Clear Executive Search (Alex Barker)

From Uncertain Year to £150K+ in Retained Revenue in Under 6 Months

Snapshot

• Client: Alex Barker, Founder, Clear Executive Search 
• Sector: Technical feed additives, global markets 
• Business Type: Solo specialist recruiter 
• Start Date with i-intro®: September 2024 
• Key Result: ~£150,000 retained revenue in under 6 months 

The Problem

Alex had over 20 years’ experience and knew retained recruitment was the right model.

But like most recruiters, she was stuck:

• Selling contingent because it felt safer 
• Lacking structure to confidently position retained 
• Competing in a disrupted market driven by COVID, Ukraine, and industry shocks 
• No clear differentiation versus competitors 
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At the same time, she did not want to scale headcount.

She wanted a high-value, specialist, solo business, but needed a model that could support it.

What Changed

After engaging with i-intro®, Alex implemented a structured retained recruitment approach, supported by:

• Clear messaging and commercial positioning 
• A defined retained recruitment process, not contingent with higher fees 
• A client portal to improve engagement and decision-making 
• Ongoing support to embed the model into her business 
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This was not about learning retained.

It was about changing how her service was positioned and experienced by clients.

The Result

Within 6 months:

• ~£150,000 in retained revenue generated 
• First two retainers worth ~£50,000 combined 
• ~£75,000 from one new client relationship 
• Additional ~£25,000 mandate from another client 
• On track for ~£170,000 total revenue 

The Commercial Impact

1. Clear differentiation in a crowded market
Clients recognised her approach as fundamentally different, not just another recruiter.

2. Higher-value client relationships
Retained mandates replaced low-commitment contingent work.

3. Full control of business model
Alex is now fully retained and has no intention of returning to contingent recruitment.

Key Insight

Retained did not come from selling harder.

It came from changing the structure of the service. How clients engage, commit, and make decisions.

Client Perspective

“In six months, I’ve amassed around £150,000… It was at that moment I thought, thank God I went with i-intro® and invested.” 

“Would I ever go back to working contingently? No. I’d shut up shop before that.” 

We help recruiters move from contingent to retained recruitment with a structured, proven approach.