Open the gate

Start your journey towards that next sale. Learn how to get past those people who want to block your progress and even make them friends

Gatekeepers

Gatekeepers come in the guise of receptionist, assistant, voicemail, secretary or PA in the office, or husband/wife/partner or answer machine in the home.

Apart from the mechanical ones, they normally don't present a problem when you are just checking the accuracy of basic information, and can even be helpful in enhancing that information. It's when you actually want to speak to your target that gatekeepers really come into their own.

They are at their most dangerous when you come across them whilst engaging in "cold" canvassing. It's because they are also potentially at their most vulnerable at this point. Remember their role is to protect the hierarchy from unwanted calls. Who gets it in the neck if a sneaky person manages to get through to one of the bosses with some trumped up excuse and then proceeds to waste his time by trying to sell him something he has no interest in? You've probably been on the receiving end of such calls before and I bet you gave a hard time to the person in your company who put the call through to you!

If the nature of your business meets the criteria in the Health Check elsewhere on this web site, you will not be "cold" calling physically door-to-door. Therefore you will come in contact with gatekeepers either by telephone - which you can do something about, or by letter - in which case you can do nothing, because you won't even be aware of it.

So let's concentrate on where you can make a difference.

Overcoming Gatekeepers: Small companies

Subtly ignore the gatekeeper's questions and ask to speak to your target individual (though say it more as a statement). If he's not currently available, find out when he's likely to be and diarise it
If that doesn't work, tell them just enough about the reason for your call to put you through
N.B. Only practice will show you how much to say
However, if the gatekeeper says something like: "I'm sorry, Mr... doesn't take sales calls. All I can suggest is that you put something in the post and if he's interested he'll contact you." you only have two options:

Give in and send your stunning sales letter "cold"

Or
Try calling at times when they may not be there - 30 minutes before or after "opening hours" of business or during the lunch hour

Overcoming Gatekeepers: Larger companies

If the receptionist won't put you through to your desired contact, try going for a highly placed personal assistant in the prospect organisation (PA to the MD/CEO is usually a good one but make sure that the nature of your business meets the criteria in the Health Check on this web site before taking this approach)
Go straight into a succinct explanation of the purpose of your call, including a hint of the potential benefit to the prospect company. If it's sufficiently compelling, you may well find that she is prepared to transfer your call or, at the very least tell you the best way to make initial contact

Overcoming Gatekeepers: The voice mail addict

Nowadays it's not unusual for a receptionist to inform you that the extension of the person you want to speak to is on voice mail, if you'd like to leave a message...?

Tricky one. Personally I'd either:

Find out first from the receptionist whether it was this person's habit to leave voice mail on all the time or if I'd be likely to have more luck at another time - and if so, when

Or
Politely refuse and try calling at various different times (just before business hours, lunch time and close of play are favourites)

However, if neither of these approaches gets you anywhere, you need to have a back up prepared:

Prepare a brief but convincing message with a call to action and a time when you will follow up this call - practise saying it out loud until you're happy that it sounds natural, then you can adapt it as necessary for each call
If you still don't get through and your call is not returned you could try sending an email including more information and a link to your company website. This is sometimes a more acceptable way to initially communicate with people who don't answer their phone, because they can reply to you without having to talk to you.

If you don't get any response to this route you need to seriously question how important winning this company's business would be to you, as you have already invested quite a bit of your valuable time and effort.

If you really want the business you could call the Managing Director's (President's/CEO's) PA, explain your predicament and ask for her help. If she manages to get you through to your target, apologise to him and explain that you have been trying repeatedly without success to speak with him and why you wanted to speak with him in the first place.

Warning: If you come across as the slightest bit smooth or sly, you'll have the telephone slammed down on you in seconds!

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Open the gate

Gatekeepers

Overcoming Gatekeepers: Small companies

Overcoming Gatekeepers: Larger companies

Overcoming Gatekeepers: The voice mail addict