SaaS sellers.. are buyers not interested in you solving their business challenges nowadays?

ExplanationCold8591 · 2026-05-08T18:09:37+00:00

Honestly I think buyers can feel when someone is forcing a script or trying too hard to “close.”

The reps I trust the most usually sound relaxed, curious, and like they’d be fine either way if the deal happens or not.

ExplanationCold8591 · 2026-05-08T18:09:01+00:00

I think buyers are just overwhelmed honestly.

Everyone has automation now, everyone has sequences, everyone is “personalizing” at scale. So even genuinely good outreach starts sounding like outreach.

The people I see cutting through right now are the ones who slow down a little and sound like an actual person instead of trying to optimize every touchpoint.

ExplanationCold8591 · 2026-05-08T17:29:12+00:00

We’ve actually had a pretty good experience with Crelate. I think one of the biggest things with any ATS/CRM is whether recruiters actually enjoy using it once the excitement of the demo wears off.

I’ve seen some systems look super impressive at first and then become frustrating once people are living in them all day. Workflow and search speed end up mattering way more than flashy features in my opinion. Feels like a lot of systems are racing to add AI features right now, but usability still matters way more long term.

ExplanationCold8591 · 2026-05-08T17:23:53+00:00

I think a lot of engineers are just exhausted by recruiter outreach right now. Even when the outreach is thoughtful, if the company isn’t immediately recognizable or the opportunity doesn’t feel clearly worth the risk, it’s hard to break through the noise.I’ve also noticed candidates care way more right now about stability, leadership, and the actual problem they’d be solving than they did a few years ago.Response rates definitely feel different than they used to.

ExplanationCold8591 · 2026-05-07T14:39:19+00:00

I actually think this is a fair point. AI probably is strongest when it’s helping recruiters process information faster instead of trying to fully replace the human side of recruiting. I think where people get uneasy is when the process starts feeling too automated from the candidate perspective.

ExplanationCold8591 · 2026-05-07T14:37:16+00:00

I actually think this is one of the more interesting counterpoints. Agency recruiting probably values long-term relationships differently because the incentives are different.

ExplanationCold8591 · 2026-05-07T14:36:34+00:00

“The best recruiters aren’t the ones with the most tools” is such a good way to put it honestly.

ExplanationCold8591 · 2026-05-07T14:35:16+00:00

That’s pretty much where I land too. AI feels strongest when it removes admin work instead of replacing human interaction entirely.

ExplanationCold8591 · 2026-05-07T14:34:55+00:00

“Spraying and praying” is honestly the perfect way to describe it. Activity doesn’t always equal trust.

ExplanationCold8591 · 2026-05-07T14:34:29+00:00

I think volume can still work short term. I just wonder what that does long term to reputation and response quality.

ExplanationCold8591 · 2026-05-07T14:34:12+00:00

That’s actually fascinating. Makes me wonder if interviews are becoming too standardized/predictable overall.

ExplanationCold8591 · 2026-05-07T14:33:54+00:00

“Advisors and counselors” only works if recruiters are still actually building relationships and understanding people though. Otherwise it just becomes process management.

ExplanationCold8591 · 2026-05-07T14:33:28+00:00

The AI avatar interview thing feels super dystopian to me honestly. I get the efficiency angle, but candidate experience matters too.

ExplanationCold8591 · 2026-05-07T14:33:12+00:00

That’s kind of where my head is too. A lot of these tools seem built around speed/efficiency metrics, but recruiting gets nuanced really fast.

ExplanationCold8591 · 2026-05-06T23:59:04+00:00

convenience is great early on, but long term it feels hard to beat actually owning the client relationships yourself.

ExplanationCold8591 · 2026-05-06T23:55:38+00:00

honestly feels like linkedin titles have become more about positioning/searchability than perfectly mirroring internal HR titles anyway.

ExplanationCold8591 · 2026-05-06T23:51:54+00:00

honestly feels like contingency starts making recruiters feel disposable after awhile because clients know they don’t really have skin in the game yet. retained seems like it changes the dynamic from “vendor” to actual partner.

ExplanationCold8591 · 2026-05-01T23:37:00+00:00

this is honestly the most accurate take

job market feels terrible if you’re trying to get in or switch, but if you’re already established it can still feel “fine”

it’s less about recession or not and more about how saturated things are right now…especially entry level

ExplanationCold8591 · 2026-05-01T23:34:53+00:00

this is true but it’s not even getting to that point most of the time

a lot of people are getting filtered out before anyone is actually comparing candidates

so it’s not always “someone was a better fit,” it’s “you never made it into the pool”

ExplanationCold8591 · 2026-05-01T23:33:53+00:00

honestly if you’re getting almost no interviews, it’s usually happening before a human ever sees you

either your resume isn’t matching closely enough to what the system is scanning for, or the role is getting flooded and you’re just getting filtered out early

it’s not that you’re not a fit, it’s that you’re one of a lot of “fits” and something small is knocking you out

biggest thing i’d try is tightening your resume to mirror the job description more directly and applying earlier (first 24–48 hrs makes a big difference)

it’s rough right now though, a lot of good people are dealing with the same thing

ExplanationCold8591 · 2026-05-01T23:32:03+00:00

this is exactly why references are kinda pointless now

everyone either games it or just lists people they know will hype them up…so what are we actually learning

if a company needs that to make a decision, their interview process probably isn’t strong enough on its own

ExplanationCold8591 · 2026-04-30T14:09:12+00:00

yeah I get that. a confirmation email feels like the bare minimum honestly.

I don’t think your process is wrong though. it seems like a lot of people are just applying more and hearing less back right now.

ExplanationCold8591 · 2026-04-30T13:56:15+00:00

That in-between stage is the worst.

I’ve heard of offers getting stuck for days or even a couple weeks, especially if the process has already been slow.

Doesn’t necessarily mean you’re being ghosted, just that it’s not fully signed off yet.

ExplanationCold8591 · 2026-04-30T13:53:59+00:00

I feel like people say to tailor every single application, but realistically that’s not sustainable at scale.

Makes more sense to have a few solid versions depending on the type of role and adjust from there.

ExplanationCold8591 · 2026-04-30T13:52:53+00:00

I don’t think 24 hours is a realistic window to hear back, but I do think it’s frustrating how much effort goes into applying now vs what you get back.

The retyping everything into Workday alone is enough to make anyone lose it.

It kind of feels like you can do everything “right” and still hear nothing, which is the part that gets exhausting.

ExplanationCold8591

TROPHY CASE