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Canada Day Special: How the Rogue Recruiter Closed 1100 Searches, with David Perry, Ep #26

Jun 30, 2020

Success in any field is found in knowing your worth, being generous in giving credit, and proactively seeking to bounce forward no matter what setbacks come your way. My special guest, David Perry, perfectly illustrates these ideas through some entertaining and inspiring personal stories.

Known as the “Rogue Recruiter”, David is the Managing Director of Perry-Martel International, an Ottawa-based staffing and recruiting company that places executives in technology, real estate, and construction. Perry-Martel has been featured in Inc. Magazine, Wall Street Journal, HuffPost, and Washington Post, to name just a few.

Listen in and discover why David lives by the saying, “Why bother to think about what you can do when you can just go and do it?”

Episode Outline and Highlights

  • [03:01] How Perry-Martel worked its way to over $100 million in placement fees
  • [10:10] The amazing story behind David and Jay Conrad Levinson’s book Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters
  • [24:43] A primer on David’s online job hunting platform My New Job Hunt
  • [46:25] How David was able to continue working while recovering from a stroke
  • [52:34] Penning the second edition of Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters
  • [55:40] David’s philosophy on taking action
  • [57:44] The impetus behind David’s next book Hiring Greatness
  • [1:00:01] How to use “The Starbucks Coffee Cup Caper” job search tactic
  • [1:05:48] Using Facebook Ads effectively

Experiencing Greater Success with Grit and Humility

Threats of lawsuits never slowed David down. Neither did a life-threatening stroke. The former situation led to his growing Perry-Martel to over $100 million in placement fees. The latter led to his adding 80% of new material to the second edition of his book Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters. In his own words, “Why bother to think about what you can do when you can just go and do it?”

In addition, David eventually came to enjoy the freedom of doing things for the betterment of his stakeholders “just because I can”. By focusing primarily on what you get out of any big endeavor, you will end up falling short of doing the best that you would otherwise be capable of if you, instead, left your ego at the door. Says David, “It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you don’t care who takes the credit.”

The Starbucks Coffee Cup Caper

David brings up the unique job search tactic known as “The Starbucks Coffee Cup Caper” (originally “Tim Hortons”). You, the recruiter, would walk into Starbucks and ask an employee for ten (clean) empty paper coffee cups. Go to Staples and buy ten mailer boxes.

Put together your Guerrilla one-page resumé. Along with this, write your Guerrilla one-page cover letter, which will tell your prospective employer that you wish to discuss possible solutions to their company’s problems over coffee. Take both documents, put them in one of the coffee cups, which you then put inside the mailer box, and send it to the employer via FedEx 2Day®. Rinse and repeat for another nine individuals.

Once you get the ping informing you that a box has arrived, wait 45 minutes before sending a text to give the recipient a heads-up. Enjoy how the rest of the interaction plays out. (This tactic also works for prospecting.)

David Perry Bio and Contact Info

David is a recruiter, the author of seven books, and a sought-after motivational speaker. He was presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for Community Service. He served as the Managing Partner of Perry-Martel International since its founding in 1988, and in that time has recruited executives that total $393+ million in salaries negotiated on 5 continents. Alongside all this, David co-founded MyNewJobHunt.com, “the first online Job Transition Platform written to help job hunters connect with employers in a whole new way.”

People and Resources Mentioned

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