The word “gatekeeper” is a common one in the business world. It refers to the gatekeeper of the gate, or the person who decides whether or not you’ll get access to something. It is important to have such a person, but it also means you have a major challenge ahead of you.
Your boss is the gatekeeper, and as a sales person, you’ll spend the whole day trying to prove that you are the right candidate for the job. Here is a simple strategy for getting past the gatekeeper and moving forward in your job search: 1. Always deliver value: The most important thing you can do to ensure success is to always provide value to your boss. If she doesn’t think you’ll be able to do the job, then she’ll ask why you would want to work for her. 2. Always ask for feedback: In addition to the value that you provide, your boss will appreciate it if you ask for feedback on your performance. She wants to know that despite her confidence in you, you still want to work with
Getting past the gatekeeper is an art form—one that requires a special approach and a unique insight to know the best and most effective words to use when trying to get past the gatekeeper.
“Getting past the gatekeeper frustrates our representatives since, in most instances, these gatekeepers have little knowledge of the company or org structure and refuse to transfer to a direct name.
As a consequence, while dialing into their target accounts, our Enterprise SDRs run into a brick wall.
I don’t want to depend only on individual prospect email marketing.
What are your thoughts on how you go about prospecting large clients like these?”
Before we get started, let’s define what a gatekeeper is in the business world.
In sales, who are the gatekeepers?
Someone who intercepts marketing and sales professionals before they interact with a business owner or leader is known as a gatekeeper in sales. They’re prevalent in big businesses and organizations, where they listen to a salesperson’s pitch and decide if it’ll help the company.
They either set up a meeting with the business owner or politely tell them that the firm isn’t interested after they’ve been authorized. Gatekeepers are often the first individuals contacted by salespeople, whether via phone or email.
They are as follows:
- Receptionists
- Secretaries or personal helpers
- Relatives or spouses
Is Gatekeeping a Negative Thing?
We may look at this issue in two ways:
When the person you’re working with isn’t properly educated on how to perform their job, gatekeeping may be a stumbling block. It’s possible that they’re new workers who aren’t acquainted with the company’s organizational structure. These gatekeepers may also be unfamiliar with the company’s vision, purpose, values, and brand, complicating your work as a salesman.
Gatekeepers, on the other hand, serve as a screening mechanism, meticulously filtering out any transactions or relationships that they consider unfit for their elders. They serve as a barrier, preventing any unwanted distractions or possible time wasters from diverting their focus away from their main responsibilities. They are the ones who create a good or bad image, as well as the client experience that follows.
What Is The Best Way To Get Past The Gatekeeper?
Here are some tips to assist you get past the gatekeeper:
Respect each other.
Receptionists, helpers, and phone operators should all be treated with respect. They are the initial point of contact for sales teams, therefore they must be courteous. Getting angry or rude can hurt your chances of closing the deal. Whether or not they link you with their supervisor, be kind and convey your appreciation.
Be patient and understanding.
Demonstrate that you understand and can connect to their situation. Making someone feel at ease and confident in you is the greatest approach to encourage them to open up! Demonstrate empathy. This is something you do every day while researching and attempting to better grasp your target prospects. As a result, doing the same with gatekeepers should not be difficult.
Don’t try to sell them anything.
Don’t attempt to sell to the gatekeeper if you don’t believe you’ll get through. They are unlikely to have a role in the purchase decision. They are unlikely to comprehend the value of your solution if they are not facing the same problems as the decision-maker.
Your most powerful weapon is research.
Clients and salespeople may now interact directly via social media sites like LinkedIn, thanks to technological advancements. It also happens to be a treasure mine of knowledge that will help you cope with the sales gatekeeper.
Use a specialized data tool to collect and disseminate all of the information obtained throughout your job in an easy-to-understand manner. Then, to get past the gatekeeper, plan your meeting around your research and come up with facts to wow your prospect.
Confidence is essential.
