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The Staffing Shark on How to Build a Social Media Brand that Sells Itself
46 Plays2 months ago
Let’s be honest — most people sleep on the importance of their online presence. Whether you’re a recruiter, sales pro, or business leader, how you show up online isn’t about chasing likes or sending 100 DMs — it’s about standing out and building credibility that makes people want to work with you.
If you’re in staffing and on LinkedIn, chances are you’ve seen his name, his energy, and his no-BS positivity in your feed. We’re talking about Richard Rosner — host of The Staffing Shark podcast. In this episode, we sit down with Richard to unpack how he built a personal brand that attracts business and opportunities without hard selling. He’s got the receipts, and today he’s sharing how you can get there too.
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Transcript
The Value of Online Presence
00:00:00
Speaker
Let's talk real quick about something most people overlook, your online presence. Whether you're a recruiter, a sales pro or a business leader, the way you show up on social media matters, not just for clicks or likes, but for credibility.
00:00:13
Speaker
Today's guest is someone who's absolutely nailed this. He's built a brand that's bold, funny, recognizable and trusted, and he's used it to open doors, build relationships and grow his business without ever sounding like a pushy salesperson.
Introduction to Richard Rosner
00:00:26
Speaker
So if you've ever wondered how to stand out in a crowded staffing world, this one's for you. Welcome to Staffing Made Simple, a podcast series powered by Simple VMS.
00:00:38
Speaker
Hey everyone, welcome back to another episode of Staffing Made Simple, the show where we make the world of staffing a little less corporate, a lot more real and give you some insights and strategies that are actionable. I'm Casey joined by my partner in crime, Rob Geis, Senior Vice President at Simple VMS.
00:00:55
Speaker
And today's episode we've been excited about for a while. We've got a guy who's not just built a staffing brand, but he is the brand, the man, the myth, the staffing shark. Mr. Richard Rosner is in the building.
00:01:07
Speaker
If you've ever been anywhere near LinkedIn or you're in the staffing industry, you've probably seen his energy, his humor, his positivity show up in your feed. He hosts his own podcast, The Staffing Shark, crushes it in recruiting.
00:01:19
Speaker
He's building a personal brand that actually drives business.
Origin of the Staffing Shark Brand
00:01:22
Speaker
And today we're talking about how he did it and how you can too. What's going on, Richard? Glad to be here, man. I'm excited and I can't wait to deep dive in into this.
00:01:30
Speaker
So Richard, we know each other well. We get to spend time with each other at different conferences. So it's actually weird for me to call you Richard. I just call you Shark. That's just the brand that you've built. But can you tell us how the staffing Shark came to life?
00:01:45
Speaker
Oh yeah. How long do you have? Okay. So about five, five years ago, you know what I decided I wanted to build a brand for myself. I was going to conferences, people was getting to know me and I'm like, I just want something cool. So I'm sitting, can't lie about this. I was at Myrtle beach.
00:01:58
Speaker
I'm sitting there and I'm thinking first one that came to my mind was riptide recruiter. I'm thinking, nah, So I drink a couple of land sharks sitting on the beach there. And after a couple of beers, which I don't drink much, I seen a white cap and I'm thinking to myself, is that a shark?
00:02:11
Speaker
And I said, staffing shark. There we go. I love the beach, bring a beach vibe. And then I decided to flip it and said, you know what? i'll bring a Kenny Chesney vibe, Jimmy
Building Trust Through Branding
00:02:20
Speaker
Buffett vibe. wear flip-flops, jeans, shark necklace, and bring that beach attitude to the hiring industry. You've got what merchandise, you've got the staffing shark logo, but I think you've more than anything, you've built trust because people know who you are They know you're the staffing shark. You've built that online identity.
00:02:37
Speaker
How long did it take for the brand to take off so from inception to you really seeing some real results? You know what's funny is actually the first five months of being in the shark, everybody was like at the conferences were like, hold on, he has jeans on, no sport jacket, what's going on?
00:02:52
Speaker
And then before you know it, it just took off. I would say six months. I spoke the following year. probably 11 conferences. And I'd never reached out to them. It was just like that shark mania. They're like, can you do social media? Can you do social media? So it kind of took off like that.
