[FINALLY REVEALED] How to Get Past Gatekeepers !!!

6 replies
If you listen to the advice from the top top blokes on this offline part of the warrior forum, you'll hear them all cold calling works!!

Is it easy? NO... Does it work... YES!!

You don't have to enjoy cold calling, you just gotta do it.

The problem is that most people are a bad at cold calling and because of this, busy directors have paid money to employ the dreaded gatekeepers.

Gatekeepers have one job. That job is to not let you past.

Here's how the gatekeeper kicks your ass

Here's what doesn't work:

"Hi, my name's Ian from Ian's Awesome Internet Marketing and Co. We are specialists in making great websites. Could you put me through to the person responsible for your website?"

SLAM!! You're dead. You sound like every other salesman. The gatekeeper is going to kill you with these questions:

"What's this about?"
"What are you selling?"
"We have that in hand, bye... click ... gone"

So how are you going to get past the gatekeeper?

1. Don't sound like a salesperson.

Gatekeepers can smell sales people. They are trained to do that. If you don't look, feel sound and smell like one, you could stand a chance.

Don't use stock phrases. You need to break the pattern of calls they get all day.

How about: "Claire, we probably shouldn't be calling. May I explain the reason for my call and you can decide if I should be talking to Mr Smith?"

It's disarmingly honest. You don't know if you should be speaking to them anyway, so you may as well get it out at the front of the call.

2. Ask for the person by name.

If you don't know who you are hoping to talk to, find out before you make the real call. The reason for this is that you can sound much more confident when you have the persons name. Maybe you could find out on LinkedIn first.

When you call, ask for the person as if you are an old friend. "Good morning. Is Steve in?" Then pause and don't say your name or company.

At this point, I need to tell you that this is all about tonality. My dad works for a MASSIVE company and he has two gatekeepers. If I call and say "is Richard there", even without saying I am his son, I get through because my tonality says "this isn't selling, this is just a call I am making".

3. Respect the gatekeeper

Ok, so far I have made the gatekeeper out to be a bit of an enemy, but your job is to get them onside. Imagine how frustrating their job is. If you can make it easy for them, you're going to have a better time.

You can be as plain as saying: "Claire, if you were me and you wanted to speak to Mr. Smith, how would you go about doing that?".

Sounds too simple doesn't it? But you've broken the pattern of what they normally hear ALL day.

4. Make it worthwhile.

Please stop selling your features and benefits. No one cares if you know HTML 5 or your can build backlinks from .gov sites!!

It's all about positioning. You need to be the highly paid marketing expert who's job it is to find out if a gap exists between where the prospect is right now and where they want to be. Not a salesman.

So, you could say something like:

"Claire, typically we help chief executives who are frustrated that although they've spent money on a website, it doesn't generate any leads, it doesn't lead to any sales and they feel like they've been wasting money. I don't suppose Mr Smith has ever mentioned that this is a problem?"

This is a question that they probably haven't come across before. You are highlighting an issue.

If she doesn't know the answer, she may put you though. Then you are having a REAL conversation with someone that has REAL issues that you could help fix and charge a good amount for.

These are just a few suggestions to get you started. The more you call and come across gatekeepers the more you will adapt your style to get past them.

Tell me how you get on.
#finally #gatekeepers #past #revealed
  • Profile picture of the author dms321
    Hi iamchrisgreen,

    I just came from your other thread...

    Thanks for these suggestions. I must say that in my offline business what you talk about is definitely one of the main problems.

    Based on my experience what I have found helpful is before calling I usually send an email. And then when I make a call I mention that I sent an email and that her boss is expecting my call. This is one of the better techniques that help me get through the gatekeepers.

    But I always look for new ideas. And thanks a lot for starting this thread. We do need to discuss this and I personally need to learn more.

    Thanks.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    Chris' advice is made up of good consultative selling tips.

    HUGE TIP: Stop saying, "How are you today?" That is the #1 identifying noise that tells people "Here Comes a Salesperson"!