You immediately send out warning signs when you sound anxious or agitated. Maintain a calm attitude, talk slowly and authoritatively, and just give information that is needed. If the gatekeeper believes you are significant, they are less inclined to interrogate you.
regain command of the situation
Maintain control of the discussion by giving a gatekeeper the information they need before they ask and making your objective clear. Provide the information the person on the other end of the line needs before they ever ask for it, as well as directing them to the action you want to do. Let’s take a look at what experts have to say about getting past sales and marketing gatekeepers.
14 Actionable Steps To Overcoming The Gatekeeper
We’ve got some additional suggestions for your gatekeeper strategy:
- Establish trust by sharing anything you discovered about the prospect through your investigation.
- Avoid the gatekeeper entirely and take a another route!
- Go above and above! You’ll almost certainly be assigned a decision maker.
- LinkedIn is a good place to start if you want to participate in social media. Email, Twitter, and so on.
- Make use of your connections and ask for a recommendation.
- Please don’t call. Instead, introduce yourself on LinkedIn.
- Assert Yourself
- Prepare your answers ahead of time.
- Persistence will pay off in the end!
- Make the most of their expertise.
- Always tell the truth.
- It is said that practice makes perfect.
- Don’t waste time with small chat; instead, be straightforward.
- Request that a voicemail be left.
And! Six sales managers provide their finest ideas on how to get past the gatekeeper, so don’t miss out!
Jeffrey Gitomer explains how to use stealth to reach decision makers.
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1. Establish trust by sharing anything you discovered about the prospect through your investigation.
Talkdesk, Inc.’s Sales Development Leader, Ilan Kopeckly
This is an excellent subject since there is no one-size-fits-all solution for getting past the gatekeeper. That stated, I’m going to argue that the gatekeeper has no knowledge of the company or the org structure.
What are your sales representatives doing to start the conversation? Are they referring to their efforts to reach out to internal organizations, for example?
If they’re just asking, “Who’s the best person for this conversation?” that EA probably receives 50 calls a day and doesn’t want to feel like a switchboard operator.
I’d say that the C-Level EA is one of the company’s most educated employees, yet asking them to give up information without first building trust is almost impossible.
Establishing trust by discussing a strategic effort or a finding from your study of the CEO you’re attempting to reach could provide greater outcomes.
2. Don’t go through the gatekeeper – go down a different path!
Twilio Inc.’s Senior Manager of Sales Development, Patrick Buckley
Jessica Erven, ClickTime’s Sales Development Manager
3. Get ahead of them! You’ll almost certainly be assigned a decision maker.
You’re golden if you go above and make contact. In any case, selling from the top down is the fastest method to sell. You have a champion if you contact the person underneath them.
That individual may be very beneficial in not only obtaining direct access to their employer, but also in generating internal interest in your product. Keep in mind that big businesses are enormous. There is ALWAYS someone else to contact in the sales cycle who may be just as useful.
4. Engage in social media – LinkedIn Email, Twitter, and so on.
Generally, gatekeepers do not keep track on their employers’ social media accounts. Engage with them on Linkedin, Twitter, and other social media platforms.
Personal communication: Finding personal emails and/or phone numbers is not difficult these days. This is a highly hazardous option, since reaching out to someone about business outside of business resources is not very professional (in my view), but it is a last resort. It is conceivable.
Finally, regardless of who you’re rallying around—the CEO, the Manager, or the CEO’s EA—know who you’re pitching your product to and be ready to present it to whoever you can reach out to. If you look hard enough, you can find a champion almost everywhere.
5. Make use of your contacts and ask for a recommendation.
Former Enterprise Sales Development Manager at Influitive, Kristi Goth
Make use of your connections and ask for a recommendation. SDRs in the enterprise should have prior experience. You won’t have much success if you put fresh kids in there, but if you find an SDR who has worked for a couple of firms and has established a network, it goes a long way.
Also, have them follow those leaders on Twitter and other social media groups so they can offer real-time direct comments on what those prospects are posting and talking about.
Another fast fix is to have them use a yesware/toutapp kind of solution so that they can see when their emails are being opened and call right away. The importance of timing cannot be overstated.