00:03:06
Speaker
And they all knew me for the last eight years, how much energy I had, but with this brand and this name. And as you know, everybody calls me a shark. Nobody calls me my real name anymore. I go and I break bread with people conferences. Like, what is your last name?
00:03:17
Speaker
I just call you the shark. So at that point I was like, okay, we're on point. So I would say about six months And since then, I'd have fun with it. And I think that's the biggest thing, to Rob, that we're going to talk about today in KAC is you have to have fun in what you do.
00:03:29
Speaker
I live my brand and staffing and recruiting is lifestyle. And when you treat it that way, things will come to you big time. ah For me, Richard, thing about you is you're authentic. You're just you. And it's not some fake persona that you put on.
00:03:43
Speaker
And we talk about that together quite a bit, how just being yourself gets you a long way in the sales process. When people look you up and they find you online and then they actually talk to you, they realize this guy's a real person.
00:03:55
Speaker
So tell us a little bit about your authenticity and how that works for you. I talk about it all the time. My brand is me 24 seven. I love life. I want to make everybody shine. That's my big slogan. I say you know what? If I can make everybody shine, that's great. So I think anywhere I go, I just want to bring that positive energy.
00:04:12
Speaker
It's for sales appointments. I mean, it's for anything. It's that big influencer brand that I'm doing right now to helping companies grow. Yeah, when you talk about building an online presence and having a brand, people think of that as, oh, I don't have a personal brand. That's for influencers. But I think anybody can go online and build a brand.
00:04:29
Speaker
What does that mean to you, building a personal brand? And how can people start that? Okay, so here's what I think sometimes the people, they miss fire on what they do. A personal brand is having other people build that brand for you.
00:04:41
Speaker
The community builds my brand. I didn't build my brand at all. I just put it out there was me. And guess what? It
Social Media Strategy
00:04:46
Speaker
took off from there. So I think the biggest thing is don't follow anybody else. Just build what you like and your hobbies and your fun. As you see on LinkedIn, now people's putting stuff up, pictures that are dogs or baseball, their kids, build what you like and people will come to that. Yeah. One of my best posts this year is me in a Bucky's onesie. There you go. See that? ah So, you know, I know you post on all the different social media platforms and you're big on that, right? Like spreading it out. Don't just put all your eggs in one basket.
00:05:14
Speaker
You're really heavy on LinkedIn, but what's your approach on some of the other ones on Instagram, TikTok, when it comes to brand building? What I tell everybody, and I joke about this, I don know if I can say this at all, but if you're only on LinkedIn, you're losing out.
00:05:25
Speaker
You have to have about three or four. I'm on nine of them because I'm hyperactive. I can bounce back and forth. And I use definitely a lot of AI for all that stuff. But right now, Instagram stories is booming.
00:05:35
Speaker
I like Facebook groups for businesses. You tap into that. You like some of their comments. I think one of the big ones now is Blue Sky. You know, nobody's on Blue Sky right now. So if you guys get out there, Blue Sky has been around probably for a year.
00:05:48
Speaker
It opened up to the public about six months ago. And you guys will love this. If you type in staffing on Blue Sky, I pop up everywhere. There's only about 20 of us on there. for staffing and recruiting. So it's all you. And I grow 5,000 followers in like two months.
00:06:01
Speaker
And it's not even about the followers and likes anymore. It's about the conversations,
The Power of Social Selling
00:06:05
Speaker
guys. You know, seriously, I say this all the time. It's great to have a comment, but I want that DM. I want that direct message so they can reach out to me.
00:06:13
Speaker
We can have that campfire chat and that, I call it the beer chat, the coffee chat. That's what I'm looking for. Yeah, and I think building your brand just makes those reach outs a little bit warmer, right? Because you've built a little bit of trust, you've built some credibility.
00:06:26
Speaker
What would you say when it comes to social selling and selling online? What's your method of reaching out to people? When you connect with somebody on LinkedIn, do you follow them, like their posts, comment on them before you go in for a meeting ask? Or what's your approach there?
