Is your staffing firm's digital lead generation falling flat? In this episode of Take the Stage, Brad Bialy talks with David Searns, Co-CEO of Haley Marketing, about the pitfalls of relying solely on digital automation for sales success. David explains why your prospect pool isn't large enough to make digital-only work and offers a smarter, integrated approach that blends human connection with digital tactics.

Discover how to increase your conversion rates, win attention, and become the go-to expert your clients trust.

Expect to Learn:

1. The value of integrated direct marketing

2. Why the "spray and pray" approach is failing staffing firms

3. How to personalize your outreach and boost lead engagement

Key Moments:

[00:00] Personal intros and pickleball frustrations

[02:06] The Smart Ideas newsletter: history and purpose

[03:10] "Stop the Digital-Only Madness"—The core issue

[06:49] Why digital-only strategies fail in staffing

[09:11] Winning the battle for attention first

[11:49] Changing the sales conversation: Short game vs. long game

[14:09] Incentivizing smarter sales approaches

[17:34] Becoming a trusted advisor, not a necessary evil

[19:27] Establishing credibility from first contact

[23:01] Leveraging data and AI for better targeting

[24:35] Building integrated campaigns that actually work

[27:00] Aligning sales and marketing for success

[28:59] Final thoughts and AI as a game-changer for sales productivity

About the Speakers:

Brad Bialy is host of Take the Stage and InSights, two of the leading podcast for the staffing industry, presented by Haley Marketing. He has a deep passion for helping staffing and recruiting firms achieve their business objectives through strategic digital marketing. For over a decade, Brad has developed a proven track record of motivating and educating staffing industry professionals at over 100 industry-specific conferences and webinars.

As a visionary leader, Brad has helped guide the comprehensive marketing strategy of more than 300 staffing and recruiting firms. His keen eye for strategy and delivery has resulted in multiple industry award-winning social media campaigns, making him a sought-after expert and speaker in the industry.

When it comes to marketing a staffing firm, few people know the industry like David. He literally grew up in the business. He has been helping staffing companies create innovative marketing strategies and award-winning websites for more than 25 years.

Offers Heard in this Episode:

30-minutes of strategic marketing consultation with Brad Bialy: https://bit.ly/Bialy30

Special Offers! Our Best Savings of 2025: https://bit.ly/bialyoffer

If you’re running a staffing firm and your tech stack feels more like a roadblock than a growth engine—Broad & Madison is your fix. With over 60 years of recruitment technology expertise, they streamline your systems, automate the boring stuff, and make your tech finally work for your team, not against it. Broad & Madison doesn’t just keep your systems running... they make them smarter, faster, and more profitable. To learn more about our friends over at Broad and Madison and how they can help your staffing firm maximize its technology visit https://www.BroadAndMadison.com