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

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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 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"



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.
#offline marketing #finally #gatekeepers #past #revealed
  • 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.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • 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.
    • [1] reply
    • Hmmm maybe this is the mistake I've been making. I'll have to give it a try.
      • [1] reply
  • 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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