What if winning new clients didn’t mean hammering cold calls all day?
In this episode, I’m joined by Reece Warren, founder of Nameless Ventures in Dubai and former early employee at Few & Far in London.
We dive into the brutal reality of business development in recruitment: what actually works when you’ve got no brand, no warm network, and no endless jobs falling on your desk. From pivoting his business model after a painful first year, to building a desk in Dubai without a single contact, Reece shares the raw truth about BD, retainers, and why consistency always beats clever tricks.
We explore:
✅ Why winning business sucks (and why you should do it anyway)
✅ The process behind BD (not one call, one email, or one spec CV)
✅ How to use referrals, events & senior candidates to open doors
✅ Why good recruiters always have space in the market
✅ Retainers vs. contingent: why client commitment changes everything
✅ Building trust with cold clients (without cheesy sales tricks)
✅ How to balance chasing new logos with serving existing clients
✅ The importance of persistence, consistency & adding value
If you’re struggling with BD or want to sharpen your approach to client development, this episode will give you a reality check — and a repeatable process to follow.
⏱ Timestamps:
00:00 – Welcome & Reece’s background in London & Dubai recruitment
02:45 – The equity model that nearly broke the business
08:30 – Pivoting to a retained model (and why it worked)
13:15 – What makes a “good recruiter” in 2025
19:20 – Why winning business sucks (and why you should still do it)
23:40 – The BD process: referrals, branding, events & persistence
29:15 – Cold outreach vs. warm connections (and how to mix them)
33:30 – How persistence & consistency win clients long term
38:55 – Why most recruiters fumble retainers
44:10 – Reece’s 1% Better tip
🔗 Connect with Reece
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reece-warren/?originalSubdomain=ae
🔗 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