Skip to content

Careers Hub | The receiving end of a sales call

Nov 14, 2016

Pulse Recruitment

Table of Contents
    Add a header to begin generating the table of contents

    As a recruitment agency that specialises in sales and marketing roles, we are constantly surrounded by top talent who are exceptional at one particular business skill…selling.

    Normally, we are the ones selling. We sell our business to candidates, sell our business to clients, and we’re training our candidates to sell themselves during the interview stages. You get the idea; we love to sell.

    However, on a daily basis, I am on the receiving end of the sales call. I get calls to upgrade our phones, improve our marketing, spend more here, spend more there… the list goes on. Usually I’m quick to hang up the phone and get back to my day, but one particular instance caught me right in my tracks and I couldn’t help but give in. Here’s what happened…

    After saying my usual ‘Pulse Recruitment’ greeting on the phone, I was surprised by the friendly stranger on the other end that was excited to hear it was me, after all, it was me he was looking for. He then went on to introduce himself (from a business supplies company) – but before jumping into his 30 second elevator pitch, he pulled out a sneaky trick. Guess what guys, he did his research. He found something in common with me from looking at my LinkedIn profile and used that to make small talk, and began to build a relationship. He noticed I wasn’t from Australia (neither was he), and we had a quick chat about living abroad in Sydney.  From there, he asked me a few questions about our business supplies, hoping for me to admit where we have inefficiencies in our process. He confidently suggested he had solutions to our inefficiencies and that he’d love to drop by for a 10-minute chat the following day. I couldn’t help but say yes. After hanging up the phone, I just started laughing, “What just happened? He got me!” I quickly realised that it’s usually much easier to say “no” to a sales call when they barely make an effort to research who they’re talking to. On the flip side, if you feel like you’re talking to a friend who’s looking to help you, it is a lot harder to say “no”. From the receiving end of a sales call, it was a total game changer.

    Of course, not everyone that he calls is going to be as impressed as I was, but I can certainly tell you that someone who does their research versus someone who asks for the ‘Business Owner’ will get a lot further in the long run.

    FROM OUR PULSE NEWS, EMPLOYER AND JOB SEEKER HUBS

    Featured Articles

    The Most In-Demand Tech Sales Skills for 2026

    The tech sales landscape of 2026 is unrecognizable compared to the “growth at all costs” era of the early 2020s. We have entered the age of Sophisticated Realism. Buyers are more informed, more risk-averse, and more shielded by technology than ever before. In response, the role of the salesperson has undergone a fundamental mutation. In…
    Remote vs. Hybrid: What Australia’s Best Sales Reps are Demanding Now

    The Australian employment landscape has undergone a permanent transformation. For sales organizations, particularly those in the high growth sectors of technology, fintech, and cybersecurity, the traditional office based model is no longer the standard. It is a relic of a previous era. As we navigate the current market, a critical question faces every sales leader…
    Why B2B Sales is a Team Sport in 2026

    For decades, the “Lone Wolf” was the celebrated archetype of the sales world. This was the Account Executive (AE) who worked in a vacuum, kept their secrets close to their chest, and emerged from the shadows only to ring the bell after closing a massive deal. They were the “closers,” the individual heroes whose grit…
    The 2026 GTM Playbook: EQ, Shadow Pipelines, & Talent Gaps

    In the Go-To-Market (GTM) landscape of 2026, the noise is deafening. We were promised that AI would automate our way to infinite scale, but instead, it has created a “trust deficit.” Buyers are shielded by AI gatekeepers, their inboxes are flooded with “hyper-personalized” (yet soulless) outreach, and the old playbooks are being shredded in real-time….
    7 Red Flags to Look for During Your Tech Sales Interview

    The tech sales landscape is a high-octane world of “disruptive” SaaS products, uncapped commissions, and the promise of rapid career progression. On paper, every startup looks like the next unicorn. However, beneath the surface of free kombucha and ergonomic desks, many sales organizations are struggling with toxic cultures, unattainable quotas, and “burn and churn” philosophies…
    Why “Job Hopping” in Sales Might Be Killing Your Long-Term Earnings

    In the modern sales landscape, there is a pervasive belief that the only way to get a significant “raise” is to change companies. The logic seems sound on the surface: jump to a new startup, grab a 20% increase in base salary, vest a few more options, and repeat the cycle every 18 months. Recruiters…
    Culture vs. Quota: Why Top Billers Leave (and How to Make Them Stay)

    In the high-stakes world of professional recruitment and enterprise sales, there is a prevailing myth that “money heals all wounds.” Leadership often believes that as long as the commission checks are fat and the leaderboard is glowing, the “Top Billers”—the 5% who carry 50% of the revenue—are happy. But then, the unthinkable happens. Your star…
    Cold Calling Scripts for Tech Sales Success

    Cold calling remains one of the most debated yet powerful strategies in tech sales. Many sales professionals assume it is outdated, especially with the rise of email marketing, social selling, and AI-driven outreach. However, the reality is different. Cold calling continues to deliver strong results when executed with the right strategy, messaging, and mindset. In…
    Hidden Job Market in Tech Sales: How to Find Unadvertised Roles

    While you’re scrolling through job boards competing with hundreds of applicants for posted positions, an entire ecosystem of unadvertised tech sales roles exists that most candidates never discover. Research shows 70-80% of jobs are filled through networking and referrals before they’re ever publicly advertised. This hidden job market represents your best opportunity to find exceptional…
    How to Attract Sales Reps Who Aren’t Looking

    The best sales talent isn’t browsing job boards—they’re crushing quota at your competitors. These passive candidates represent 70% of the workforce but account for less than 30% of applicants. If you’re only recruiting from active job seekers, you’re fishing in a small pond while ignoring an ocean of high-performing sales professionals. Passive candidate recruitment requires…

    Visit our blog page

    POWERED BY