What separates top billers from everyone else in recruitment?

In this episode, DG Recruit co-founders Dandan Zhu and Grace Marlin reveal the strategies they’ve seen consistently drive high performance across the industry. Their rec-to-rec agency gives them unique insight into what elite recruiters do differently—and how you can replicate it.

Dandan and Grace share three core themes that make or break recruiters today:

Maintaining a deep, diverse client pipeline beyond a few accounts

Making strategic relationship investments with long-term ROI

Perfecting your MPC outreach to grab hiring managers' attention fast

With Dandan’s experience as a top-producing recruiter who achieved financial independence by 28 and Grace’s 6.5 years helping launch and elevate recruitment careers, this episode is packed with field-tested insights for scaling your billings and building long-term success in agency recruitment.

🎯 Episode Highlights:

[01:28] How Dandan and Grace began working together

[04:00] Market trends in the recruitment space

[06:40] What top billers do consistently

[15:06] Why “thinking big” leads to big returns

[20:37] The “Golden Loop” approach to BD and retention

[27:26] Blueprint for an effective MPC strategy

[33:30] Adapting to changing markets and technology

[37:22] Learning more through DG Recruit’s platforms

Why Top Billers Never Stop Building Client Pipelines

Many recruiters became complacent with just a few accounts. But when the market shifted, they were left scrambling. Top billers consistently build relationships using webinars, panels, and niche content.

Dandan emphasizes, “All the playbook is there—but who’s actually running the plays?” Grace adds that success often comes from “who’s willing to go one or two steps deeper” and invest months into client relationships before seeing ROI.

The ROI of Relationship-Driven BD

From rooftop events to curated gatherings like pottery painting, Grace and Dandan invest in creative, niche-specific client events. These efforts may take years to pay off, but they create stronger trust, brand awareness, and higher placement odds.

Grace points out how few recruiters take the time to do even a couple of things differently—and that’s the opportunity. This relationship-first approach results in client loyalty and referrals that competitors miss.

MPC Strategy: Sell Your Talent, Not Your Agency

Too many recruiters waste the first few seconds of outreach on introductions. Dandan’s advice? Lead with your candidate. Immediately.

Hiring managers don’t care about your agency—they care about solving urgent problems. Skip the small talk, craft a compelling candidate profile, and confidently deliver value. That’s how top recruiters cut through the noise.

👤 About Dandan Zhu

Dandan is the Founder of DG Recruit, a top rec-to-rec firm, and the Agency Recruitment Academy. She achieved financial independence by 28 and now helps senior producers and leaders scale their success. She’s also the author of Agency Recruitment 101 and host of the DG Recruit Podcast.

🔗 Connect with Dandan:
LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter: @dandanzhudg

👤 About Grace Marlin

Grace is Co-Founder of DG Recruit and Recruiter Prep. She’s helped shape the careers of top-performing agency recruiters and is passionate about the autonomy and upside of agency life. She co-created an intro course to help new recruiters break in successfully.

🔗 Connect with Grace:
LinkedIn | DG Recruit website | DG Recruit Podcast | Facebook | YouTube

📚 Mentioned in This Episode:
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion – Robert Cialdini

🎙️ Connect with Mark Whitby:
Free Strategy Call | LinkedIn | @RecruitmentCoach on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter: @MarkWhitby