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From launching businesses from scratch to guiding recruitment leaders toward sustainable growth, Steve Tolen has spent more than 20 years honing his approach to business development. In this episode, he opens up about the strategies, mindset, and hard-won lessons that have shaped his career in one of the most competitive industries in Australia.

Steve breaks down his Five Before the Call methodology, a modern BD framework built on five essentials: personal branding, LinkedIn mastery, smart AI integration, compelling video content, and genuine in-person networking. It’s a system designed to create multiple, high-value touchpoints before a single call is made, making conversations warmer, deeper, and far more productive.

But this isn’t just about tactics. Steve shares why patience, authenticity, and playing the long game will always outperform a transactional approach. He walks us through his five-step sales process: attract attention, increase engagement, build rapport and trust, co-create opportunity, and only then close, explaining why skipping the early steps is the fastest way to fail.

We also explore how to own your niche, handle objections, strengthen long-term client relationships, and communicate value across all levels of seniority. Steve’s take on praising competitors instead of tearing them down is a masterclass in relationship-first business.

Whether you’re building your recruitment career or refining your BD strategy, this episode offers a clear blueprint for standing out, winning trust, and building a business that lasts.

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