@MaureenSharib

Ensorceler Bar

Fall 2013

@MaureenSharib

Phone sourcing is an elegant return to flawless basics.

@MaureenSharib

800 NUMBERS

• 800 numbers are “call un-blocked” if

you’re using a Call Block service.

• Dial *67 to block your call.

• Dial *82 to unblock your call.

• Some numbers today are returning a fast

“busy” signal to call-blocked numbers.

@MaureenSharib

Acquihiring

• (a portmanteau of "acquisition" and

"hiring") is the process of hiring by

acquisition

• "Every engineer on staff adds $1

million in valuation to a company,” the

saying goes in the tech community.

@MaureenSharib

Acquisourcing

Identifying companies that might be

acquired sometimes just for their

employees and the sourcing and

engagement of their owners for the

beginning of the acquisition process.

@MaureenSharib

ASK• Actively inquiring after information;

usually on the telephone.

• “I asked the Receptionist Gatekeeper

to tell me who all the Food

Technologists were in the R&D group

and she did!”

@MaureenSharib

Blocked Calls

Resource used by phone sourcers to

mask where they’re calling from;

prevents lots of nosey call-backs!

@MaureenSharib

Bomber Command

• A quick-witted phone sourcing group

should be a vital part of your

recruiting team's fleet-footed Bomber

Command Sourcing Unit.

@MaureenSharib

Build Out

The function of moving (and gathering)

horizontally or vertically through a

specific person’s group within a

specific organization. 

@MaureenSharib

Burrow

The act of digging; relentlessly, deeply.

@MaureenSharib

Carat Level

• Overall effectiveness level of

sourcing results with unchecked

Internet results being the lowest and

just-off-the-phone-I-got-me-a-hot-

one! being the highest.

@MaureenSharib

Channeling

• A state of consciousness that elicits a flow of

communication between two people.

• Sources may include angels, discarnate former

humans, extraterrestrials, and other levels of

consciousness.  They may also include

telephone directories, receptionists and

anybody else flesh-and-blood you get on the

telephone.

@MaureenSharib

Ensorceler Bar

Fall 2013

@MaureenSharib

Charm

The power to effect work without

employing brute force (Ellis); a way of

getting the answer “yes” without

asking a clear question (Camus).

@MaureenSharib

Cocoon• The environ many employees are

surrounded by inside companies;

enveloped, protected, hidden,

invisible 

• “These people are deeply cocooned

within the organization.”

@MaureenSharib

Company (Employee) Attitude: 

Many times discernable through

listening to multiple employee Voice

Mails.

@MaureenSharib

Phone Sourcing

FAST

@MaureenSharib

CompetitorEntities involved in, or based on,

competition with each other

striving for the same object,

position, technology, employee,

etc.

@MaureenSharib

DecipherPiecing together pieces of information; in

phone sourcing fifteen Voice Mails in one

company all directing the listener to the

same Administrative Assistant is a good

indicator of a group that “hangs together”

(works together) inside that company.

@MaureenSharib

Deep And Actionable Data

• Phone sourcing provides "deep and actionable

data” when you can hang up the phone and

dial another number and be assured you’ll be

reaching live a qualified potential hire.

• Hat Tip to Glen Cathey for the term “deep and

actionable data”!

@MaureenSharib

Ensorceler Bar

Fall 2013

@MaureenSharib

Disparate ImpactEmployment (and sourcing!) practices

may be considered discriminatory and

illegal if they have a disproportionate

"adverse impact" on members of a

minority group.

@MaureenSharib

Phone Sourcing Tip

• In some phone systems, hitting 0

("zeroing out") will take you to an

administrative assistant for a

department - occasionally to another

deparment member.

@MaureenSharib

Elicitation

Knowing what to say, when, to get

what.

@MaureenSharib

Phone Sourcing Tip

Collecting direct dials (or extensions)

of persons you meet/learn about along

the way on the inside of a company

will help you create a bird’s eye view/a

valuable dossier sometimes on a

company’s organizational structure.

@MaureenSharib

Emotional Intelligence

The ability to default to grace under

the onslaught of an ugly Gatekeeper.

