Sample Newsletter: Recruiter
CLIENT: Rachel Kim
TONE: Conversational and approachable
INDUSTRY: Executive Recruiting
CLIENT SUBMITTED (everyday life story via bi-weekly form):
“Watched a guy at the coffee shop yesterday pitch his startup idea to
someone for 20 minutes straight. Never asked a single question. Never
paused to see if the other person was interested. Guy he was pitching
to checked his watch three times and left as soon as he could. Painful
to watch.
NEWSLETTER WE CREATED
SUBJECT: The coffee shop pitch that went nowhere
I was working from a coffee shop yesterday and couldn’t help but overhear a pitch happening at the next table.
A guy was pitching his startup idea to someone. Passionate, energetic, clearly believed in what he was building.
He talked for twenty straight minutes. His vision, his product, his market opportunity, his growth projections.
Never asked a single question. Never paused to see if the other person was actually interested. Never checked if what he was saying was landing.
The guy being pitched to checked his watch three times. When there was finally a pause, he said “Interesting, I’ve got to run to another meeting,” and left.
No follow-up. No “let’s continue this conversation.” Just gone.
I felt bad for the pitcher because I see this exact dynamic happen all the time in my work—just in a different context.
Candidates who spend the entire interview talking about what they want, what they’re looking for, what their career goals are—without ever asking what the company actually needs.
Professionals who network by talking about themselves for fifteen minutes without ever learning about the person they’re talking to.
People who think selling yourself means talking more, when really it means listening better.
Here’s what I’ve learned after 16 years placing executives: the people who get the best opportunities aren’t the ones who talk the most. They’re the ones who ask the best questions. They ask what challenges the company is facing.
They ask what success looks like in the role. They ask what’s not working with the current approach. They listen for the problem before they position themselves as the solution.
Because here’s the truth: nobody cares about your skills, your experience, or your vision until they believe you understand their problem.
That guy in the coffee shop never asked what the investor was looking for. Never asked what kinds of companies he typically backs. Never asked what concerns he’d have about this space.
He just pitched. And the investor left.
If you’re looking for your next opportunity—whether that’s a new role, a board seat, or a strategic partnership—the question isn’t “How do I talk about myself better?”
The question is “How do I understand what they actually need?”
Because the best pitch isn’t a monologue. It’s a conversation.
And if you’re exploring what’s next in your career and want someone who actually listens before they talk, that’s what I do. Let’s have a conversation—the kind where I ask more questions than I answer.
—Rachel Kim
Kim Executive Search
(206) 555-0193
rachel@kimexecutivesearch.com
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