EP 52 – Rebuilding Sales Culture in Recruitment w/Terry Payne

Is your recruitment team hiding behind keyboards instead of picking up the phone?
In this episode of The 1% Better Recruitment Podcast, I’m joined by Terry Payne, Global MD at Aspire, leading recruitment teams across the UK, Singapore, Dubai, and New York, with nearly three decades in staffing.
Terry lifts the lid on why sales culture has declined in recruitment, how to rebuild it without burning people out, and why hiring on behaviours (not just qualifications/experience) can transform your business.
We unpack practical strategies for balancing automation with human touch, running non-negotiable sales sprints, and keeping your “tap” running so you never face feast-or-famine months again.

We explore:
✅ Why sales culture has declined in recruitment (and how to fix it)
✅ The danger of going “all-in” on automation or cold calling
✅ How to create non-negotiable sales sprints that actually work
✅ Balancing BD with service delivery (and avoiding feast-or-famine)
✅ The “warm bath” analogy for keeping pipelines healthy
✅ How working from home has impacted sales skills & culture
✅ The case for hiring on behaviours over qualifications
✅ Terry’s journey from council estate to global MD
✅ Why underprivileged talent can outperform “perfect CVs”
✅ The importance of resilience, EQ, and constant learning

Whether you’re leading a small agency or running a global recruitment team — this episode is packed with insights to reignite your sales culture and drive sustainable growth.

⏱ Timestamps:
(00:00) – Intro & welcome to the episode
(01:56) – Terry’s background & Aspire’s global reach
(03:44) – How sales culture in recruitment has diminished
(05:34) – Balancing automation and human connection
(07:53) – The power of LinkedIn & WhatsApp voice notes
(09:41) – How to rebuild sales culture in your team
(12:05) – Why weekly sales training is non-negotiable
(14:20) – Sharpening the saw: why top billers still train
(16:09) – The “warm bath” analogy for consistent BD
(18:08) – Avoiding feast-or-famine in recruitment
(20:08) – Ranking jobs A, B, C to prioritise effort
(21:05) – Planning & protecting sales sprint time
(22:52) – Key BD activities during sales sprints
(25:12) – How WFH has impacted sales culture
(27:30) – Why face-to-face meetings still matter
(29:40) – Why trainees should start in-office
(31:41) – How office culture builds EQ & resilience
(33:47) – The value of diverse perspectives & debate
(35:42) – Terry’s school experience & early career
(38:02) – Hiring for behaviours over qualifications
(40:28) – Education vs. opportunity in recruitment
(42:39) – Charles’ similar school & career journey
(43:35) – Why sales celebrates underdog stories
(45:51) – Lessons from combat sports & top athletes
(47:46) – Why nobody owes you anything in business
(49:01) – Terry’s 1% Better tip: push through fear & keep learning

🔗 Connect with Terry Payne
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terry-payne-09722856/

🔗 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/@1PercentBetterRecPod⁠
LinkedIn Newsletter: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7244346543967731712/⁠