Getting Past the Gatekeeper
Let me let you in on a little secret. I love gatekeepers. I absolutely adore them and I’m dead serious. Do you know why? They keep competitors away from MY customers and keep other salespeople (who give up too easily or don’t have the proper skills) from reaching the decision maker’s I’m trying to sell.
Make sense?
Here are a couple of strategies and tips to get you started keeping your calendar full.
First, I’m going to assume you know who the buyer is at the company you are calling on. If not, the gatekeeper is NOT the person to ask. The red flag goes WAY up when you have to call them to find out. Never call and ask for “who handles the buying”.
One of the biggest advantages a professional salesperson has over an experienced one is confidence. And confidence is displayed in your voice inflection in this case.
When the gatekeeper picks up, your voice inflection should suggest you are calling an old friend or family member.
“Who’s speaking?”
If they say, “Who are you trying to reach?” I simply say this: “It’s Butch, is Bob around?” Notice I didn’t say Bob Smith or Mr. Smith, etc. I’m treating this like I’m calling an old friend that I’ve called a hundred times.
However, nine times out of ten the gatekeeper will answer your initial question with, “This is Sherry” to which you reply (again, very naturally) “Oh, hey Sherry its Butch, is Bob around?” Now, several things happen here:
- Sherry thinks she is supposed to recognize my voice.
- I didn’t ask to speak to Bob or if Mr. Smith was in or anything very formal—I simply asked if Bob was around.
- Sherry assumes Bob and I know each other and that we’ve spoken before.
- Sherry will almost feel as if Bob will be mad at her if she doesn’t put through the call from “his friend” Butch. Trust me on this one, I’ve done it hundreds of times.
This is not rocket science and I am NOT being deceitful. If Sherry asks if Bob is expecting my call, I will answer with a chuckle, “Well, probably not today, I was just going to pick his brain for a second.”
If Bob is not in and Sherry wants to take a message, I leave this: “Just tell him Butch called I’ll give him a buzz later.” Again, this is natural and friendly. Now, WRITE DOWN Sherry’s name because the next time you call, you are going to say, “Hey Sherry, its Butch did I catch Bob in this afternoon?” Now you know BOTH of them.
If you learn this strategy and use it naturally your success rate of getting past gatekeepers will increase dramatically. In fact, I’m going to say you will be SHOCKED at how easy it is to reach the decision maker—and you will come to love those gatekeepers that keep the “others” out!
Butch Bellah
www.butchbellah.com