00:06:40
Speaker
Okay, so here we go. So social selling is the big buzzword these days, which I did it like five years ago. So I have another word, improv selling. Got to be comical. You got to have value taming. I always say that value with entertainment, that humor. So I realized, i was like, dude, I am doing improv selling, really not social selling.
00:06:58
Speaker
Social selling is the big hub. But if you're an improv, you're engaging your audience because they want to hear your jokes and stuff like that. And then you pivot. So if I can say anything, improv selling is the way to go.
00:07:09
Speaker
It's a great terminology everybody can use these days. But I think social selling is about being in a community. Something else, I'm big in the NIL now. I sponsor an athlete here in WVU.
00:07:20
Speaker
I sponsor a musician too. So can you imagine that? Every time that person plays, my exposure is out there. So that's part of the social selling is bringing your community and let them sell for you.
Improv Selling Concept
00:07:30
Speaker
Yeah, Richard, for you and for everyone, really, social selling is so much more than just showing up to pitch.
00:07:36
Speaker
And the best salespeople I know personally, sales is literally their lifestyle. But I think when you make it your lifestyle like that, you do all those little things beforehand, like post on social media and people start to see you out there. You become more trusted and you're part of your community.
00:07:53
Speaker
Can you talk a little bit about that? So the the community is a big thing for me. When I came to West Virginia here, I actually helped out a staffing firm. And in one year, I'll just say it, 38 clients in one year, I landed for them, 37 on the phone.
00:08:05
Speaker
So it was that coffee chat, beer chat. I think the biggest thing with me is when I go in, I'm not selling you anything. I'm doing a discovery call. I want to discover who you are and who i am. And then you know what? And then I go into the hype.
00:08:18
Speaker
I call it, and going to laugh about this, but it's all about the FOMO. No bragging. It's about swag. And I think when you have that, then you go to the purchase stage, And then you go to the next one would be the community stage.
00:08:29
Speaker
That's your sales process right there. So I think the big thing in the community is I put coasters everywhere. I drink Landshark beer. I joke about it. I even have QR codes on the back of my shirts when I go to the gym at Planet Fitness.
00:08:39
Speaker
Scan the shark you want to get hired. So I'm a walking billboard 24-7. And I think that's what we have to be. Even on the social media platforms like Facebook, anybody that gets hired by me is usually my Facebook friend.
00:08:51
Speaker
And if I could tell you anything, Rob, the quickest thing and the best thing that I've ever done, and I say this over and over, everybody hears this, is the shark shake. Anybody that gets hired by me, client or candidate, I take a picture with them.
00:09:02
Speaker
They share on their social platform. Before you know it, I have this funnel of candidates and clients coming to me. So I don't have to worry about the chase anymore. They're chasing me down. andre like i want to work with you
Video's Role in Engagement
00:09:13
Speaker
because they know i'm genuine and I'm going to call him back.
00:09:15
Speaker
I love that you wear a QR code to the gym and I might have. You know it, brother. And you know people are scanning it because they're curious where it takes them. I think one of the things about social selling is video. If we can even elaborate about that real quick is video has been around for, i wouldn't say five or six years.
00:09:31
Speaker
TikTok has changed the way LinkedIn is now. LinkedIn has brand links now where you can actually put your company out there and like a Gary Vee coming out the next month where he's going to be having big presentations and stuff like that.
00:09:42
Speaker
And you could put your company right in front of that before he talks. As you can see right now, LinkedIn is all video. Video is getting 80% more than just a post. Blogs are boring. Nobody reads anymore. And you guys probably agree with that.
00:09:54
Speaker
Nobody reads. And anything goes these days. People want to learn from you, but they also want to be curious too. And I'll say this real quick, guys, is When I was at the Staffing Sales Conference, and they kind of like had a little roast with me and they're like, Sharp, what do you actually do?
00:10:08
Speaker
Do you find people? Do you help companies out? Are you a podcaster? And that's that curiosity that I want to keep Forever. I help everybody out is what I say in the staffing industry. So that curiosity of what he actually does, i want to keep that going because that's why people keep coming in to look at my stuff and they're curious of
Engaging Community through Social Media
00:10:24
Speaker
what I do.
