Regards, Sally.”

Ergo, Sally and I “talked” about an event.

Another example: I connect with my friends about playing music together. The operative word here is “together.” This denotes that we’re going to meet face-to-face and be in the same room.

“Joe, are you going to jam-nite at TJ’s on Thursday? If so, do you want me to pick you up?”

I could send that question via text, but it does not fit the definition of “talking.” It is simply a form of communication.

However, that form of communication is going to lead to “connecting,” which is the ultimate form of communicating within Top Echelon’s recruiter network. (As you might have already guessed, “talking” and “speaking,” as defined above, also fall into the category of communication.)

The bottom line is that communication between Network members needs to be of the highest quality possible. After all, Quality is one of The Four Pillars of Top Echelon Network.

It doesn’t matter if you speak on the telephone, use email, use texting, or use all three. The quality of the communication must be high.

Don’t just “talk” or “speak” with other Network members. But connect with them in a meaningful way that will help your recruiting business and your agency to grow!