If you’ve never pitched for retained recruitment business before, it can feel daunting. The idea of asking for money upfront might make you nervous, especially if you’ve tried before and been rejected. But here’s the truth: most client objections aren’t about you. They’re about past bad experiences with recruiters who took a retainer and didn’t deliver.

I’m going to break down exactly how you can overcome those objections and start winning retained recruitment deals—so you get paid upfront and work on roles with exclusivity.

Why Clients Reject Retainers

Many recruiters assume that clients say no to retainers because they don’t want to pay upfront. But more often than not, the real reason is that they’ve been burned before. They’ve handed over money to a recruiter and got nothing in return – no hires, no tangible results, just a process that didn’t work.

That’s where you come in. Your job is to show them why you’re different and why working with you on a retained basis is the best decision they can make.

How to Flip the Script and Win the Retainer

1. Identify the Right Role to Pitch

Not every role is suitable for a retained agreement. You should only pitch a retainer for roles where:

• You have strong confidence in your ability to fill the position.
• You know that in your market it will be a very challenging position to fill & it will take you away from your usual activities.
• You have a solid talent pool and network for this type of role.
• You genuinely want exclusivity on the search to deliver the best results.

If you’re taking on a retained role out of desperation for cash flow, don’t do it. Instead, focus on roles you can confidently fill because you need to be able to back yourself when pitching.

2. Address Their Concerns Head-On

If a client pushes back and says they’ve been burned before, here’s how you flip it:

Client: “We’ve done retainers in the past, and they didn’t work out.”

You: “I completely understand, and honestly, that’s exactly why you should work with me on a retained basis. If you’ve paid a recruiter upfront before and they didn’t deliver, that’s a problem with them, not with retainers. The difference is, I back myself 100% to deliver for you – which is why I offer the initial ‘getting started’ payment as a refund if I don’t deliver. I’ve never had to pay it back.”

3. Offer a Risk-Free Guarantee

This is the game-changer that will help you close retained deals: offer a money-back guarantee.
Tell the client:

“Let’s say this is a $15,000 placement fee. You pay me $5,000 upfront. If I don’t deliver within 60 days, I’ll give you your money back.”

Why does this work?

• Clients have likely never been offered this before.
• It removes their financial risk.
• It shows extreme confidence in your ability to deliver.
• Most importantly? You’ll never actually have to pay it back – because you’ll place the role.

4. Position the Retainer as a Commitment From Both Sides

Explain to the client why a retained approach is in their best interest:

• The upfront payment locks in exclusivity & a defined place in your workflow – so you’re only working on their role, not juggling multiple competing positions.
• It ensures you can dedicate time and resources to doing the job right, rather than being distracted by other contingent searches.
• It gets better results faster because you’re able to work in a structured, thorough way.

You can also highlight that a retained agreement means any CVs that come through from other sources (other agencies, internal referrals) must be directed through you – further solidifying your position as the go-to recruiter for this hire.

5. Close With Confidence

At the end of the conversation, confidently recap:

“So, to make this work, I need a retainer upfront. This ensures I can prioritise your role and commit fully to delivering the best result. And if I don’t succeed, I’ll refund you the retainer—simple as that.”

Clients respect confidence. When you pitch a retainer with absolute certainty, they’ll trust that you know what you’re doing.

The First Retained Deal Is the Hardest

The first time you pitch a retained deal, it’s nerve-wracking. But once you land one, you’ll realise it’s the best way to recruit and you’ll never want to go back to full contingency work.

If you’re still on the fence, challenge yourself to pitch at least one retained deal this week using the strategy above. The worst that can happen? They say no. But the best that can happen? You lock in an exclusive client, get paid upfront, and build a more sustainable recruitment business.

Let me know how you go! And if you need contract templates or advice, feel free to reach out. Now, go get that retained deal!