How do you answer this gatekeeper question?

This is precisely where I would hang up on you. lol

Seriously? You're going to attempt to start a business relationship by telling a bald-faced lie? What do you say when Sam says, "I thought you said that you were returning my call? I never called you." I mean other than, "I'm sorry. Goodbye."

Wow!

Cheers. - Frank

I also take a different approach...

Ex: This is Nathan, is Bob in right now?

GK: What's this regarding?

Me: I'm sorry, who am I speaking with?

GK: ...whatever their name is... Let's say Melissa

Me: Oh okay, nice to talk to you Melissa, I had an issue to discuss with Bob, if it's not a good time right now I can try again later.

So what this does, is prevent the GK from taking control right away... asking who's calling... you're telling them right away, and more often than not, you will see them kind of fumble a little bit because they aren't use to people being that direct and abrupt.

They ask what this is regarding, and you quickly take back control by asking who you're speaking with, this tends to throw them off a little bit more and makes them think you're someone close with Bob.

Every now and then you still get a GK that wants to know absolutely everything... if that happens to you, just say that this is something you'd prefer to keep between you and Bob, or be very generic about what it is.

I'm no telemarketing expert, but it's something that's always worked for me.

Correct, but that means that if it's actually not a personal call, it actually is a bald-faced lie. :-)

Cheers. - Frank

C'mon. I can't believe you are trying to sell that premise. It's a ludicrous statement. If anyone did that to get through to me I would ask for their supervisor and suggset that they be fired, immediately. Additionally, I would never do business with any company or individual that employed such blatantly dishonest tactics.
For me it was one 'no.' If I have to try to sell someone something, they obviously don't have a need for it. Call someone that does. :-)

Cheers. - Frank

The techniques, always and often. The ethics - not so much. :-)

Cheers. - Frank

This is an excuse you tell yourself about the voice.

I get it. But it isn't the tone of voice. It's the relaxed certainty in the voice. Great dept collectors have that way of speaking. You hear no hesitancy or doubt in their voice.

In fact, it's the secret of how hypnosis works. Being hypnotized is simply accepting the hypnotist's reality. You need the gatekeeper to accept the reality that they should talk to you, and you are used to getting through.

When I'm selling, one of the most important things I do, is create the reality that everyone buys from me., and I expect the prospect to buy from me too. I soud lke that even if the last 6 people didn't buy. It never changes.

Not in an arrogant way. Remember the last time you talked to a doctor. Was he arrogant? pushy? Did he tell lots of jokes? Did he keep complimenting you? No.

But you did whatever he told you to, without question. Why? Because you bought into his reality. He was certain. and he/she acted like they expected you to immediately follow their advice, without question.....

That's selling. And prospecting is just the first part of selling.

Does it always work? No. Just like not everyone can be hypnotized. Not everyone follows their doctor's advice. But you sure increase your chances.

And how do you develop that certainty in your voice? Practice. Knowing exactly what you want to say, exactly who you want to talk to, and why.

It also helps dramatically, if you are busy enough, that it doesn't matter to you if that person buys from you.


I actually kind of like that.

I remember knocking on someone's door, the woman opened it and immediately asked, "Are you selling something?'. She sounded like she was expecting a fight.

I started to shake my head "No", and said, "Pfffft! Ab-so-lutely". It stunned her for a second. She didn't know what to say. I just said, "Do you have a minute?"...and she hesitated for a few seconds, and then invited me in.
I'm convinced that she had a script in her head, where I would start a spiel, or deny that I was selling something. To be honest, I can't remember if she bought. But the exchange at the door stuck with me.

Sam, you are setting yourself up for conflict
by asking "is Bob in?"

What I found when getting into and landing
as clients, Puma and 7 of NZ's largest category brands,
was the gatekeeper wants to know 3 things...

1 what do you want

2 who do you want to speak to

3 who are you

I would always ask who I should be speaking to
about getting a better deal on the product.

I don't recall ever not getting through to the decision maker.

I only recall one occasion that the decision maker wasn't
interested in finding out more.

The decision maker of a 60+ chain of vehicle testing
stations couldn't speak to me on the first call but phoned
me back at his cost the same day.

That illustrates the power of my approach to my market.

Best,
Doctor E. Vile

I am not a tele-marketer or sales person or even one who receives many cold calls.

I like how Jack would like to receive these cold calls.

If you did a little homework on the company your calling and have a real nice short story about how you know that every company of their type has this
particular (whatever that may really be) problem

and that you have saved their competitor or other company money (hopefully be able to spit out a huge exact figure)

and that if you put me in touch with the correct person (you should know who that is already) then you would be a hero (or whatever chosen word you feel necessary).

That was long winded but may only take a minute to say.

Does this sound like I'm on the right track?

Joe

Joe; Be honest, does HTH stand for Hail To Hydra?