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Gatekeepers vs Time

by rundmc56
11 replies
Many phone gurus think it’s better to try and get past the gatekeeper with some sort of line than to just politely get off the phone when they ask you “What’s this call regarding or some sort of response like that.

I'm starting to question if any kind of response to try and get past the gatekeeper is worth it. It can be energy draining if 25% of your dials involve gatekeepers.

Might it be more efficient to politely get off the phone as fast as possible when you know a gatekeeper is screening you so that you can increase your daily outbound calls? Or do you try and see if you can get past the gatekeepers you come across in a day of dialing?

I think I could make at least 1 more dial for every gatekeeper I come in contact with and i think the dialing might be less stressful and more effective.

Any thoughts?
#gatekeepers #time
  • Profile picture of the author jamesfreddyc
    http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...ml#post5396849

    Scroll down a few posts in that thread to Ewan's great alternative approach! (sorry Ewen I'll just quote you from that post here)


    "Hi, Ewen here, just calling to see if I can get you people a better deal on X,
    who should I be speaking to about this?"
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  • Profile picture of the author kenmichaels
    Originally Posted by rundmc56 View Post

    Many phone gurus think it’s better to try and get past the gatekeeper with some sort of line than to just politely get off the phone when they ask you “What’s this call regarding or some sort of response like that.

    I'm starting to question if any kind of response to try and get past the gatekeeper is worth it. It can be energy draining if 25% of your dials involve gatekeepers.

    Might it be more efficient to politely get off the phone as fast as possible when you know a gatekeeper is screening you so that you can increase your daily outbound calls? Or do you try and see if you can get past the gatekeepers you come across in a day of dialing?

    I think I could make at least 1 more dial for every gatekeeper I come in contact with and i think the dialing might be less stressful and more effective.

    Any thoughts?
    If you're getting stressed when making calls - you're doing something wrong.

    You asking a questions the "pro's" argue amongst themselves about.

    Only you know what will work best for you. So try it and see how it works.
    Signature

    Selling Ain't for Sissies!
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    • Profile picture of the author rundmc56
      Originally Posted by kenmichaels View Post

      If you're getting stressed when making calls - you're doing something wrong.

      You asking a questions the "pro's" argue amongst themselves about.

      Only you know what will work best for you. So try it and see how it works.
      Ken, I really appreciate your input on this and guess where I'm really trying to go with the question is productivity and efficiency. Stress really wasn't a good choice word for me to use.

      For example, if the gatekeeper says the usual "What's this call regarding?' a response like "I had an issue to discuss with Bob. If now is not a good time I can try again later." Then get off the phone fast and make the next dial.

      I mean, we know its a screen job so why fight it.

      And you're right, maybe just making a ton calls with this process is the only way to know.

      I can dial all over the country so I certainly don't have to worry about not enough numbers and guess I'm just wondering if anybody out there works the phone with that mindset and feels more productive regarding calling.
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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    What are you selling?

    If you're selling services worth 10's of thousands of dollars (high end sales) you need to treat the situation a bit different compared to selling $10 coupon books (bulk sales).
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  • Profile picture of the author qu4rk
    Originally Posted by rundmc56 View Post

    Many phone gurus think it's better to try and get past the gatekeeper with some sort of line than to just politely get off the phone when they ask you "What's this call regarding or some sort of response like that.

    I'm starting to question if any kind of response to try and get past the gatekeeper is worth it. It can be energy draining if 25% of your dials involve gatekeepers.

    Might it be more efficient to politely get off the phone as fast as possible when you know a gatekeeper is screening you so that you can increase your daily outbound calls? Or do you try and see if you can get past the gatekeepers you come across in a day of dialing?

    I think I could make at least 1 more dial for every gatekeeper I come in contact with and i think the dialing might be less stressful and more effective.

