CANDIDATE CLOSING
How to close a candidate who is not looking.
Most founders think candidates decline because of money. Usually it is not money.
The five real reasons:
They like the role. They do not trust the runway.
Fix: share the investor names, the ARR, the growth rate. Not to boast. To de-risk the decision for them.
"0.1% of the company" means nothing to most candidates. They need to see what 0.1% could be worth at exit.
At a £50M exit: 0.1% = £50,000.
At a £500M exit: 0.1% = £500,000.
Model the scenarios. Show the work.
By the time the offer arrives, they have three others. The 30-day sprint architecture prevents this. Every stage has a checkpoint. No searches drift.
Most founders email an offer without a verbal call first. The candidate reads it without context. They negotiate or decline before you can address concerns. Always call before you send.
Closing is not a sales technique. It is making sure the candidate knows the company wants them specifically. Not "we're sending an offer." But "we want you."
"[Name], we want to make you an offer. Before I send the details, I want to walk you through it. [Pause. Let them say yes.]"
Section 1: The mission, in one sentence a stranger would understand. Not the pitch deck version. The version you'd say to a friend at a bar. If the candidate can't repeat it back after hearing it once, it's not clear enough.
Section 2: The traction, specific and current. Investor names, ARR, growth rate, or whatever proof point is most credible for your stage. This directly answers reason #1 above: they don't trust the runway. Numbers fix that faster than enthusiasm does.
Section 3: The role, framed as ownership not tasks. What will they build, own, and be known for in 12 months, not a responsibilities list. Candidates leaving bigger companies are usually chasing ownership specifically, name it directly.
Section 4: The team, specifically who they'd work with. Names, backgrounds, why this particular group is strong. Candidates joining early want to know who else is already committed, not just the founder's pitch.
Section 5: The honest risk. Say the quiet part: this is a startup, it might not work, here's the actual runway. Counterintuitively, naming the risk directly builds more trust than glossing over it, and it pre-empts reason #1 (they don't trust the runway) by getting ahead of the question before they ask it.
Most candidates have never seen equity translated into an actual number, so the % figure means nothing emotionally. Walk them through it live, on the call:
"That makes sense, and it says something that they moved that fast to keep you. Can I ask — before this counter came in, what was actually pulling you to look? Has that changed, or has it just gotten more comfortable to stay for now?"
"Congratulations, genuinely. That’s a real thing to weigh. The one thing I’d say is: the reasons you started looking probably aren’t fully solved by a new title at the same company. If they were, would we still be talking? No wrong answer, just want you to be honest with yourself here."
"Totally understand, this is a big decision either way. No pressure at all, just wanted to check in and see where your head’s at. Whatever you decide, I’d rather you make the right call for you than feel rushed into ours."
Day 0: Verbal offer call, followed same day by the written letter.
Day 2: A short, warm check-in, not a chase. "No pressure, just wanted to see if anything’s come up that I can help clarify."
Day 4-5 (if still no answer): A more direct check-in naming a soft deadline, if one genuinely exists. "We’d love to have an answer by [date] so we can plan properly either way, but totally understand if you need a bit more time."
Day 7+: If still no answer, a final direct conversation, ideally by phone rather than email, to understand exactly what’s holding the decision up.
These are the frameworks I use inside every engagement. Run it yourself using the guide above, or I can run it for you.
Book 20 minutes →