Gatekeepers - Ally or Enemy?
I a recent Morning Motivational Meeting we asked ourselves - "Why are Gatekeepers so Frustrating?"
The better a gatekeeper is at their job, the more likely they are frustrating to deal with. Why? Because their job is to make sure that all callers are screened and to limit the number of cold calls or even warm calls that their boss takes on a daily basis.
A phrase we often hear in sales is Overcoming Gatekeepers - I take issue with this phrase because you don't ever "overcome" a gatekeeper if they don't intend to connect your call to their boss. Instead, I propose we circumvent gatekeepers. Below are a few of my top techniques to make the most of every phone call.
1. Ask for a better time to reach the decision maker and let the gatekeeper know you will call back versus leaving a message and hoping the prospect calls you back. Clearly, this technique can only be used a limited number of times, but is a good way to start.
2. Always ask for the voicemail, but don't leave a voicemail straight away. Make an effort to reach the decision maker directly before giving up control by leaving a message and hoping that they call you back. When you ask for the voicemail listen for a cell phone number, the name of a colleague, an idea of their availability, etc. You can get a lot of helpful information from voicemail.
3. Write down the gatekeepers name, but don't waste time trying to "make friends." The concept of making best friends with a gatekeeper in hopes that someday they will magically change their mind and connect your call is a poor use of your time. Take down their name so you sound knowledgeable, be courteous, but remember that a busy professional wouldn't have time to chat with a gatekeeper about the weather.
4. Call the office of your prospect's boss. Ninety nine times out of 100, that boss is going to have an admin/gatekeepers. When the gatekeeper answers, ask for the boss by name - when they tell you that he/she is not available say "No problem, I have a bit of a time sensitive question can you just transfer me to (insert prospects name) office?" Your prospect is more likely to answer a call coming from an internal transfer, especially if the call is transferred from their boss' office.
5. If the gatekeeper suggests that you send your prospect an email, go ahead and take their email down even if you don't intend to send an email. Use that email to try and find a direct number on the Internet. You would be surprised by how many direct numbers or mobiles you can get simply by searching an email address. This provides you a better chance to reaching the decision maker without speaking to a gatekeeper.
I hope these five times help you circumvent gatekeepers and reach your prospects directly and more quickly. As always, please reach out to me on LinkedIn with additional questions www.linkedin.com/in/leslievenetz
The better a gatekeeper is at their job, the more likely they are frustrating to deal with. Why? Because their job is to make sure that all callers are screened and to limit the number of cold calls or even warm calls that their boss takes on a daily basis.
Techniques to Circumvent Gatekeepers
2. Always ask for the voicemail, but don't leave a voicemail straight away. Make an effort to reach the decision maker directly before giving up control by leaving a message and hoping that they call you back. When you ask for the voicemail listen for a cell phone number, the name of a colleague, an idea of their availability, etc. You can get a lot of helpful information from voicemail.
3. Write down the gatekeepers name, but don't waste time trying to "make friends." The concept of making best friends with a gatekeeper in hopes that someday they will magically change their mind and connect your call is a poor use of your time. Take down their name so you sound knowledgeable, be courteous, but remember that a busy professional wouldn't have time to chat with a gatekeeper about the weather.
4. Call the office of your prospect's boss. Ninety nine times out of 100, that boss is going to have an admin/gatekeepers. When the gatekeeper answers, ask for the boss by name - when they tell you that he/she is not available say "No problem, I have a bit of a time sensitive question can you just transfer me to (insert prospects name) office?" Your prospect is more likely to answer a call coming from an internal transfer, especially if the call is transferred from their boss' office.
5. If the gatekeeper suggests that you send your prospect an email, go ahead and take their email down even if you don't intend to send an email. Use that email to try and find a direct number on the Internet. You would be surprised by how many direct numbers or mobiles you can get simply by searching an email address. This provides you a better chance to reaching the decision maker without speaking to a gatekeeper.
I hope these five times help you circumvent gatekeepers and reach your prospects directly and more quickly. As always, please reach out to me on LinkedIn with additional questions www.linkedin.com/in/leslievenetz
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