Ever wondered what separates a recruiter billing $150K from one billing $1M? It’s not magic. It’s not luck. And it’s definitely not about working 16-hour days and sacrificing your soul to the recruitment gods.
It’s about traits. Habits. Behaviours. And they’re all learnable.
In my work training million-dollar billers and leading a recruitment agency while keeping my own personal billings consistently high (I have billed over $1M), I’ve seen these five traits pop up time and time again. They’re the foundation. Without them, you cap out early. With them? You’ve got the tools to scale.
Here they are.
1. Clarity of Vision
$1M billers don’t wing it. They know exactly what they’re building.
They have a crystal-clear picture of their desk, their market, their personal brand, their client base, and their financial goals. They can describe their ideal day, their ideal client, and even their ideal fee structure.
If you don’t know what you want to build, how will you know if you’re making progress?
Try this:
- Map out what your desk should look like in 12 months.
- What market are you in?
- What’s your niche?
- Who are your top clients?
- How do you want to spend your day?
- Then reverse-engineer it.
2. Ruthless Discipline
They don’t just show up when they feel like it. They show up because it’s who they are.
Discipline isn’t about being robotic. It’s about knowing your non-negotiables and sticking to them. $1M billers have iron-clad routines that allow for flexibility, but never chaos.
Their time is blocked. Their top 3 tasks / what they plan to achieve are clear. They don’t let distractions win. And they definitely don’t let motivation determine their momentum.
Discipline builds momentum. Momentum builds consistency. Consistency builds success.
3. Commercial Thinking
$1M billers think like business owners.
They don’t just “fill jobs.” They build ecosystems. They look at their desk like a business: where’s the ROI? Where’s the leverage? What relationships are worth nurturing? What work should I say no to?
They chase value, not just volume. They know which clients are profitable, which roles are repeatable, and where the margin lives.
And most importantly, they think long-term. They play chess, not checkers.
4. A Bias for Action
No overthinking. No “I’ll get to that next week.” $1M billers execute.
They have ideas, and they act on them. Quickly.
While others are still building the perfect email sequence or reformatting their marketing collateral, $1M billers have already made the calls, booked the meetings, and taken the imperfect action that moves the needle.
They know speed is a weapon. And perfection is often just procrastination in disguise.
5. Unshakeable Mindset
The market shifts. Clients ghost. Deals fall over. It’s all part of the game.
Million dollar billers don’t ride the emotional rollercoaster. They know how to manage their state. They know how to recharge, reset, and re-engage quickly.
They protect their mindset like a pro athlete protects their body. Daily routines. Positive inputs. Mental rehearsal. Emotional regulation. Self-awareness.
They don’t wait for motivation to strike, they create it.
Want to Build These Traits?
Start with one. Then stack them. Each trait builds on the other.
If you’re ready to take the next step, check out The Lone Recruiter Insider Pack. Each month, we dive deep into topics like this one – giving you practical tools, real-world examples, and high-performance frameworks to help you level up your desk and your life.
You don’t need to be a $1M biller right now. But you can start acting like one today.