    Any thoughts?
    If your call list is companies of the size that have gate keepers then I suggest looking up Chet Holmes system. He has a specific part in dealing with GK's. You can find it on Youtube for free. I can't remember which module deals with it, but I remember how he says to handle GK's...but I would butcher it if I tried to explain it to you.
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    • Profile picture of the author rundmc56
      Originally Posted by qu4rk View Post

      If your call list is companies of the size that have gate keepers then I suggest looking up Chet Holmes system. He has a specific part in dealing with GK's. You can find it on Youtube for free. I can't remember which module deals with it, but I remember how he says to handle GK's...but I would butcher it if I tried to explain it to you.
      I am very familiar with that Youtube video and it's one of my favorites and for me now might be a great time to re-visit the whole gatekeeper philosophy. I can find that video and try to post it for anyone who's interested.

      (In that video, Chet Holmes takes control of the the call by making the gatekeeper go back to the decision maker time and time again with questions in the hopes of wearing her out where she finally says to the Decision maker, "Will you just take this call....!!!

      That's BS

      People are much smarter today. They can smell a salesman before he picks up the phone to call them.

      Why waste energy? If your going for high sales volume , why waste your power on a business that has already planned how they are going to take you down. A business that doesn't want to deal with salespeople.

      That doesn't mean you can convert them. With a sales tactic you can convert them. But at what cost!!!

      Prospecting is about talking to people and companies who are interested in what you offer. Lots of people!!!

      Don't get me wrong, I'm just opening this up for discussion.

      Do you want to be the Caller that embodies Action, Momentum, Consistency, Confidence, Endurance, or the Caller who fawns to a Gatekeeper who is really just an Energy Sucker

      Why mess with it? What makes us different than a Robo Caller is a computer can't feel when we are getting a blow off, but we can.

      I've been doing calls for years and everyone has their lines for the gatekeeper. I think it's all bullshit. they are just as smart as you are. So knowing that, why let them steal your most valuable asset....TIME!

      In markets where you're working on a relatively small prospecting list, working the gatekeeper for relationship and information gathering may be warranted. But if you have a huge market, why?

      My thinking is changing. Maybe I should be looking for the needy buyer. The buyer that has interest for what I offer.

      You know...when I think about all the sales I've made through the years, probably 80% of them have been with people and companies who were open to what I had to offer.

      I guess I'm wondering why have I been working so hard trying to buck the system with tricks, sales tactics, gurus and other bull shit
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      • Profile picture of the author aapma
        I've tried every trick in the book to get past the GK. In my experience, I judge the situation on the amount of leads I have available.

        If I'm calling a local market, I do not have many leads in the particular niche I'm calling for, do I have to get past the GK?.... Of course I do, If I want to earn money in that space.

        If I have thousands of leads... I will not waste my time with the GK......

        From my perspective...... the GK is working under instructions from the people or person they are protecting. A majority of the time that I have battled with the GK and won, more often than not, I am then confronted by a very angry person once they realise that I am on the phone to sell something to them.

        For me personally, I've seen the new business that has been opened by guys that battle every GK and then every prospect they get live on the phone.......

        I'm not saying there is anything wrong with this tactic as many sales are made using these methods.

        What I would say, is that it's difficult to build the "Know Like and Trust" elements to the sale when you are having a battle. In my experience, "Know Like and Trust" are critical elements of a sale for anyone, or any business that is looking to build a long-term relationship with the prospect.

        As the song goes........ I did it myyyyyyy way... and it works for me.

        Cheers
        Signature

        The place for creativity in marketing is NOT to create something out of nothing...

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      • Profile picture of the author animal44
        Originally Posted by rundmc56 View Post

        Why waste energy? If your going for high sales volume , why waste your power on a business that has already planned how they are going to take you down. A business that doesn't want to deal with salespeople.
        Originally Posted by rundmc56 View Post

        My thinking is changing. Maybe I should be looking for the needy buyer. The buyer that has interest for what I offer.
        Well said...!
        Signature

        People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.
        What I do for a living

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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    Originally Posted by rundmc56 View Post

    Many phone gurus think it's better to try and get past the gatekeeper with some sort of line than to just politely get off the phone when they ask you "What's this call regarding or some sort of response like that.

    I'm starting to question if any kind of response to try and get past the gatekeeper is worth it. It can be energy draining if 25% of your dials involve gatekeepers.

    Might it be more efficient to politely get off the phone as fast as possible when you know a gatekeeper is screening you so that you can increase your daily outbound calls? Or do you try and see if you can get past the gatekeepers you come across in a day of dialing?

