After more than 25 years in business development and account management, I’ve learnt that no two sales environments work the same way. The way you win a deal often depends entirely on who is sitting across the table, and that lesson has shaped not only how I sell, but also how I recruit today.
Over the years, I’ve worked across industries including biometric technology, telematics, insurance, and recruitment. Each one taught me something different about decision-making, urgency, trust, and what really moves people to say yes. Now, in my role at Dananda Talent, I draw on all of that experience to help clients hire more strategically.
One thing has become very clear to me. SMEs and corporates do not just buy differently. They hire differently too.
Why SMEs Hire Differently
When you are working with an SME, the process is often much faster and far more personal. In many cases, you are speaking directly to the founder, owner, or a senior decision-maker. There are fewer layers, fewer formalities, and a stronger reliance on instinct. If they trust you, see the value, and believe your solution can solve a pressing problem, decisions can happen quickly.
I have closed deals in less than a week simply because the need was immediate, the value was clear, and the relationship felt right.
That same urgency often shows up in hiring. For an SME, every hire matters. A wrong technical hire is not just an inconvenience. It can affect delivery, team performance, client relationships, and growth. Smaller businesses do not always have the luxury of absorbing poor hiring decisions without consequence.
That is why our approach at Dananda Talent is never about sending through volume for the sake of it. It is about precision. We focus on understanding exactly what technical capability is needed, what kind of person will fit the team, and what will help the business move forward with confidence. In an SME environment, speed matters, but fit matters just as much.
Why Corporate Hiring Takes Longer
Corporate recruitment, on the other hand, is a very different journey.
In a corporate environment, there is rarely a single decision-maker. You are often navigating multiple stakeholders across HR, procurement, finance, and leadership. Every decision needs alignment. Every recommendation needs justification. Every step needs to be measured against risk, budget, process, and long-term strategy.
That kind of environment taught me patience and discipline. It taught me that success is not only about having a strong offering. It is about understanding internal dynamics, supporting the person championing the process internally, and bringing substance to the table. In corporate recruitment, promises are not enough. You need evidence, credibility, and a clear understanding of the bigger picture.
Where Dananda Talent Adds Value
This is where Dananda Talent adds real value.
When we work with corporates, we support far more than immediate vacancies. We partner on executive search, leadership hiring, and strategic talent mapping. We do not sit back and wait for the right CV to appear. We actively identify and approach the right people, people who are not only qualified on paper but also aligned with the long-term direction and culture of the business.
Another area where I have seen businesses struggle, especially larger or fast-growing ones, is scaling.
Growth sounds exciting, and it is, but it often comes with complexity that companies do not fully anticipate. The moment a business starts expanding across regions or borders, things like payroll, compliance, local labour laws, and HR administration can become overwhelming very quickly. What looked like a growth opportunity can suddenly turn into an operational headache.
That is why I see Employer of Record solutions as such a practical and powerful part of modern workforce strategy. At Dananda Talent, our EOR solution allows businesses to hire talent locally or globally, remain compliant, and manage payroll and HR without needing to establish a legal entity in every market. It removes a major barrier to growth and gives businesses the freedom to scale with less friction.
Why the Handover Matters More Than People Think
There is also one part of the process that I believe too many people underestimate, and that is the handover after the deal is done.
I have always believed that the sale is not the finish line. It is the starting point.
In previous roles, I stayed involved in accounts long after the contract was signed because that is where real value is built. The same principle applies in recruitment. A placement means very little if the person does not integrate well, add value, or stay long enough to make a meaningful impact.
That is why we do not take a transactional approach at Dananda Talent. We stay involved. We want to see the hire succeed, the team strengthen, and the business benefit in a real and lasting way. For us, recruitment is not just about filling a role. It is about helping clients make decisions that support growth, performance, and stability.
What 25 Years in Sales Still Comes Back To
If there is one thing my years in sales have taught me, it is this: context matters.
If you want to succeed in SMEs, you need to be fast, genuine, and technically sharp. If you want to succeed in corporates, you need to be patient, strategic, and consistently valuable. Both environments require skill, but they require different kinds of skill.
I have spent my career learning how to navigate both. Today, I use that experience to help clients solve one of the most important challenges any business faces: finding the right people to move it forward.
If you are looking to scale your team, secure top technical talent, or hire your next leader, I would love to connect.
Loraine Cilliers
Senior Account Manager | Dananda Talent
lorainec@dananda.net
