The Art of Closing: Steve Finkel Reveals Why Most Recruiters Lose Offers

Recruiters: You’re not paid for sourcing—you’re paid for closing. And the hidden skill separating top billers from everyone else is the one most recruiters never train: what happens after the first interview.

Why This Episode Matters

If you’ve ever lost an offer after weeks of work, watched a great candidate vanish, or seen a deal collapse at the finish line—this episode changes everything. Steve Finkel reveals the true science (and art) of closing so you boost placements, win more clients, and outperform even the most tech-enabled internal teams.

What You’ll Learn

• The hidden closing mistakes that quietly destroy fees

• Why “doing everything right up front” still isn’t enough

• The two-step debrief method that triples placement ratios

• Industry-specific closing tactics beyond outdated trial closes

• The “College Professor Close” and how it reshapes decisions

• Language patterns that dissolve fear and resistance

• How elite recruiters role-play and analyze to increase billings 30–50%

About the Guest

Steve Finkel is one of the most influential recruiter trainers in the world. His books and frameworks have shaped thousands of top billers and helped entire firms scale production for decades.

Extended Value Tease

Imagine fewer turndowns, more second interviews, higher acceptance rates, and clients who trust you with every critical hire. That’s what happens when you master closing. This isn’t about filling jobs—it’s about becoming the rainmaker who consistently brings deals across the line.

Listen Now

Stop leaving deals—and money—on the table. Hit play and let Steve rewire how you close forever.

Timestamp Highlights

00:27 – Why recruiters get paid for what happens after the first interview

02:16 – The #1 skill that separates elite from average

04:01 – The insight from developer Larry Nobles

05:38 – Why “doing everything right” doesn’t guarantee placements

07:07 – The fatal dependence on “automatic closes”

09:39 – Why many recruiters can’t break the 75% offer-accept ceiling

11:01 – When “never losing a deal” means you’re playing too safe

13:04 – The two-sided debrief form that multiplies live candidates

15:29 – Extracting value from “dead” candidates

18:39 – The slip-and-sidestep tactic for reframing negatives

20:39 – The language tweak that boosts agreement by 50%

25:27 – Why “time in the chair” doesn’t build real skill

32:30 – How to choose the right close for the scenario

44:21 – Ending the closing call strong

48:14 – How recruiters add 30–50% more billing

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Summit + Community

🎯 2026 Sales & BD Recruiter Summit:

https://bd-sales-recruiter-2026.heysummit.com/

💼 Elite Recruiter Community:

All summits, replays, billers club + split space

https://elite-recruiters.circle.so/checkout/elite-recruiter-community

Tools & Links

PeopleGPT Free Trial → https://juicebox.ai/?via=b6912d

Talin AI Free Trial → https://app.talin.ai/signup?via=recruiter

Pin Free Trial → https://www.pin.com/

Subscribe → https://eliterecruiterpodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe

YouTube: Coming Soon

Follow Steve Finkel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-finkel-9b4ba37/

Host: http://www.selectsourcesolutions.com/

Benjamin LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminmena/

Benjamin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benlmena/