The Business Development Lessons That Still Win After 40yrs in Recruitment | Martin Crapper (EP 76)
In this episode of The 1 Percent Better Recruitment Podcast, I’m joined by Martin Crapper, Managing Director at Redline Group, to break down what actually works in recruitment business development, and why people, not tech, are still the biggest differentiator. Martin has spent nearly 40 years building and evolving a specialist recruitment business in the electronics sector. That longevity gives him a rare, grounded perspective on how recruitment has changed, what has stayed the same, and why curiosity, consistency, and professional persistence still outperform shortcuts and shiny tools. We cover: ✅ Why the best recruiters still pick up the phone ✅ The “magic phone” mindset and professional persistence ✅ How recruitment has changed over 40 years, and what hasn’t ✅ Why people buy from people, not companies ✅ Curiosity as a competitive advantage in recruitment ✅ Consistency vs intensity in business development ✅ Why hiding behind email and LinkedIn hurts results ✅ Using technology to enable recruiters, not replace them ✅ Confidence, preparation, and knowledge in BD ✅ Building trust, reputation, and long-term relationships ✅ How to develop recruiters without cloning personalities ✅ Martin’s 1 Percent Better advice for recruiters and founders ⏱ Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro and Martin’s background 03:00 – 40 years in recruitment and industry change 08:00 – Business development then vs now 14:00 – The “magic phone” and professional persistence 21:00 – Why people still buy from people 29:00 – Curiosity, confidence, and preparation 38:00 – Technology, generations, and adapting properly 47:00 – Building trust and long-term relationships 55:00 – Consistency vs intensity in BD 01:03:00 – Advice for recruiters and founders 01:10:00 – Martin’s 1 Percent Better tip 🐋 Podcast Sponsor – SourceWhale This episode is sponsored by SourceWhale, the multi-channel outreach platform I personally use and recommend to recruiters and founders. SourceWhale helps you combine email, LinkedIn, calls, and tasks into one structured, consistent BD workflow, without relying on spray-and-pray automation. If you want better conversations, not just more activity, this is worth a look. 👉 Book a demo here: https://sourcewhale.com/book-demo/?utm_source=partner&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=&utm_term=charles_kyriakou&utm_content=book_a_demo Mention The 1 Percent Better Recruitment Podcast or my name, Charles Kyriakou, when you book. 🔗 Connect with Martin Crapper 💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martincrapper/ 🔗 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/46LjJfw 📰 LinkedIn Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7244346543967731712/ 🌐 Website, https://www.inf1nitelearning.com/ 👇 If this episode resonated, like, comment, subscribe, and share it with a recruiter who wants to get back to what actually works in recruitment.
