How to Build a Client Demand Engine That Replaces Cold Outreach

Nov 19, 2025

Tom Froggatt, the founder of Singular and host of the Careers in Discovery podcast, reveals how he transformed his client acquisition strategy after facing 600 rejections in three days. He discusses building a system that generates predictable client demand using content and insight reports. Tom emphasizes thinking like a tech founder, explaining how each client can yield £55,000 in a year. He shares insights on creating high-value free offerings that convert leads, and the importance of understanding the volume needed for effective marketing.

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INSIGHT

Access Solved; Attention Became The Problem

The recruitment problem shifted from access to talent to attention and relevance in outreach.
Standing out with brand and highly relevant messaging became the key competitive edge.

ANECDOTE

The Cold-Call Breaking Point

Tom hit a breaking point after three days making 200 cold calls per day with no jobs and no answers.
He launched the Careers in Discovery podcast which put him in rooms with senior biotech leaders and started driving clients.

ANECDOTE

Podcast Guest Turned Into Client

A podcast guest introduced Tom directly to their HR team after the interview and they became a client immediately.
That single 30–60 minute conversation converted into retained work without cold pitching.

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Why do some recruiters struggle for traction while others build demand engines that bring clients to them? My guest, Tom Froggatt, made that shift after three days of calling 600 people with no results.

Tom is the founder of Singular, a biotech search firm and one of Europe's leading specialists. Six months after launching the business, he hit a breaking point that changed everything. Instead of doubling down on cold calls, Tom built a system that creates predictable client demand. Today, a £4,000 campaign can generate £55,000 in revenue, and his business runs on consistent inbound opportunities.

In this conversation, Tom explains how he replaced cold outreach with a system, how he uses content and insight reports to convert strangers into six figure clients, and why the volume required for effective marketing is far higher than most recruiters expect.

In this episode, you'll discover

Why Tom realised he did not have a BD problem but a systems problem
How three days of rejection created a turning point
How podcasting connected him with senior biotech leaders
Why each client is worth £55,000 in 12 months
How his insight report converts inbound retained work
Why most recruiters underestimate the required volume
How thinking like a tech founder beats thinking like a traditional recruiter

Episode Highlights

[6:44] Starting Singular in a windowless office and the six-month reality check
[19:16] Three days, 600 calls, zero results. The moment everything changed
[21:22] Launching "Careers in Discovery" and building relationships with senior biotech leaders
[22:05] The podcast guest who walked Tom straight to HR and introduced him on the spot
[36:44] The mindset shift from "winning clients" to building revenue-generating systems
[42:16] Why each client is worth £55,000 in 12 months and what that means for ad spend
[49:30] The exact funnel. Free insight reports that convert strangers into six-figure partnerships
[54:14] Why Tom gives away £2,500 worth of market data for free and why it works
[58:47] How to identify real client pain points without guessing
[1:03:09] Why reverse engineering problems to fit your service always fails
[1:10:27] The volume truth. Why 200 outreach attempts are not nearly enough

If you want to build predictable client demand without relying on cold outreach, this episode will show you how.

Guest Bio

Tom Froggatt is the founder of Singular, a biotech search and talent company specialising in early drug discovery roles across Europe. Before Singular, Tom spent ten years at S3, where he opened their New York office at age 25. He is also the host of the Careers in Discovery podcast with more than 300 episodes.

Connect with Tom

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tom-froggatt
Singular: https://book.singular-biotech.com/web

Versapia website

Connect with Mark

Free strategy call: recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-session
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mwhitby

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