00:10:24
Speaker
And once they get in, the rest is history. It's funny because I see you on LinkedIn and I see you're not just throwing stuff at the wall. You're engaging and you actually make me engage with LinkedIn posts more because you're so active on social media and I want to be part of it.
00:10:41
Speaker
So I'll click, I'll comment, which is really helping my brand and you don't even realize it. So I wanted to give you that little kind of credit. Anything I can do for you, man. I know, brother. But you make people feel seen and you you make them want to engage. And I love that.
00:10:56
Speaker
Talk to us a little bit about that if you don't mind. I think the one thing that we have to say, it's not about us. It's not about me. It's about them. And I think that's the big thing is, and I say this slogan all the time, I'm here to make everybody shine. So you want to bring your community together.
00:11:08
Speaker
And I got to tell you, Rob and Casey, you don't have to start your own group. Everybody has a group. going you little story real quick. You'll love this. So I'm flying to Vegas last week for that conference. I'm at the Charlotte airport. Give a plug out. I love Charlotte. it's That's my airport. Drink, eat my Bojangles, sit my rocking chair.
00:11:22
Speaker
I take a picture of my favorite rocking chair playing behind me. I tag Charlotte airport on it. Guess what? It's on Instagram, Facebook. They liked it. They shared it on their platform. There you go. 345,000 people. They have seen that.
00:11:36
Speaker
I had seven contacts to me just about, Hey, would you want me on a podcast or something else? Quick. It was a quick picture while most people are like chasing stuff on LinkedIn. All I do is have fun and sit in a rocking chair and see how I drummed up business that way or a buzz.
00:11:50
Speaker
That's what you can do. it's It's not all about talking about staffing all the time. I think if you just talk about having fun and enjoying yourself with your tagline, that's the key. Have your tagline in it and have your face and everything.
00:12:02
Speaker
But yeah, it's about just having fun. So you see how that went viral. And then I have people reaching out to me from Charlotte now in that area. Staying on the subject of social selling, because I know it's very popular right now, it's the way to sell.
00:12:14
Speaker
but I think some people hear social selling and they think, all right, cool, I'm just going to send 100 direct messages today. And that's not it. Not at all. Here's my theory. I'm just going tell you, 25 25. 25 companies, you focus on them.
00:12:27
Speaker
You see where their pain points are. You see where their needs are. And then you go after them. Once you close one, you add another one. I don't need a hundred clients. 25 keeps going, going, going. and That's how I got the 38 was just 25 at a time and keep knocking them down.
00:12:41
Speaker
And I think the big thing about social selling is you've got to make it. I'm say this word again, value tame it. You've got to make humor it. You've got to have fun with it. But I think to get into the client, you've got to be different.
00:12:51
Speaker
And the the way I get in is just sending a video out of myself, of being quirky. I mean, WVU stuff. You know, went to Penn State. i wear I support West Virginia down here. It's game day. I'm going send stuff out on a Saturday with some videos. It says, hey, go WVU.
00:13:05
Speaker
Another big thing I'm gonna say with social selling is quizzes. Get them involved. Like March Madness, I had a basketball game online that you can just send. You click it out. You send an email. You shoot some hoops, and you can win a gift card.
00:13:16
Speaker
I think that's what we have to do. We have to give, and then at the end, you know you'll get everything in return. And I think social selling is more about sending a DM right on social media. It's about showing up before the pitch. People trust you, relate to you. you built that credibility. You have and a presence online.
00:13:32
Speaker
I started in staffing. I mean, there's a lot of companies that didn't have websites. They're going off
Meaningful Client Relationships
00:13:36
Speaker
your word and your handshake. Now they can just look you up and find everything out about you that they want. And I would love to hear your thoughts on this.
00:13:43
Speaker
If I'm going to connect with somebody on LinkedIn, typically I want to connect with them. And I'm going to like and comment on some of their posts first before i go in for and ask for it a meeting just to show them that I'm involved.
