September 5, 2024
by Mary Clare Novak / September 5, 2024
There’s a particular character in the sales story who can effortlessly instill fear in even the most experienced reps: the gatekeeper.
Whether it's an executive assistant screening calls or a junior team member managing emails, gatekeepers are skilled at filtering out sales pitches and guarding decision-makers' time.
Essentially, gatekeepers are the last thing figuratively standing in the way of you successfully starting a conversation with your prospect. Therefore, successfully navigating these interactions is essential for gaining access to the key stakeholders who drive business decisions.
With the right approach and mindset, you can turn these gatekeepers into allies rather than obstacles. For instance, modern tools like sales engagement platforms can personalize outreach at scale and increase your chances of bypassing gatekeepers altogether.
This guide outlines the practical steps that will help you get past the gatekeeper and build rapport with the people who matter most. Let's get started!
Putting your prospecting goals and metrics aside, the point of contacting a person of interest is to have a conversation that will hopefully spark a relationship. Your purpose should remain the same if you are presented with a gatekeeper. And what does any successful conversation between two people require? Understanding.
Before you call anyone, even if you know you’ll likely be speaking with a gatekeeper, make sure you do your research. While they might not have the power that decision-makers do, you’re going to have to impress gatekeepers just as much. Knowledge of their business is a good place to start.
In the digital age, it’s a lot easier to get to know someone. Dissect the company’s website for its mission, history, current solutions, and a rundown of personnel. If you can pick out any potential gatekeepers from their site, that’s definitely a plus. Follow all of their social media accounts and see what they’ve been posting lately. Social channels are very telling of a company’s current situation, so pick up on those cues.
For example, if you find out that a prospect’s business just received a substantial amount of funding, they probably have some more money to invest in a new solution (like yours, hint hint). Or if you see that the business just underwent an unfortunate round of layoffs, it’s definitely not a good time to try to sell them something.
Find anything that will help you create a connection with the prospect and reveal it to the gatekeeper. Make it clear that you understand the prospect’s business and any current pain points they might be facing. Showing this to the gatekeeper is just as important as doing so with a decision-maker.
Tip: That solid connection you find with your prospect is like sales gold. Make sure to keep track of it in your CRM software, so it’s easy to find, access, and update.
It’s likely that your cold calling process involves plenty of practice as if you are speaking to the prospect directly. While there is plenty of value in those hours spent perfecting your initial phone call with a person of interest, you should also incorporate a script for dealing with a gatekeeper.
Now, these are going to be two completely different conversations. There is a clear distinction between a gatekeeper and a decision-maker for a reason. They have two completely different roles—both important but different.
To successfully get past the gatekeeper, you first need to understand them. Practice empathy by putting yourself in their shoes. Imagine being responsible for qualifying whether or not a sales pitch is worth someone else’s time, getting countless calls every single day that interrupt your other tasks, or dealing with a harsh decision-maker as a boss.
Think about what’s important to that person regarding their job and the position that what you’re about to do will put them in.
There are some negative feelings that you might start feeling when confronted with a gatekeeper. The first one is frustration. But that’s not going to get you anywhere close to where you want to be. There’s absolutely no reason why you should be getting snippy with gatekeepers. They are simply people trying to do their job, just like you.
If a gatekeeper is super persistent in not putting you through to your prospect, remain calm and in control of your tone. If they pick up on a tinge of rudeness, you can kiss all your chances of giving a value proposition to your prospect goodbye.
The second emotion is nervousness, and while that one is a bit harder to control, there are still some things you can do to combat it. Going back to the last tip, expect the unexpected, and make sure you practice speaking to a gatekeeper.
The conversation won’t be identical to the one you imagined having with your prospect, but they’ll include similar goals, like showing the person on the other end that you are worth their time and energy.
While the gatekeeper might not be the person for whom your outreach was intended, they still play an extremely important role in their organization. They ultimately decide which sales pitch the decision-maker will hear, meaning they basically have control over the solutions the business ends up purchasing.
It’s likely, unfortunately, that the gatekeeper you’re currently speaking with has experienced a sales call from someone who didn’t show them an ounce of respect. By showing them the consideration they deserve and that you know they are an important member of this process, you might stick out.
Don’t for one second think that you are above them. Simply thinking that makes the opposite true. Make it clear that you want to work with them, not around them.
