EP 55 - The BD Process Every Recruiter Needs (Even If You Hate Cold Calling) w/Reece Warren

What if winning new clients didn’t mean hammering cold calls all day?In this episode, I’m joined by Reece Warren, founder of Nameless Ventures in Dubai and former early employee at Few & Far in London.We dive into the brutal reality of business development in recruitment: what actually works when you’ve got no brand, no warm network, and no endless jobs falling on your desk. From pivoting his business model after a painful first year, to building a desk in Dubai without a single contact, Reece shares the raw truth about BD, retainers, and why consistency always beats clever tricks.We explore:✅ Why winning business sucks (and why you should do it anyway)✅ The process behind BD (not one call, one email, or one spec CV)✅ How to use referrals, events & senior candidates to open doors✅ Why good recruiters always have space in the market✅ Retainers vs. contingent: why client commitment changes everything✅ Building trust with cold clients (without cheesy sales tricks)✅ How to balance chasing new logos with serving existing clients✅ The importance of persistence, consistency & adding valueIf you’re struggling with BD or want to sharpen your approach to client development, this episode will give you a reality check — and a repeatable process to follow.⏱ Timestamps:00:00 – Welcome & Reece’s background in London & Dubai recruitment02:45 – The equity model that nearly broke the business08:30 – Pivoting to a retained model (and why it worked)13:15 – What makes a “good recruiter” in 202519:20 – Why winning business sucks (and why you should still do it)23:40 – The BD process: referrals, branding, events & persistence29:15 – Cold outreach vs. warm connections (and how to mix them)33:30 – How persistence & consistency win clients long term38:55 – Why most recruiters fumble retainers44:10 – Reece’s 1% Better tip🔗 Connect with ReeceLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/reece-warren/?originalSubdomain=ae⁠🔗 Connect with Charles KyriakouLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskyriakou1/⁠TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@charles.kyriakou⁠Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1-better-recruitment-podcast/id1775201502⁠YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@charleskyriakou⁠LinkedIn Newsletter: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7244346543967731712