00:13:55
Speaker
I'm a resource for them. What's your thoughts on that? i I love what you said. and So here's my take on Another word I always say, cause I love these little short words. Everybody thinks about social selling. How about interest selling? They have to be interested in what you have, right?
00:14:07
Speaker
And you have be interested in what they have. I'm to tell you most of my appointments I open up with, we're just talking for five minutes or six minutes about anything, football, sports and stuff like that. That's how you build that relationship. So go on their profile and check out stuff. If they're in NASCAR or whatever,
00:14:22
Speaker
I tell people all the time, building a relationship, just talking about your products back and forth. I'm lie. it's kind of boring, right? i mean, we want to talk about our interests. We like certain kinds of foods or whatever. So I think social selling is about being social.
00:14:35
Speaker
Says it right there, right? So find an interest that they have, you have in common. connect. And after you connect, then you go to the next level. Hey, maybe we can do business together, but that could be in a third or fourth email or phone call. You don't have to rush off the bat.
00:14:50
Speaker
I've done this before. I've studied this where I won't even say anything about doing a service with them. And they're like, how do I get a contract? And then guess what? It goes to the next one, next one. So you want them to almost chase you a little bit.
00:15:00
Speaker
Is that kind of wild? People don't think that way. We always chase the sell. How about have a seller chase us? That's crazy. yeah That's something most salespeople probably never think about. No, not at all.
00:15:11
Speaker
All people want to do is to sit down and talk to you. And I think that's where we have that disconnect, guys. You know what i mean? With the clients, we're scared for them to say no. you know how many times I've got my door shut on me and like, shark, I'm not working with you ever.
00:15:22
Speaker
And then six months later, it's your turn. Time for you to shine. I always say you never lose an opportunity. You never get rejected. You just get redirected to the next level. Love it. It's just keep hearing those until you say yes.
00:15:34
Speaker
Richard, you've built humor into the staffing brand and it shows people that you're real. What advice do you have to incorporate humor into your brand? Is there too much? Is it a balance? Can you talk about that and how humor is part of your brand and your storytelling? like I think I call you back to improv selling.
00:15:49
Speaker
You got to read the room. You got to read the room and see what it's like. If you got a room and it's real quiet, you're in a boardroom and you're trying to close a deal and it's quiet. got to light it up. I think the big thing is the three L's. You got to listen.
00:16:00
Speaker
Learn and lead. Them are the three always say. You listen first, you learn from them, and then you lead. And if you can do that, you can just rock this out. And I'll tell you a story real quick. This is a great one. So when people call me, these are like from a welder to a CEO, guys.
00:16:14
Speaker
And they say, shark, you another bite. They never even talked to me before. And they're saying shark in the voicemail because people watch my social media. And this is something i can tell people, even though they don't like your stuff or comment on it, there's eyes on you at all times. Just remember that. There's eyes on you all the time.
00:16:29
Speaker
I think humor is just going to get their guards down, right? It shows that you're a real person. You're just like them. Not too serious. One of my favorite lines is I walk in, somebody ordered Chippendales.
00:16:40
Speaker
And then they look at me like I'm crazy because there's no way in the world Chippendales would hire me. So then I tell them I'm on the B team or the day crew, but it always gets a chuckle, right? Their guards are immediately down and they're moving.
00:16:51
Speaker
they're willing to talk versus somebody who comes in just super professional. So I think humor just goes such a long way. It does. it And I'll elaborate on this. Sales is like a date. It's like the first
Branding with Humor
00:17:02
Speaker
date. Do you like to say you want to get married on the first date? No, you don't. So why would try to close the deal on the first time and they shut you down?
00:17:08
Speaker
They want to learn about you. They want to get character. They want to see if you got some vibes. It's about that experience. You know, I say all the time, it's about when they walk in that door or on the phone call, you got to just bring it every day because you don't know what is on the other side.
00:17:23
Speaker
And I think the emotions and stuff like that is what it's all about. yeah If you can tap into somebody's emotions, they're going to love you for life. I'm curious, do you think your approach is different when you talk to different industries, if you're talking to somebody that's doing light industrial staffing or if it's technical?