@MaureenSharib

ensorcel; ensorceler (Middle French)

• To enchant, bewitch

• Sourcers are challenged today to become

ensorcelers; work to develop the ability to

engage not only Gatekeepers but also

candidates on a level that captures their

attention to your message.

@MaureenSharib

Fear

That thing that clutches at your throat,

makes your hand sweaty, your gut sick

every time you think about making a

phone call to gather information.

@MaureenSharib

Gatekeeper

That woman (or man) you imagine to

be the 400 lb guerilla on the other end

of the phone every time you make a

call to find out who somebody is/is

not/might want to do/not do/be/not be

something.

@MaureenSharib

Ensorceler Bar

Fall 2013

@MaureenSharib

Grunt• The individual contributors inside

companies who elude detection and

capture mostly because they’re too busy

doing what they’re doing to “list”

themselves on the Internet in any capacity

that reveals to the world exactly who, what

and where they are.

@MaureenSharib

Phone Sourcing is the quiet prowling about.

@MaureenSharib

“How Many Names?”

A good question the answer to which

divides, really, phone sourcers from

Internet sourcers. In general, a phone-

sourced job requires less names than

an Internet-sourced job.

@MaureenSharib

Inveigle

• To win over by coaxing, flattery, or

artful talk.

• Idioms: lead astray

@MaureenSharib

Lift-out• When an entire team of employees is

recruited from a competitor at once:

• "Good news: We engineered a complete

lift-out of ACME Corporation's

programmers." 

• Can be dangerous and cause for legal

action.

@MaureenSharib

MagicA subtle mixing of science and art that

harnesses statistics, human nature,

psychology and technology to produce

effective practices in phone-

sourcing.   

@MaureenSharib

MySpace

Remember it?

@MaureenSharib

Who’s Next?

@MaureenSharib

• “You can never plan the future by the

past.” ~Edmund Burke 1729 – 1797 Irish

orator

@MaureenSharib

MysteriousThat state of being that causes the

radar of many Gatekeepers to rise. 

The more mysterious your call

“sounds” the more questions she’s

likely to ask of you.

@MaureenSharib

Organizational Chart

A graphic presentation of the

relationships and interrelationships

within an organization that identifies

the lines of authority and responsibility

- changes consistently and often in

many organizations.

@MaureenSharib

Ensorceler Bar

Fall 2013

@MaureenSharib

Phone Sourcing Tip

Stating your name to the Receptionist

Gatekeeper calmly and matter-of-factly

when she answers will go a good ways

towards increasing your chances of her

giving you information.

@MaureenSharib

“Do not let spacious plans for a new world

divert your energies from saving what is left

of the old.”

~Winston Churchill

@MaureenSharib

Outrageous Sourcing

That which Phone Sourcing is

considered to be by many (in its truest

and most threatening definition.)

@MaureenSharib

Palaver

• Idle chatter/talk intended to charm or

beguile. To flatter or cajole.

• Idioms: run off at the mouth, shoot

the breeze, bull

@MaureenSharib

Ensorceler Bar

Fall 2013

@MaureenSharib

Passing The Buck

The habit some employees have of passing

responsibility to their managers and/or

subordinates.  Is most easily discernable listening

to employee Voice Mail greetings; as in, “Hi.  This

is Rob, Manufacturing Engineer.  I’m on vacation

until November 15. If you need help with

automation issues contact my Manager, Jose

Perez at extension 487.”

@MaureenSharib

Phone Directory

Usually contains a listing of every employee

inside a specific company location.  Many times a

company’s phone directory will lead you into

individual Voice Mails offering these as an

alternative to speaking to a Receptionist

Gatekeeper or after-hours to assist callers; a

virtual treasure trove of information if perused

carefully.

@MaureenSharib

phoneme(fo-neem)

The smallest sound unit in a language that

is capable of conveying a distinct

meaning, such as the s of sing and the r of

ring.

@MaureenSharib

Phone Sourcing

In recruiting and sourcing, the leveraging of

techniques (primarily the phone) to identify

candidates with limited to no presence in any easily

accessible public forum (the Internet, published list,

etc.) It requires the uncovering of candidate

information via a primary means of calling directly

into organizations to uncover data on people, their

role, title and responsibilities.

