[InSights] A Marketing Lesson from Hell’s Kitchen

In this episode of InSights, Brad Bialy sits down with Steve Gipson to explore why great marketing must align with great service—and how modern staffing firms can blend both to win more business.

About the Guest

Steve Gipson is a 15-year recruiting industry veteran and the Director of Sales and Operations at Recruiters Websites. His team has helped more than 700 recruiting and staffing firms elevate their digital presence through modern websites, SEO, and marketing strategy.

Key Takeaways

• Marketing can never exceed the quality of the service it promotes.

• Hype without delivery destroys trust faster than no marketing at all.

• Many firms avoid marketing because they’re unsure their product is strong enough.

• Sales and marketing work best as a unified system—not competing functions.

• Negative experiences travel fast in tight-knit recruiting communities.

• Strong marketing amplifies great salespeople by warming the path before contact.

Timestamps

• [00:42] – When hype outpaces service delivery

• [03:11] – The danger of over-marketing an average product

• [05:55] – Why firms delay marketing until assets match reality

• [07:47] – Fixing the gap between leads and delivery

• [09:58] – How one bad experience can ripple through a niche

• [11:24] – Building a signature solution that stands apart

• [13:10] – Vegas, overpricing, and customer expectations

• [14:54] – Does great marketing replace the need for sales?

• [16:23] – Why service industries still require human closers

• [21:03] – Marketing’s real job: warming the conversation

• [23:52] – The unified system: sales and marketing

• [25:30] – How strong marketing amplifies a single salesperson

About the Host

Brad Bialy is a trusted voice and highly sought-after speaker in the staffing and recruiting industry, known for helping firms grow through integrated marketing, sales, and recruiting strategies. With over 13 years at Haley Marketing and a proven track record guiding hundreds of firms, Brad brings deep expertise and a fresh, actionable perspective to every engagement. He’s the host of Take the Stage and InSights, two of the staffing industry’s leading podcasts with more than 200,000 downloads.

Sponsors and Offers Heard

InSights is presented by Haley Marketing. The old way of selling staffing is dead. Let’s fix it – with smarter strategies and HUGE DISCOUNTS on modern lead gen tools: https://bit.ly/Bialy20

Book a 30-minute business and marketing consultation with host, Brad Bialy: https://bit.ly/Bialy30

This episode is brought to you by MJA & Associates. For over 20 years, they’ve helped staffing firms save money through federal and state tax credits like the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC). With performance-based pricing, you only pay when you save—no setup costs, just real results. Learn more at mja-associates.com.