1% Better Recruitment Podcast23 Jul 2025

EP 49 – You Can’t Automate Your Way to a Million-Pound Desk w/ Marc Burgess

What happens when automation takes over your BD — and you forget how to actually speak to people?
In this episode, I’m joined by Marc Burgess — contract recruitment leader, sales director at 4mation Partners, and fierce advocate for process, structure, and proper human connection in recruitment.
We dive into Marc’s no-BS take on lazy BD, automation culture, and why so many recruiters are losing deals they should be winning — all because they’re skipping steps and hiding behind tools.

From multi-million pound billings to war room training and $200K mistakes, this one is a masterclass in how to stop winging it and start operating like a pro.

We explore:
✅ Why “relationship-building” is more than just a buzzword
✅ The problem with ChatGPT content and over-automated outreach
✅ Marc’s 30/30/30 rule for consistent billings
✅ Sales call openers that actually work
✅ The importance of process — and the cost of skipping steps
✅ How to build a proper recruitment desk in 2025
✅ What lazy BD really looks like (and how to fix it)
✅ Why you should treat information like currency
✅ Brutal stories that will make you rethink your pipeline

If you’re a recruiter relying on LinkedIn messages and luck, this episode is your wake-up call.

⏱ Timestamps:
00:00 – Marc’s background and intro to contract recruitment
04:00 – The human factor vs. AI hype
09:00 – Automation, lazy BD & why most recruiters sound the same
14:00 – Sales call openers: permission-based vs. value-led
20:00 – Relationship-building: what it really means in 2025
26:00 – Face-to-face meetings, AI cheating & trust
33:00 – War room training, feedback loops & process breakdowns
40:00 – Marc’s 30/30/30 model for consistent performance
47:00 – Real-life mistakes that cost six figures
53:00 – Best practice vs. winging it — how to run a tight process
01:03:00 – Marc’s 1% Better tip: “You only get something if you give something first”

🔗 Connect with Marc Burgess
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/burgessmarc/

🔗 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
YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@charleskyriakou⁠⁠
LinkedIn Newsletter: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7244346543967731712⁠⁠

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