How Small Recruitment Agencies Win Big Clients

On paper, Ameera Marshall didn’t expect to win. Her boutique recruitment agency was competing against global firms for a contract with a major technology company in the Middle East.

So she changed her approach. Before presenting what her agency could offer, she spoke to the people involved: the team, senior leaders, procurement and HR. She wanted to know what was holding up the project and what the business needed from its next hire.

By the time she pitched, she could talk about the client’s problem in terms they recognised. Her agency won the work.

Ameera Marshall is the founder and CEO of Ameera Talent Solutions Ltd, a boutique recruitment firm that works with senior leaders, consultancies and growing businesses across the UK, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt. Working across those markets has given her a first-hand view of how hiring expectations and fee structures vary, and how recruiters can adapt their approach.

Marshall shared her experience on the Evolve Stage at Recruitment Agency Expo London on 17 March 2026. Her session, How Small Agencies Win Big Clients: Real Strategies That Work, explored how smaller firms can compete through deep market knowledge, consistent contact and the confidence to be selective.

Find out what’s holding up the project

A job brief describes the role. The people involved can tell you why it matters, what has already been tried and what happens if the hire takes another three months.

That was the difference in Marshall’s technology pitch. Speaking to people across the business helped her understand what the vacancy meant for the project. It gave her something more useful to discuss than a list of recruitment services.

For a boutique agency, it’s a practical shift. Before preparing a proposal, ask who is depending on the hire, what is holding up delivery and what would give the hiring team confidence in a shortlist. The answers can change both the pitch and the search.

Know your market well enough to advise

Marshall used her own specialism, ServiceNow recruitment, to explain what depth looks like. It means knowing which skills and certifications matter, what rates the market can support and who might realistically be open to a move.

She also described studying for a certification in the field she recruited for. She wanted to understand what candidates actually did in their jobs so she could ask better questions and recognise relevant experience.

That knowledge gives a recruiter something useful to offer before a search begins. If a brief is difficult to fill, a specialist can explain why and help the client decide what to adjust. A large shortlist adds little if the hiring manager still has to work out who can do the job.

Be selective about the work you take on

A new brief can be tempting when the pipeline is quiet. But every search outside your core market takes time away from the conversations that keep your expertise current.

Marshall encouraged owners to be clear about where they can deliver and to turn down work that takes them too far from it. She made a similar point about fees: reducing the price to win a brief can start a relationship on terms that neither side will be happy with over time.

She illustrated this with a decision of her own. When choosing an accountant, she went with the most expensive option she had considered. The adviser had explained clearly what was included and why the firm was good at it. She knew what she was paying for.

For recruitment agencies, the equivalent is being able to explain what the client will get for the fee: access to a specific talent pool, informed advice on the brief and a shortlist the recruiter can stand behind.

Stay in touch when there’s no vacancy

Marshall compared building an agency to training for a marathon. The progress is gradual and depends on showing up consistently.

She suggested protecting time each day to speak to clients and candidates, even when there is no immediate assignment. A relevant update on rates or availability, or a conversation about how a project is progressing, gives someone a reason to hear from you.

That contact works best when it’s useful and proportionate. Marshall warned against pestering people. She saw a role for AI in saving time on tasks such as reviewing CVs, while stressing the value of having real conversations with the people you want to work with.

Show clients what they can count on

Trust also comes down to how an agency behaves when it doesn’t have all the answers. Marshall urged recruiters to be honest about work they haven’t done and to use real examples when explaining their experience.

The same applies when an assignment goes wrong. A client is likely to remember whether the recruiter took responsibility, explained what had happened and offered a way to fix it.

Small agencies may have fewer case studies and less brand recognition than their larger competitors. They can still show a client what working with them will feel like: someone who understands the brief, says what they can deliver and follows through.

Key takeaways

• Speak to the people affected by the hire before putting together your pitch.
• Learn your niche well enough to advise on skills, rates and candidate availability.
• Choose briefs that fit your expertise and explain what your fee covers.
• Make time for useful client and candidate conversations between assignments.
• Be honest about your experience and take responsibility when things go wrong.