You’re posting on LinkedIn.
You’re showing up consistently.
And yet… the meetings aren’t coming.

This episode explains why.

Mike Mello spent 10 years in staffing sales and built what most recruiters would call a dream run: 1,300 placements, more than $100 million in revenue sold, and nearly 140 contractors on billing as an enterprise salesperson.

Then he walked away.

Not because staffing stopped working.
But because buyer behaviour had changed, most recruiters were still relying on volume instead of context.

In this conversation, Mike breaks down why LinkedIn content on its own rarely converts, how video builds trust before the first call, and why outbound works far better when prospects already recognise you.
You’ll hear why pain-point content beats ROI messaging, why senior buyers often watch your content without ever liking or commenting, and why most real meetings don’t happen on email one or two.
If you’re creating content but not seeing it turn into a pipeline, this episode will help you understand what’s missing and how to fix it.
What you’ll learn in this episode00:00 Intro

Chapters

• 00:00:00 How Mike made 1,300 placements and sold $100M before launching Simple Side AI
• 00:09:05 The LinkedIn video that changed everything and grew one account to 50 contractors
• 00:10:36 Why fear of judgement stops recruiters from posting video
• 00:12:04 The analytics that proved LinkedIn video beats cold calling
• 00:13:56 Why senior clients watch your content but never like it
• 00:19:02 Why LinkedIn content and outbound must work together
• 00:23:11 Pain-point content vs ROI content and what actually converts
• 00:26:42 Why unscripted video builds more trust than polished AI content
• 00:34:44 Three simple frameworks for structuring video content
• 00:43:53 The observation–problem–solution–CTA email structure
• 00:52:19 Turning video viewers into warm sales calls
• 00:56:01 Why reactivating past accounts often beats cold outreach

Guest
Mike Mello is the founder of Simple Side AI, helping staffing agencies turn LinkedIn content and outbound automation into real sales conversations. Before launching Simple Side AI in 2024, Mike spent 10 years in staffing sales, making over 1,300 placements and selling more than $100 million in revenue.

Connect with Mike Mello on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-mello-7884b059/
Simple Side AI website - https://simplesideai.com/
Get your free 30-minute strategy session with Mark: recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-session
Connect with Mark Whitby on LinkedIn
Follow on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach
👍 Don’t forget to subscribe for weekly conversations with recruitment agency owners, search firm leaders, and top-billing recruiters.

This episode is brought to you by *Recruiterflow,* an AI-first recruitment platform combining ATS, CRM, and automation tools to help recruitment businesses scale. Learn more at https://recruitmentcoach.com/recruiterflow