Elite Technical Shares 7 Strategies for Sustainable Success
As we mark our 33rd Business Anniversary, the Elite Technical team reveals 7 proven strategies we used to ensure sustainable business success. Let us know what you think.
1. Build a Stellar Reputation: On Day One (September 24,1992), Elite Technical committed to ensuring a stellar reputation based on integrity in all interactions. Whether serving clients, candidates, contractors, or colleagues, co-founders Joseph Monaco, Donna Keller, and the late Bruce Keller, made it a priority to ensure service excellence and transparency in every relationship. Reputation has been the rudder guiding our business ever since.
2. Understand Your Motivation: With a big personal vision and a heart for putting people to work, Joe Monaco found strong purpose in connecting talented professionals with next-level opportunities at leading companies. Said Joe, “There’s a special joy in telling a candidate, "You’ve got the job!" Thirty-three years later, everyone on the Elite Technical team resonates with the thrill of putting people to work – and the success it brings to all. Great jobs change lives! They create opportunities for personal and professional growth, feed families, and generate financial success for all involved. That’s why putting great tech talent to work became the heart of our story.
What motivates you?
3. Master the Success Mindset: Whether you need to take one small step forward or transform an entire company, success is rooted in (1) mental habits that align with your mission/purpose. These habits include developing high self-worth for resilience under pressure, empowering beliefs that enable you to show up fully without doubts, visible goals to stay on target, long- and short-term action plans, personal responsibility, win/win relationships, and expert communication.
Success also requires (2) serious attention to quality-managed processes. For example, Elite Technical’s IQD Recruiting Process includes careful Identification of potential candidates, expert Qualification protocols with a distinctive submittal package, followed by Delivery of the best talent available today. At Elite Technical, we focus on the processes needed to ensure success – and it works for us. No matter what industry you work in, implementing best process, ensuring quality management, and delivering excellence – relentlessly – are the secrets to lasting success.
If you need help mastering your mindset or developing a process that works for your business, seek help from a professional coach.
4. Sharpen Your Focus: Time is money. We learned early on that properly qualifying clients and candidates up front saves time later. First, create a profile of your best client, then consider what companies or people are likely to become your most valuable long-term customers. Learn their pain points, size, industry, budgets, accessibility, gatekeepers, decision-making processes, and culture. Armed with that information, you can then focus your time on gaining leads and introductions to the right contacts for you - which will help you maximize conversions.
5. Focus on Relationships: In a service business like Elite Technical, your most valuable relationships will be with the people you build the most trust with – whether they are colleagues, clients, or strategic allies and referral sources. Years ago, we learned that when people you work with know that you care,
i.e., have their best interest at heart, they are more likely to trust you with their business needs, goals, and dreams.
But relationships require more than words. Like plants nourished in rich soil, relationships grow roots in proof – the actions and outcomes that reveal your service commitment and demonstrated value. While it’s true that many deals hinge on financial cost factors, you can enhance perceived value with integrity (keeping your word), reliability (showing up in the ways promised), listening well, communicating thoughtfully, responding effectively to feedback, and
– drum roll, please –
actually solving their problems.
Proving value is the game changer.
6. Negotiate for the Win-Win: After you’ve researched the other party’s problems and needs and developed good relationship rapport, work to find common ground. Start with open-ended questions so you can uncover and address hidden priorities. For example, when our Senior Technical Recruiters are negotiating with candidates, they might ask, “What do you need to make this job a win for you?” When speaking with clients, our Account Executives might ask, “What’s most important to you? Is it a broad range of pre-qualified candidates, candidate proximity, or a special skill we haven’t discussed yet?”
With your own clients, you might ask, “What’s likely to be the biggest challenge here today? What problem do we really need to solve?”
Before entering negotiations, get clear on your objective. What outcome(s) do you need? What do you think the other party needs? In discussion, reflect on your prospect's words and needs, and reframe them in your own words to demonstrate understanding. Watch for head nodding to make sure you are in alignment. Then, make clear how your value proposition meets those needs.
For example: Besides delivering excellent talent and customer service, Elite Technical ensures fair market rates - all of which will positively impact your bottom line.
When presenting your offer, be upfront about your
own needs. And always communicate with respect, kindness, and empathy for the other party.
Over our 33 years, the Elite Technical team has learned the power in win/win negotiating. Both parties need to come away feeling like winners. As the saying goes,
you’ve got to give to get
- and
vice-versa. For example, if the other party, requires a faster delivery than you prepared for, your “win” might become faster payment terms.
Remember also that the word “no” is not the end. That's actually your clue that it’s time to negotiate. Be prepared with your fallback position regarding potential objections. Finally, don’t be afraid to walk away. In the best relationships, both parties feel rewarded and respected. If you aren't feeling that, you may need to work on strengthening your negotiating skills and/or reflect on Number 4 above:
Sharpen your focus and protect your time! Go back to the well and identify a company or person who is better qualified to work with you than the one you just met with. Then, move on to your next prospect. And follow best-process negotiating again.
7. Stay in Gratitude: Words can barely express how truly grateful Elite Technical’s founders are for the blessing of 33 years in business! We deeply appreciate the contribution of the many team members, clients, contractors. and candidates who have made our success possible. We are especially grateful for the longevity of our sales, recruiting, and back-office teams. Many of our corporate employees have been with us for 15 to 30+ years – and many Elite Technical contractors return for future engagements with our clients. This is remarkable given that typical turnover in the staffing industry is estimated at over 30% annually.[
We deeply appreciate our team’s dedication to success on the daily as they deliver win after win for our team. Kudos to all! You are the best!
Remember — Whether expressing gratitude in words, a hand-written note, a personal call, a quick email or a social media post to acknowledge someone’s contribution, the impact of saying thank you is greater than you may know. Gratitude releases feel-good hormones like oxytocin and endorphins, improving both the giver’s and receiver’s mood.[1]
Expressions of gratitude also show a level of respect that deepens connection and leads to more long-term people and business relationships. Cheers to lasting success! Cheers to 33 Years!
Thank you for reading! We’d love your feedback. Feel free to
contact Elite Technical or call 1-800-ELITE-50 (1-855-354-8350). And, if you have a need, ask how we can help you succeed in your career or business. We’re here for you.
[1] https://www.verywellmind.com/ways-to-say-thank-you-8597809