00:17:40
Speaker
To me, I see a huge difference in the kind of look of and feel of the brands of the different people. What are your thoughts on that? Yes, I relate to the audience. but You have to relate to the audience and you also have to relate to who you're talking to on the phone.
00:17:53
Speaker
You can hear their voice tone. You can hear if they're engaging with you. And I think the big thing is on the phone call is, I always say that at the beginning, you want them to talk. You're like the host. It's almost like we're having a podcast right now.
00:18:04
Speaker
I say that. If you get on a sales call, you're the podcast host and you want to interview them. If you think that way, within five, six minutes, it's almost like a Joe Rogan show. They're telling you all about their detail. They're telling you about, they're going camping with their family. And then they're like, hey, can we have a meeting and get that contract signed?
00:18:20
Speaker
Here's another one. I'm curious to see what your take is on. There is no prototypical salesperson. Salespeople come from different walks of life. What if somebody is a little more introverted and not as outgoing as potentially we are? How can they work personal branding into their message?
00:18:34
Speaker
You know what? but You don't have to be high energy like me all the time. But I think at the end of the day if you can bring that expertise, but also bringing that real genuine you. There's no right or wrong way in sales.
00:18:45
Speaker
There's nothing. And the sales books have been written over and over again. It just keeps cycling itself. You know, we can say 10 strategies here. Well, that might not work for somebody over here. So I think the end of the day, just you got to be yourself and feel comfortable because if you try approach that you're not comfortable with, and then you're to fail.
00:19:01
Speaker
So it's almost like football again. I'm Bill Belichick. Here's the playbook. But you know what? Let's do a little bit audible because you're a little bit quieter. You're more reserved and let's run a play that way. So I think at the end of the just be yourself.
00:19:14
Speaker
Yeah. There's so many tools out there to help you. I think with posting too, right? With chat GPT alone. The way you can prompt that thing to sound like yourself and give you ideas, there's really no excuse.
00:19:26
Speaker
It's just matter of posting. And I love how you said that earlier is just post it. So many people are are scared to post and not every post is going to do well, right? There's plenty of times where I post something that one like and then another one gets 60.
00:19:38
Speaker
But consistency is the key. It's out of sight, out of mind. And when you stop posting, people forget about you.
Authenticity in Personal Branding
00:19:44
Speaker
So they do, you got to be consistent on everything and you got to be, like I said, you got to think outside the box.
00:19:49
Speaker
So I hate cause to say that word, but during COVID people were down. They're complaining, they're panicking. Guess what I do? I get toilet paper and I said, wipe away COVID, get hired by the shark with a QR code.
00:19:59
Speaker
That went viral. We had 3000 pieces of toilet paper. So Paper equals placements. I can't make that up. That put me on the map in my area. It's like, people's like, how did you think of this? I'm like, a glass of wine. I don't know even where I was at. Maybe I was in my office or office number two. I don't know. But all joking aside, I go to their offices and they still have my toilet paper with the logo. They're like, dude, that's one of the creative things ever.
00:20:20
Speaker
Something that looks like it was dumb in my eyes. I'm thinking, no, I can wipe away COVID and get you a job, you know? So I think things like that, people remember that, Rob and Casey. And that's what you want. You want a lasting impression with somebody. So, you know, instead of getting that gym bag that they all get out and all that stuff, make your homemade cards or make something fun.
00:20:41
Speaker
I think when we're posting too, especially on LinkedIn, people can get very corporate, but some of the best posts are just you being you, right? It doesn't always have to be about business. I'm not saying go post your steak dinner every night on LinkedIn, but sometimes it's good to just show you as you.
00:20:56
Speaker
It is. and And I always see professional headshots. um I might get flack on this. I just like a shot. That shot of mine is from Myrtle Beach like a year ago, two years ago. So you know what? I'm just me.
00:21:07
Speaker
I'm not going to take a picture of me. Like I was in high school with a tie on that. It's not me. And I think really, to be honest with you, can'ts and clients,
AI in Recruiting and Branding
00:21:15
Speaker
they want that. Just that genuine person. I think our industry, sometimes we say something that we think the client and candidate wants.
