How to Trump the Gatekeepers

Who is the Gatekeeper?

They are not angry trolls…

Not this… More like this

Gatekeepers are your first line of contact when speaking to a new company

Hi, how may I help you today?

They are Highly Trained Agents… Ok they’re not “highly

trained agents” but a

part of their job is to sniff out sales people itching to get to their superiors

What This Means for You

You’re going to need to develop a way of getting around the gatekeeper

Why?

The gatekeeper is your

fatekeeper

They hold in their hands

the future of your sales pitch

If you don’t get past

the gatekeeper, your call and your sale is dead before it hits the ground

Your SaleYour Sale

So what do you do?

Don’t Script

A lot of sales people fall victim to reading off a

script….DON’T!

It won’t work out too well because you’re probably not Ben Affleck

Plan

Be prepared to answer the question “What is this in regards to?”

Respond but do not pitch to the gatekeeper

The Golden Rule

Treat the gatekeeper like you would like to be treated

Be polite! Rule

Ask for Help

Everyone feels good about

“helping” someone

By asking for help the gatekeeper gets fooled

into thinking you are a lost little puppy

Sympathize

Understand that both the gatekeeper and the person you want to talk to are usually busy

Don’t get mad at the gatekeeper for this

Develop a Rapport

Be charismatic and friendly to the gatekeeper

Remember they are people too!

What to Say Ask for the client by

their first name only, not full name

This makes it sound like a more

personal call and less questions may be asked

But what do I say?

Ask for the director of “X” and say you believe they will want to talk to you

This makes it sound like a request that requires

authorityGatekeepers respect authority

When All Else Fails…

Don’t leave a message with the gatekeeper

Ask for the prospects

voicemail, this assures they get your call

And Don’t Forget…

Kill them with kindness

Develop a rapport

Be understanding

At least get the voicemail

Don’tForget

Come Check Us Out!

For more information about how trump the gatekeeper and make your way to the finish line, check out our blog about “Top 10 Must

Have’s for Sales Phone Calls”

http://blog.salesquest.com/2013/03/20/top-10-sales-phone-calls/