It’s one thing to tell the gatekeeper that you “want to respect their time,” but another to follow through on that during the rest of the conversation. When they say their name, remember and use it. If you say the conversation will only take five minutes, stick to that timeline.
Building rapport with the gatekeeper is crucial to gaining the trust of your prospect. Act accordingly. Who knows, they might even advocate for you.
Showing the gatekeeper respect and letting them know you see them as important is a good place to start. On top of that, you’ll also need to be confident when speaking with them. Remember, it’s their job to let only the most value-oriented sales pitches through to the decision-maker.
If it’s obvious you’re shaking in your seat, you might come off as inexperienced and not worth their time. Also, nerves tend to make some people ramble on, making it easy for them to get off-topic. If you’re one of those people, you might go through the whole conversation with the gatekeeper without actually getting to your point.
It’s easier said than done but speak with the utmost confidence. Let your tone and word choice show how sure you are that your solution is the best thing for the prospect’s business. If you don’t feel that authentic confidence, there’s nothing wrong with faking it. Stand up when you take the call, straighten up your posture, and take deep breaths.
This is a simple and straightforward tip, but an important one nonetheless: When speaking with the gatekeeper, use the prospect’s first name.
This small but powerful detail will show them you’ve at least done enough research to know the prospect’s name. Or they might think you know them already and put you through right away.
The gatekeeper will likely share their name when they answer the phone. So don’t only use the prospect’s name but their own as well. For example, say your name is Allen, the prospect’s name is Megan, and someone by the name of John answers the phone when you call their office.
Let’s compare two different sentences coming from your end and ask ourselves which one you would be more likely to see value in.
The first sentence seems dull as if you couldn’t care less about anyone involved. The second one, on the other hand, has four different personal details (the gatekeeper’s name, your name, your company name, and the prospect’s name), and it sounds like it’s coming from an actual salesperson as opposed to a sales robot.
If you are confronted with a gatekeeper and you immediately start pitching your solution to them, you’re doing it wrong. The gatekeeper doesn’t have time to hear your value proposition, nor do they care. To make a formal sales pitch, you need to earn it by first establishing a relationship and showing an immediate promise of value.
The gatekeeper might ask you what this conversation you are trying to have with the decision-maker is about, and you’ll need to prepare an answer that is not a sales pitch. Don’t lie, but don’t sell either.
Mention any previous interactions you’ve had with the prospect and briefly touch on the pain point you are trying to help them resolve. Forget the features of your solution and make it all about them.
If you don’t see yourself making it past the gatekeeper this time around, don’t panic right away.
A good way to approach this situation that still offers a bit of promise is asking to leave a voicemail on their machine. Say that you understand that both they and the decision-maker are very busy, and maybe it would be best if you left a voicemail so the prospect can listen to it when they have the time and focus to do so.
A proper sales voicemail will include your name, company, contact information, and reason for calling. Keep it brief and focus on that value. Leave them with a mention of a follow-up and an action to take, such as calling you back or checking out the email you’re about to send them.
The gatekeeper is definitely a hurdle to jump, and you don’t want them to think you don’t value their time. On the other hand, your time is also valuable. If you truly have a solution that could benefit their business, be persistent about showing them how you can make that happen.
Don’t be overbearing or too intense, but don’t give up too easily, either. Especially if it’s your first touchpoint with their business. If it doesn’t work this time around, tell them you’ll call again another time. Let them know they haven’t heard the end of you.
Rejection is a part of sales, but so is persistence.
Some sales reps will be confronted by a gatekeeper and will immediately roll their eyes. If that’s the case for you, check the attitude at the door and start embracing the gatekeeper.
Don’t view the gatekeeper as a roadblock. Instead, consider them an opportunity to create another meaningful relationship with someone in the organization.
There are some key strategies for getting past gatekeepers, and if you implement the tips above whenever you’re confronted with one, your chances of getting through to your prospect increase.
However, at the end of the day, it’s all about approaching the situation with a level head and showing them the respect they deserve. If you do that, they’ll return the favor.
As those conversations progress, don’t forget to keep track of everything in your CRM.
This article was originally published in 2020. It has been updated with new information.
Mary Clare Novak is a former Content Marketing Specialist at G2 based in Burlington, Vermont, where she is explored topics related to sales and customer relationship management. In her free time, you can find her doing a crossword puzzle, listening to cover bands, or eating fish tacos. (she/her/hers)
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