After 25 years in executive search and millions in billings, I can tell you this: 80% of my placements come from searches, and 20% from marketing MPCs (Most Placeable Candidates). Yet, 100% of my billings are as a results of MPCs.

Sounds contradictory, right? Let me explain.

Yes, it is still the most effective way to make a call. And I’m not just talking about sending a resume and hoping for the best. What makes the MPC call powerful isn’t that the candidate gets placed. What makes it powerful is what it unlocks.

Here’s what I’ve done for decades that’s made me love this business more than anything else. Before I make a single call, I go find a standout candidate in my niche. Then I get control. Real control. I ask them to take their resume offline. I get a list of every place they’ve interviewed. I collect references. And I get a commitment that, for a set period of time, they’ll work exclusively with me. I even get their full schedule for availability so I can start booking meetings while I’m on the phone with employers.

Now here’s where it gets fun. I make my MPC calls with purpose. I don’t just say I’ve got someone good. I go in looking to schedule an interview. I give a brief, sharp presentation and let the employer know I’m already coordinating meetings in their area. Then I ask, “Would Wednesday at 2 p.m. or Thursday morning work for you?”

This is what I call the forced sendout approach. It has been the secret behind my highest billings. I never call saying I just wrapped up a search and have some great leftover candidates.

Sometimes I get the sendout. Other times I hear, “We actually do have a need, but not for this person.” And just like that, I’m walking away with a job order. I’ve even had employers create positions for candidates I presented, despite having no openings, simply because of the authenticity of my presentation.

That’s why the MPC call is still the fastest way to a placement. Not because that specific candidate gets hired, but because it is the fastest way to get an employer’s attention. It forces a reaction. It starts a conversation. It flips the switch from not hiring to let’s talk.

Ironically, most of the placements I make, even when I get multiple sendouts from an MPC, are not with the MPC at all. They come from the searches I pick up during the process. When a hiring manager sees how I present, how I control the candidate, and how I create urgency, they know they’re dealing with someone different. As for the candidates I market, every one of them secures employment, either through my efforts or with my guidance and direction. It truly ends up being a win for everyone involved.

That’s the magic. That’s why it still works. That’s why I still do it.