Octiv Account Executive Phill Keene
6. Do not make a phone call. Instead, introduce yourself on LinkedIn.
Salesforce’s Tim Stanton, Sr. Strategic Account Manager
There’s much more! Let’s look at a few more pointers to help you succeed in B2B sales and marketing while dealing with gatekeepers:
7. Be confident in your own skin.
Keep the discussion light and polite, but be strong in your desire to speak with their management. One of the fastest ways to be banned is to be hostile with a gatekeeper. If you’re too pushy or attempt to intimidate them into putting you through, you’ll lose.
8. Prepare your answers ahead of time.
Begin by making a list of the most frequent objections and justifications you get from prospects and gatekeepers for not being able to accept your call right now. Then write down your best answers for each one. You’ll need to plan these answers ahead of time so you’ll know exactly how to react in a variety of situations, which will boost your confidence and show the gatekeeper that you know what you’re talking about.
9. Be persistent while being courteous – it will pay off in the end!
You must have a thick skin in order to be effective in sales. You will never reach anybody with buying power if you give up after only one effort to contact your prospect. Persistence is crucial, particularly since the typical transaction takes at least five follow-ups to complete. Don’t be surprised if you have to go through many trials to convince the gatekeeper to allow you talk with their supervisor.
10. Take use of their expertise.
Instead of being an obstacle, think of each gatekeeper as a resource. Information is accessible to phone operators, receptionists, and administrative assistants. They are aware of your prospect’s location, schedule, phone number, and other pertinent information.
Learn more about the gatekeeper and how to use it to your advantage. Inquire about important matters. This can help you build a rapport with the gatekeeper and provide you more information to prepare for your meeting with the prospect.
11. Always tell the truth.
Gatekeepers can see a salesperson a mile away and are always on the lookout for half-truths and falsehoods. Remember that lying to get past them will have repercussions. Give your full name and the name of your business, as well as a short explanation of why you’re calling (if they ask you). If you choose to speak the truth, you are less likely to face resistance.
12. It is said that practice makes perfect.
Consistent practice will aid you in mastering the skill of getting past gatekeepers. In the same manner that you should record and listen to your sales calls, try recording and listening to your conversations with gatekeepers.
13. Avoid small chat by being straightforward.
When dealing with a receptionist, be straightforward, honest in your responses, and clear in your objectives. Being evasive raises red flags, and the person on the other end of the line will lose confidence in you.
Keep your comments short and to the point throughout the conversation. Before your meetings, practice, get the help of a colleague, and assess if you’re using too many words.
14. Inquire about leaving a voicemail.
Accepting the fact that you won’t be able to talk with your target prospect right away is often the only way to get past a gatekeeper. Requesting to leave a message, on the other hand, ensures that you will be allowed to do so in the future—a great approach for when you’ve tried unsuccessfully to reach the gatekeeper many times.
Final Thoughts
It may be aggravating to have a gatekeeper prevent you from doing something you want to do. It’s important to remember, however, that they’re doing their job, just like you. Be kind and professional with each individual who answers your phone to build a connection. Then, to reach out to additional prospects, use the methods described above.
Sales engineers, such as myself, are in a unique position to help companies in their transformation to become more sustainable. We see problems, broken systems and opportunities all the time. The trick to being successful as a sales engineer is to close deals quickly and effectively, so each sales engineer needs to have an understanding of relevant sales concepts and techniques, as well as what resources are available to them.. Read more about how to bypass gatekeeper and let us know what you think.
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The gatekeeper is a security measure that prevents people from downloading the game.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”How do I get past the gatekeeper script?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do you bypass the gatekeeper?
The gatekeeper is a security measure that prevents people from downloading the game.
How do I get past the gatekeeper script?
The gatekeeper script is meant to prevent people from spamming the chat with questions. To get past it, you will need to type help in the chat.
How do I bypass Gatekeeper sales?
There is no way to bypass Gatekeeper sales.
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