@MaureenSharib

Scary, huh?

@MaureenSharib

@MaureenSharib

Poaching

The practice of contacting and offering

another company’s employees another

opportunity. 

@MaureenSharib

Poaching

In general, if you’re not acting

purposely and maliciously to destroy a

competitor, you are free to source into

a competitor for good employees. 

@MaureenSharib

Pocket HuntingPursuing and capturing an entire group

(pocket) within an organization.

Generally speaking, if you can find one

in a group online there are several

more in that group you can’t find

online!

@MaureenSharib

Didn’t think about that, did you?

@MaureenSharib

Pride DiseaseWhen your recruiter (or yourself)

doesn’t want to ask the “dumb

questions.”

Force the issue!

@MaureenSharib

Rainmaker

• The person in an organization who

makes it happen.

• Is it you?

@MaureenSharib

RemunerationPayment for services. In phone

sourcing today per-hour rates seem to

remain in the broad $35-$125/hr.

range and the per-name rate seems to

fall in the somewhat tighter $35 -$75

per name range. 

@MaureenSharib

Ensorceler Bar

Fall 2013

@MaureenSharib

Resistance

A force that tends to oppose or retard

motion. In phone sourcing resistance is met

more on the inside of our own expectations

than it is on the outside of reality.

@MaureenSharib

Ruse

• a deceptive maneuver (especially to

avoid capture.) 

• Also spelled “rouse” and “rouge” as

in, “I’m so ashamed by my lying that

my cheeks turned rouge.” 

@MaureenSharib

Ruse: Controversial

Rusing may be a right-of-passage in so much that

phone sourcers who began their careers “rusing” -

lying to get information – were so uncomfortable

doing so that they’re challenged to increase their

communication skills to the point where it’s no

longer necessary to ruse.  This is a common

experience for many seasoned phone sourcers.

@MaureenSharib

"While I don't have a need for any phone sourcing right now, it's how I learned to recruit so I understand the results you get.”

~Note on LinkedIn invitation

@MaureenSharib

Savio

A potential candidate who understands

(is savvy) about the relationship he

holds with the Internet. 

@MaureenSharib

SecurityAny high fence around a company’s

information.  Most companies don’t

address the issue, ignoring the cracks in

their doors through which the curious

public may peer.  Knowing these armor

fissures allows a phone sourcer entry and

access.

@MaureenSharib

Silent KeyboardAllows for the silent transcription of

information as it is heard from a

Gatekeeper’s lips to a phone sourcer’s

ear as to not alarm Gatekeeper that

her loose lips sinking her ship are

being recorded.

@MaureenSharib

Singing• Accomplished with the lips open;

singing is the act of disclosing

information. In it’s most cantabile

form it is smooth and flowing and has

a musical quality. 

• Known also as “Spilling” in the

industry. 

@MaureenSharib

Ensorceler Bar

Fall 2013

@MaureenSharib

“A person with a new idea is a crank

until the idea succeeds.”

~Mark Twain

@MaureenSharib

Skell

The art of being a detective.

@MaureenSharib

SongbirdAny person whose vocal organ is developed

in such a way as to produce various sound

notes that translate into names or

information that leads to other names or

more information.  The cant normally sounds

like music to a phone sourcer’s ears and

usually requires prompting to elicit.

@MaureenSharib

Phone sourcing uncovers 100% of the 90% missing in social media.

@MaureenSharib

@MaureenSharib

Spilling

The act of someone (or something) “giving

up” or “offering up” information about

others or facts inside an organization. 

Sometimes accomplished with the

knowledge of the one doing the spilling (for

reasons known only to them.) Usually

follows prompting. 

@MaureenSharib

Stabbing In• The practice of calling into a company’s direct-dial system

in an ordered fashion, after learning the internal prefixes. 

Requires discerning internal prefix first; sometimes as easy

as asking the receptionist for someone’s direct dial; usually

requires investigation on the Internet to uncover.  Very

effective and for an experienced phone sourcer rarely takes

beyond three calls to obtain helpful information from

someone on the inside.