    This notion of breaking up the standard salesperson-gatekeeper confrontation is bang on. Another tip for achieving this is to treat the gatekeeper AS IF they were the decision maker themselves. Let them answer the phone. Be a little unsure, so they'll 'rescue' you. "I don't know if you can help me, but..." They will make a noise of curiosity. You've already started to break the defensive habit. "...my name is...I typically work with <business type> who are experiencing <reason 1> and <reason 2> and <reason 3>. <Sometimes you will have overloaded the gatekeeper with information, and they will pass you along at this point to someone with responsibility, just to get you out of their hair!>

    <If you don't know who you should be talking to>
    I'm not sure who would be best to speak with at your company...<and shut up and let them figure it out for you!>

    <If you DO know the name of the prospect--a little unsure again>
    John would be the best person to speak with about this, wouldn't he?<and shut up and let them figure it out for you.>

    Use this and see how it works!

    Also, heed that other consultative selling line Chris included:

    You don't have to like making calls; you just have to make them.

    I prospect on behalf of clients, and I don't always 'feel like it'. But I can throw that headtrash out at a moment's notice (most of your problems with selling are in your own head!) and pick up the phone.
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    • Profile picture of the author DarinS
      Originally Posted by kaniganj View Post

      Chris' advice is made up of good consultative selling tips.

      HUGE TIP: Stop saying, "How are you today?" That is the #1 identifying noise that tells people "Here Comes a Salesperson"!
      Hmmm maybe this is the mistake I've been making. I'll have to give it a try.
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      • Profile picture of the author iamchrisgreen
        Originally Posted by Linger View Post

        Hmmm maybe this is the mistake I've been making. I'll have to give it a try.
        Give it a go and tell us how you get on mate.
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        • Profile picture of the author David Miller
          Sometimes we get the image in our head of the "gatekeeper" looming larger than life. We act as if they are skilled in recognizing the tone of a voice with the accuracy of an FBI profiler. We assume that they are the trusted confidant of the CEO, so capable, in fact, that they have been entrusted to determine the worth and value of every incoming call. As if all that isn't daunting enough, should we be unable to persuade the "gatekeeper" that our call will be important enough to pass through to the CEO, we risk that they will depress the hookswitch, thereby ending the phone call. It is at this time, when the line disconnects, that the phone we are holding to our ear, explodes in a flash!

          However, if none of that is the case, here is what I propose. I have never seen an employment ad for a "gatekeeper", with the possible exception of a help wanted ad for the guy at the entrance to a gated community. Outside of that, the "gatekeeper" we're always talking about here can hold just about any position within a company. With that in mind, the "gatekeeper" could be a secretary, manager, receptionist, owner, owner's wife, owner's mother (yikes), and if it's the summer, the owner's kid. Regardless of who it may be, gatekeeping is just a small part of their job, and most would tell you an annoying part of their job. In many cases, there's none at all because an office environment can be so casual that calls just ring through.

          To me, selling is pretty much a state of mind. If I believe that a gatekeeper is on the other end of the line ready to do battle with each call because it may be one of those dreaded sales calls, I don't think I'm going to have much fun that day. So I would rather believe that anyone that picks up the phone either is the person I want to speak to, or, wants to understand who it is they need to pass the call to.

          So I may say something like: "Hi, I'm calling from ABC, we're working with several businesses in Dalaphildeliapolis, and we're implementing several online marketing projects for them. Who would I need to speak with about that? Would it be you?

          So it's usually one of three things that happens:

          1. They say that's me or that's Joe, and they put you through.
          2. They will say: "what's this about?" at which point I just repeat EXACTLY what i already said, because....they weren't listening to a THING I said until I asked "who do I need to speak with....
          3. They hang up and my phone explodes!

          Clearly, this, like any other approach doesn't work everytime, but it does work often enough. Plus, my phone hasn't exploded even once!
          Signature
          The big lesson in life, baby, is never be scared of anyone or anything.
          -- FRANK SINATRA, quoted in The Way You Wear Your Hat
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  • Profile picture of the author Matthew Iannotti
    I use my own manta plugin for my software to get business owners first names with ease. It works very very well like the O.P said.
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