EP 55 - The BD Process Every Recruiter Needs (Even If You Hate Cold Calling) w/Reece Warren
In this episode of The 1% Better Recruitment Podcast, I’m joined by Reece Warren, founder of Nameless Ventures in Dubai and former early employee at Few & Far in London. We dig into the reality of business development in recruitment and why winning new clients is rarely about clever tricks or cold calls, but instead about consistency, persistence, and treating people well. From pivoting his agency after a failed equity model, to building a desk in Dubai with no contacts, Reece shares raw lessons every recruiter and founder needs to hear. This is a practical and unfiltered conversation about how to actually win clients, sell retainers, and keep your pipeline flowing without burning out. We cover: ✅ Why winning business sucks (and why you should still do it) ✅ The real 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 will always have space in the market ✅ Retainers vs contingent — and why client commitment changes everything ✅ How to build trust with cold clients (without cheesy sales tricks) ✅ Balancing new client chasing with serving existing clients ✅ Why persistence, consistency & value always beat “quick wins” Whether you’re a rookie recruiter struggling with BD or a founder trying to grow sustainably, this episode is packed with practical insights you won’t hear in most recruitment podcasts. Timestamps: 00:00 – Reece’s background in London & Dubai recruitment 02:45 – The equity model that nearly broke the business 08:30 – Pivoting to a retained model (and why it worked) 13:15 – What makes a “good recruiter” in 2025 19:20 – Why winning business sucks (and why you should still do it) 23:40 – The BD process: referrals, branding, events & persistence 29:15 – Cold outreach vs warm connections (and how to mix them) 33:30 – How persistence & consistency win clients long term 38:55 – Why most recruiters fumble retainers 44:10 – Reece’s 1% Better tip Connect with Reece Warren 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reece-warren/?originalSubdomain=ae Connect with Charles Kyriakou 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskyriakou1/ 🔗 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@charles.kyriakou 🔗 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1-better-recruitment-podcast/id1775201502 🔗 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/46LjJfwLJ5MxzTQWqogOBN 🔗 LinkedIn Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7244346543967731712 👇 Enjoyed this? Like, comment & subscribe — and share it with someone who needs to hear it.