@MaureenSharib

Ensorceler Bar

Fall 2013

@MaureenSharib

Stinkin’ Thinkin’

The self-immolation we offer ourselves up

to before attempting a task.  Some of us

possess more of it than others.  A few are

blessed with its absence.  Usually precedes

or is accompanied by pain and suffering

and always leads to failure.  Requires

professional help.

@MaureenSharib

Strike

Acting on your senses; as in when you

sniff a whiff of information you circle in

fast and when it starts to leak its life

blood, strike hard and take all you can

get. 

@MaureenSharib

Watch where you’re cuttin’!

“You don't get no closer to the bone than

phone sourcing.”

~ Remark heard in a recent phone sourcing chat on the MagicMethod

network

@MaureenSharib

TargetThe organization you’re going into to source

talent.  Some organizations are sourced

repeatedly in certain fields – they’re usually

the market leaders in their business

segment.  They know it and many of them,

in turn, source talent repeatedly from their

competitors.

@MaureenSharib

Ensorceler Bar

Fall 2013

@MaureenSharib

Phone Sourcing TipWhat a Gatekeeper doesn’t say may

be just as important as what she does

say.

@MaureenSharib

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors,

and doing new things, because we're curious

and curiosity keeps leading us down new

paths.”

~Walt Disney

@MaureenSharib

Phone Sourcing Tip

"Phone sourcing seems to be an

overwhelming task/you helped simplify it

breaking it down into small manageable

tasks.” ~ Newbie Phone Sourcer learning the ropes

@MaureenSharib

Telesourcing• The act of getting on the telephone

and asking for information - very

simple; very effective; very difficult to

overcome fear of. 

• A must-have mastery for most people

who desire sourcing success.   

@MaureenSharib

Ensorceler Bar

Fall 2013

@MaureenSharib

Tenacity• doggedness: persistent

determination 

• “He’s a real bull-dog phone-sourcer.”

@MaureenSharib

Time

The only thing in the world you can

never get more of.

@MaureenSharib

Time“The more things change the more

things stay the same.” ~ Alphonse Karr 1808 – 1890 French

novelist

@MaureenSharib

Time“You can never plan the future by the

past.”~Edmund Burke 1729 – 1797 Irish orator

@MaureenSharib

Phone sourcing isn’t for everyone.

It might not be for you.

@MaureenSharib

One thing’s for sure, though…

@MaureenSharib

Title StrikeTitles vary depending on the size of the company,

but in general, the bigger the company, the lower

your title-strike might be, and the smaller the

company, the higher the title-strike might be.  In

other words, a Manager level in a $3 billion sale

company could be at the same experience level as

a Director in a $900 million sale company or a VP in

a $100 million sale company.

@MaureenSharib

Ensorceler Bar

Fall 2013

@MaureenSharib

Trampolining• Also referred to as going “from pillar

to post”

• A phone-sourcing technique of going

(bouncing) from one person to another

inside a company acquiring different

pieces of information along the way.

@MaureenSharib

Voice Mail• A treasure chest of information

• Many times (especially around

holidays/vacation times) Voice Mails

contain exquisitely detailed

information about the person and/or

the person’s group.

@MaureenSharib

Weeding

That act in sourcing where you choose the wheat

from the chaff. Requires discernment and iron

decision-making ability and willingness to ask the

hard questions.

“Does she work on the front end or the back end of

the product? Which member does what?”

@MaureenSharib

Wheedle

• Influence or urge by gentle urging,

caressing, repeated appeals, teasing

or flattering

• "He wheedled her into going along."

• wheedle, cajole, palaver, blarney,

coax, sweet-talk, inveigle 

@MaureenSharib

When the going gets tough,are you tough enough?

@MaureenSharib

@MaureenSharib

YappingThat tendency a phone sourcer has to say

too much when asking for information. 

Yapping sends up red flags and intimates

that the yapper is nervous about something

and makes the person being yapped at

cautious.  Also known as “babbling”, “acting

like an idiot” or “talking too much.” 

@MaureenSharib