00:21:21
Speaker
And I guess from the experience of being on the streets all the time, guys, and interviewing all of these candidates and clients, I had three and one people go to work last year through ah the the West Virginia staffing firm. So, you know, it's like I get to talk to all and I ask them, how did you find me?
00:21:35
Speaker
ah You had a cartoon picture of you looking like Superman with your face on it. Why? And I i was curious. So I clicked on it. So I think just being a little bit different, but also having an expertise is what's going to drive you in 25 on LinkedIn.
00:21:47
Speaker
and LinkedIn is fun this day. I'm going to tell you guys, as much as people say LinkedIn, I want the old, I want the old LinkedIn back. It's not coming back friends. It's not coming back at all. Swear. It's not coming back. AI is here.
00:21:58
Speaker
You got to embrace AI. If I can give a little plug with AI, you you got to, you know, I have a bootcamp, but at the end of the day, we have to embrace all this. And I think the people that don't and don't change with the LinkedIn, the AI, they're going to get left behind and he might lose their job guys.
00:22:12
Speaker
So last segment, Richard, I think it's awesome that you have an AI bootcamp, first of all. And I think that could be a great place for someone to start. So if you're new to sales and you want to go build your brand, learn how to use tools like AI, where do you start?
00:22:29
Speaker
Basically, you got to build AI agents. So that's what we teach you in the bootcamp. So picture this, Rob and Casey. I'm a recruiter by myself, or maybe I have one-person sales team. I can build five AI agents to do pretty much all the sourcing and all the work for me.
00:22:43
Speaker
All I do is add a human connection. Is that wild? I mean, that's where we're at now. I mean, there's AI avatars out there now. so I'm going to tell you guys, this might not even be my voice. This might be somebody else. it might be an avatar, you know, I'm just typing in.
Advice for Newcomers to Branding
00:22:56
Speaker
But it's coming to that point now where you won't know who the real person is or who the fake one is. We're at that point now where it's coming and AI is going to help recruiting out. You're not going to lose your job if you don't. If you learn it, you're not going to lose your job.
00:23:08
Speaker
But it's going to help that part of sourcing. We see voice AI right now for, you know, phone calls and all that stuff. But... To still close a deal, you're still gonna have that human connection. I mean, for me, I still got to have that yinzer and that voice I have. you know I had to throw that Pittsburgh attitude out to you guys, by the way, you know since you're from Cincy. But yeah, it's about just being real.
00:23:28
Speaker
Yeah, I think people adapt to AI, especially the ones that are using it to maybe help out with those tasks that are time consuming. So they can then focus on recruiting or revenue generating activities and using AI to help them with some of the minutiae tasks.
00:23:43
Speaker
Oh, it's amazing what it can do. I love AI now. I've been embracing it for the last four or five months, swimming in the AI ocean, I call it. And what it can do for you, it's like, wow. I mean, you guys know what ChatGPT has, Case. And Rob, I can get on there and play all day.
00:23:56
Speaker
You can write a book now in two days. It's it's amazing what you can do. Wish I had that back when I was in high school instead of reading cliff notes, you know, and trying to cram it at the last night. And I want to bring it back real quick for the newbies because yeah I think it is important.
00:24:09
Speaker
but Every day people are graduating from college, moving into sales. They think they want to be in sales. And I think a lot of people really don't know what sales even is. if Somebody told them they had a good smile and a good personality and they they tell them to go be a salesperson.
00:24:23
Speaker
But regarding that, is there something that you wish you had known at the beginning before you started your brand about about social selling, brand building, all the stuff we've spoken about already? I'm going to say like this. I wish I'd have built my brand earlier.
00:24:35
Speaker
I worked for three staffing firms before I built my brand and I kind of was boxed in. I had to do what they told me to do. So that's why the shark never came up here. I had to follow the rules. And now it's pretty much, I can follow my rules. So I think anybody, even if you're working for a company or anything like that, and you're in sales in the beginning, you go into a client not expecting to get the sales.
00:24:56
Speaker
It's a process. And I think so many people get down because sales is up and down. One month, you're great. Next month, you're bad. It's just like football, in and out. So what's going to make you a good salesperson is strategically changing with the times.
