Gatekeepers :(

Another Saturday morning and another sales-related question.

This time it comes from Vash:

Could you please advise on how to handle this objection: The gatekeeper is persistently saying "no" on behalf of the Director, and it's impossible to get through to them.

This is a subject that many who are trying to win business struggle with.

It's commonly a challenge when you first try and contact someone but it can also be a problem when you are trying to follow up with someone once you have met them.

So, let's get down to the nuts and bolts and talk more about Gatekeepers and how to handle them when it comes to selling.

And by the way, my thoughts will help I am sure but I also thought you would find it useful to hear what my own Gatekeeper (ie my PA!) thinks would work. Scroll down to point 1 below if you want to see this.

What are Gatekeepers?

Gatekeepers are people who stop you from getting access to the prospect that you want to speak with. Whether its the Receptionist, Secretary or Office Manager, in most cases you will have someone who is protecting that person from getting those calls.

Here are 3 things to consider and use when it comes to gatekeepers:

1. Accept their role and that they are part of selling

Most people try and fight the gatekeeper. My simple answer to you is don’t. Accept they are part of the sales process and part of the puzzle of selling. You have a job to do but so do they!

I accepted a long time ago that I would see Gatekeepers as part of the fun of sales. It's like the first code in a safe that needs to be unlocked before you can get to the vault! Build a mindset that sees them as a challenge rather than a pain. Use the ideas below but also think creatively about how you can work with them rather than trying to work against them.

Simply put, their role is to protect the stakeholders from too many calls. They’re unlikely to give out information or details on that person (that’s their job). If they did, their boss wouldn’t be very happy with them. You must understand and respect their role.

Here’s a statement from my own gatekeeper when I asked under what circumstances she would put a call through to me?

“There is no way I would put a call through to you directly! But if the person on the other side of the line sounds like they did some homework and was calling about something I know to be aligned with a current problem or future vision of the business, then I would ask some questions and take some details to share forward. It might be the opportunity you’re looking for! But now you get a digestible bit of information so that you can decide if you’d like to have a call set up to find out more. I never listen to people who just talk about themselves and what their company does. Then I know I’m just a cold prospect they’re taking a chance on. They need to sound like they’ve done some homework about our business.”- Monya Flier

Based on this real-life feedback, try saying something like this:

“Look, I haven't spoken to James before and I know he gets lots of calls, but the thing we've got is very different and I'm keen to really understand how you deal with [this] and [this] challenge?”

If those are challenges that the gatekeeper will resonate with (or have heard that the decision maker is talking about), then they will be more inclined to think that you could be someone useful. If you’ve built enough rapport, the Gatekeeper may even go out of their way to connect you with their colleague they’ve heard talking about [the problem].

So, be really honest with them about the elements you have and what you do. And if it's, you're just trying to sell what your service is, then be careful about that. But if you are trying to really offer value and something that's unique then being able to be honest and show what the impact you can have, can sometimes make the gatekeeper want to share your details with their boss. Why? Because it makes them look good as well!

2. Listen For Initial Reactions and Build Relationships

I will often listen out for the initial reaction I get from someone and make a judgement on how to handle the situation from there.

If the person handling the calls is cold, direct and a bit abrupt then whilst I will try and build some rapport with them, I won’t try for too long. The chances of me thawing the ice are unlikely.

If however I get someone who is a bit more cheerful and engaging then I will use this to my advantage. I will try and build some rapport and a relationship with them.

The First step is to assess their tone.

• Do they sound harsh and firm? Stick to being polite.
• Do they sound friendly and warm? Find out more about them, this will help you later.

Ask them their name. Try and say things like, “Great to speak to you again, how's your day been? What's been happening with you?” - tet them talking!

A bit of humour also works – “I know you're going to think 'ugh, this guy again', but I am just really keen to speak to [Boss Person]…” Use a bit of humour and try and build a relationship with that person, they are human after all.

If you have built a relationship, over a while you should be able to simply ask, “I don't suppose you can let me know when [Name] might be available?”. Because you've built up a rapport with them, they'll be more open to sharing that information with you.

Gatekeepers have a great insight into what’s happening in the business and in the world of the people they are protecting. If you are able to build a relationship with them, they may share some of this insight with you, which will definitely help in your sales conversations down the line.

Don’t ignore them! You have everything to lose if you do.

But a word of warning about building relationships - Find out if they work for the company you’re calling or if you’re just talking to an answer service (something that is being more commonly used nowadays). If you’re talking to a call answer service, you may want to take note of the next point and apply it!

3. Consider When They Work

Most gatekeepers are administrative people who will probably work standard hours.

The people that they protect don’t often stick to work hours, so try to engage early morning (8 am – 9 am) or late in the day (after 5.30 pm) when these gatekeepers may not be manning the gate.

If you really want to engage with someone, then be prepared to call at different times of the day. If you call outside of usual hours, the main phone line might divert to someone other than the gatekeeper, giving you the chance to actually engage and speak to them personally.

Also, keep it in mind that Gatekeepers may protect a phone number, but may not cover social media channels. This is why you should have a dual approach of calling and reaching out via social channels. You might not have luck on the phone, but perhaps you’ll reach them with a DM.

I have created both a podcast and a short YouTube video where I go further into these points to help you which you can access below.

A final word of warning.

There are some people who try and trick gatekeepers. They say things like ‘It's a personal or private call’ or ‘It's an urgent business matter’ which can sometimes make the Gatekeeper put them through.

But, doing this can seriously annoy the person you are being put through to and if you try and call again and the Gatekeeper remembers you then you will be blocked permanently!

So, if you are facing some challenges with gatekeepers then use the methods above to handle the situation.

You can’t avoid them, they are part of the process but if you take the right actions with them at the right time, you can maybe get past them or work with them to get the end result you want!

Wishing you all a brilliant week ahead.

Until next Saturday, keep smiling and stay focused on becoming a fly on the wall of the brain of your buyer.

James