Sales targets, the infinite game, and the Recruiter I’ll never call back

AI-generated image using OpenAI’s Sora

This article is not quite a fable de La Fontaine – but it does have a shark, a moral, and a bite.

What happens when your values and your targets don't align? A reflection on trust, tactics, and the long game.

Simon Sinek explains the infinite game well – focus on trust, relationships, and long-term reputation rather than short-term wins in business. It’s a compelling concept, but it can feel at odds with the realities of certain industries.

In recruitment, for example, most professionals are working toward annual sales targets. Their performance is measured quarter by quarter. Bonuses, promotions, even job security are often tied to short-term results. The pressure is real, and it creates a dilemma: do you act in the best interest of your candidate and client, even if it delays - or kills - the deal? Or do you push for the close and secure your numbers?

It depends on who you are, and who you want to be, as a professional. It always comes back to values and personal branding.

Years ago, I was a shark – or rather, a clown fish with teeth ;) Friendly on the surface, but every meeting had to deliver: leads, revenue, outcomes. I once had wise colleagues tell me, “You can’t always expect meetings or professional relationships to be immediately fruitful. They all are – just not in the way you think they should be.”

I agreed – and the comment stuck. Years later, I see just how right they were.

Recently, I spoke with a recruiter who clearly wanted me as their candidate. They questioned my decision to remain an independent consultant. Repeatedly, they challenged my choice. The tactic was clear – they were pressing on what we call pain points in sales: the underlying anxieties or frustrations that might motivate someone to make a career change.

In this case, it was the perceived risk of being self-employed during a tough economic period. They tried to trigger doubt, steering me toward a “safer” permanent role.

It might have worked once. But not anymore.

I’m not building a business for safety. I’m building something that reflects my values – and that means rejecting fear-based tactics, even if they’re effective in the short term.

That recruiter didn’t just lose a deal. They lost a relationship. For good.

In business, people may forget your pitch – but they never forget how you made them feel. Especially when they were uncertain or vulnerable.

The infinite game is slower. But it earns you something far more valuable: trust.

That’s why I always recommend building relationships before outcomes. Ask yourself: What can I give this person? Maybe it’s honest advice. A thoughtful question. A listening ear. Not to get something in return – but to show up with generosity and intent.

It’s not a transaction. It’s not a quota. It’s a long game built on goodwill.

Some people will remember. And when they do, they’ll come back – not just because they need something, but because they trust you.

Some won’t. That’s on them.

But that's the brand I want to build. And I suspect I’m not alone.