3 Tips to Get Past the Gatekeeper

3 MIN READ

co119-getpastgatekeeper-nov16 Who is the GateKeeper?

In ancient times, starting in the late 20th century, the gatekeeper was an individual who decided whether to widely distribute a message.

In the modern media, a gatekeeper filters information before it is published or broadcast.

For adventure seekers, the GateKeeper is a steel roller coaster at Cedar Point featuring the highest inversion in the world. Definitely cool, but not where we’re going here…

For all of us in sales, the gatekeeper is simply the person who holds the key to open the door to your prospect. And that alone makes them a very important component of your sales strategy.

If you irritate or offend the gatekeeper, you can lose a prospect. It’s just that simple. So how do you get past the gatekeeper? Here are 3 tips:

1. Keep things light. Start the conversation in a way that would a) cheer up an individual who spends most of the day answering phones and b) would indicate that there’s not a lot of pressure on this call. Avoid anything generic, like commenting on the weather or asking them how they’re doing. Instead, comment on a recent event, like the Indians playing in the World Series, or compliment them on how nice their greeting was.

2. Build a good rapport. Treat the gatekeeper like you would the prospect you are trying to reach. You want to build rapport with this individual. Earning their trust is key. Sometimes whether or not they put your call through is dependent on if they like you. Take the time to talk with them; don’t brush them off or try to demand they let you speak to the prospect.

3. Tailor your reason for calling to their industry. Remember that many gatekeepers are not authorized to just pass on any call. They are likely to ask you what your call is in regards to. Don’t deliver a generic sales message; instead tailor your reason for calling to their industry. For example, if you are trying to sell digital marketing services to a doctor’s office, instead of saying, “This is in regards to digital marketing,” you could say, “This is in regards to referral services and patient relations.” If you are selling equipment to a manufacturer, you could say, “This is in regards to streamlining your operations and cutting costs.” Try to highlight a benefit of your product or service in your reason for calling. This might spark interest and won’t immediately signal to the gatekeeper that you are a salesperson.

These are just 3 tips to help you have more productive conversations with gatekeepers. Above all, stay positive and treat every person you speak to on the phone with the same friendliness and respect. 

Interested in refining your approach to reach more warm leads on the phone? You need HeatSeeker, our focused system for predictability in sales and marketing. Give us a call to learn more.

 

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