00:25:09
Speaker
If something doesn't work, try something different and learn from the experts, but put your twist on it. Everything they say, take 50, 60% out, but then put your twist on it too, because that's going to make you feel more comfortable. I'm going to tell you guys, I hate sales scripts.
00:25:24
Speaker
I used to get in trouble all the time back in the day when I first started staffing because they're like, that's not the script. and like, dude, I can't cite this script. I just want to talk like me. You're fumbling over the words. Hi, this is ABC staffing firm. We have a lot of clients here. We see you have a civil engineering job. We have a candidate for Would you like to hire them Like, really? Like that's the script.
00:25:41
Speaker
So I think scripts are kind of obsolete. You can have guidelines. But put your own little mojo and your voice into it. I think there's going to be people listening that haven't started building that personal brand, haven't started their social selling journey.
00:25:54
Speaker
So real quick, last question for you is, somebody's got 10 minutes a day on LinkedIn to get started on building that brand. How should they use it? I think the first thing is, though, tapping everybody else that has a brand already. So start liking their stuff, comment on it, trying to be involved in some associations.
00:26:10
Speaker
You don't have to build your brand by yourself. Like I said, we all build it together. So tap into everything, all the resources. I mean, you could tap into myself. I know you guys, I'm always here to mentor people, but I think that starts.
00:26:20
Speaker
And then find a brand that you like. Put a couple of taglines. You don't have to be overbearing, but enjoy it. And then post. You know, and post, I say in the beginning, the first month, just post stuff that's related to what you do, you know, and then you learn from that. Cause you guys have been doing this for a while now. It doesn't happen overnight.
00:26:38
Speaker
You just don't build a brand
Collaborative Branding Strategies
00:26:40
Speaker
and click your finger. You're not the Chick-fil-A. You're not Nike or the Apple. For people to know what you do, it takes time, but that time is well worth it. and And I think just keep grinding, you know, but have fun during the journey.
00:26:52
Speaker
There's so much you can do with this. And with the platforms now, guys, it is so easy. i'm going to tell you back when I first started in 2014, we didn't have the platform advantage like we do now. Like you could be a guru almost on everything because everything's right there. You got ChatGPG to help you.
00:27:09
Speaker
You got the platforms to help you. They're free. You could put yourself as a cartoon character, a real person, video. Everything is there for you to be successful, but take it in bits and pieces.
00:27:20
Speaker
Because there's a lot coming at you one time, guys. You know that if you're in sales, you're like, should i go on this platform, this platform, pick three platforms. LinkedIn is one, pick two other ones and enjoy the ride the first 90 days and see where it takes you.
00:27:32
Speaker
Richard, man. Thanks. That was a ton of fun. That time really did fly by and everything you would expect from the staffing shark himself, guys. Richard, how can people get ahold of you? Where can they look you up?
00:27:44
Speaker
If you want to go ahead and plug yourself here. Alrighty. They can look me up at Staffing Shark or Richard Ross or just Google it. You'll see me every podcast. Anybody's welcome to join one of my podcasts. They're welcome to join anything. And if you just want to have a talk or a chat, DM me. up I'm always here.
00:28:00
Speaker
I'll talk to you at 10 o'clock at night, you know, and like I said, we are in this together. So let's go out there and let's rock it in 25. Make sure you go check out the Staffing Shark and his podcast, an awesome podcast. Make sure you go give him a follow.
Final Thoughts on Personal Branding
00:28:14
Speaker
And keep an eye out as Rob and I will also be on the Staffing Sharks podcast here soon, talking everything VMS and growth. And shout out to everyone listening. You take anything away from today, it's this.
00:28:25
Speaker
You already have a brand. You just have to start showing people who you are. And we'll catch you on the next episode of Staffing Made Simple. If you enjoyed today's episode, make sure you subscribe. Please leave us a five-star review. It would really help. and we'll see you next time.
00:28:40
Speaker
This has been an episode of Staffing Made Simple, powered by Simple VMS, the vendor-friendly VMS.