    I think I could make at least 1 more dial for every gatekeeper I come in contact with and i think the dialing might be less stressful and more effective.

    Any thoughts?
    Did you listen to the recording in the post JamesFreddy linked you to?

    If you SOUND like a salesperson, OF COURSE the gatekeeper is going to back into the traditional attacker-defender set up where you as the salesperson are trying to scale the castle wall, and they're up there with burning oil to pour down on you.

    So DON'T SOUND LIKE A SALESPERSON.

    Have a quick reason why they should connect your call.

    Here's the secret: it doesn't even have to make sense. Not really.

    What 9/10 gatekeepers are looking for is ENOUGH of a reason, just barely enough, to put the call through.

    They WANT to connect the call.

    And if you're in the mindset of being combative, that's your problem. Take responsibility for changing that mindset. Because the truth is they WANT to do their job.

    Only in fields where they have been explicitly told to protect their boss' time, like attorneys and dentists, do they deliberately block.

    1/10 times on average (heck it's probably 1/20 or 1/30, but let's be conservative here to prep you for reality) you are simply going to run into some cantankerous gatekeeper who feels it is their life's purpose to sit like a stone and block the flow of everything that comes by.

    Let those go.

    NOTHING you can do will fix them.

    Not your problem.

    Identify and move on ASAP. After all, what the gatekeeper is like is indicative of what the whole culture is like. Isn't it.

    Rude begets rude.

    Do you want a rude client?

    I don't.

    The rest, every other normal garden variety gatekeeper, WANTS TO HELP YOU. Just give them the barest almost-good-enough reason to!

    No pitching.

    The gatekeeper is not for pitching to.

    Just give them a basic reason to connect your call.

    They want to be able to say to their boss, "Well, it SOUNDED like a call I should put through."

    CYA Mentality.

    Combined with general niceness and a desire to please.

    Just sound different.

    "Hi, my name's Jason...maybe you can help me."

    *surprised pause* "Okay!" (immediately helpful tone)

    "I'm not sure who I should speak with..." (even if you DO know the name--I use this method every day and it has instantly gotten me connected with presidents of large companies) "...I'm looking for the person who takes care of..." whatever it is. "But I'm not sure who that would be there."

    Sometimes they will connect you so fast they won't even tell you where you're going.

    Other times they'll ask, "Sure, what's this regarding?"

    Now if you get your dander up here, you've made a mistake and failed. That's your issue. They're not asking because they're wanting to block you.

    THEY ARE ASKING BECAUSE THEY ARE SEEKING THAT BAREST GOOD-ENOUGH SLIVER OF A REASON TO CONNECT YOU.

    See, it isn't what happens...it's how you interpret what happens.

    If this was Cranky Gatekeeper Who Despises Salespeople #1157, you'd know it by now. And you could politely disconnect.

    Everyone else...friendly. Wanting to help.

    Get this straight in your head. If you made it this far, you're one step from success.

    Ready for the secret?

    NOW YOU JUST REPEAT WHAT YOU SAID A MOMENT AGO.

    Oh. You thought they were listening to you?


    Ha ha ha ha ha!

    They weren't listening!! They were looking at their computer screen or out the window or waving at a co-worker who just came back from a break outside.

    Don't take this all so seriously. They sure don't. (Well, Cantankerous Meanie Gatekeeper #7663 does, but who cares about her? She's not our target market.)

    Repeat what you just said.

    "Well, like I said, I'm looking for the person who takes care of XYZ. But again, I'm not sure who that would be there..." and trail off.

    This forum is littered with testimonials from people over the past several YEARS who have tried this approach and come back to report their fascination with their success with it.

    Remember, some gatekeepers will block you.

    There's no escaping it.

    Most, however, are actually on your side and want to help you--if you give them an almost-good-enough reason!

    Now get your head straight and back to work.
    Signature
    >> Executive advisory: Unstick sales, strategy & growth problems fast → jasonkanigan.com

    >> Agency founders: Regain control when overwhelmed
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    • Profile picture of the author RRG
      Originally Posted by Jason Kanigan View Post

      Did you listen to the recording in the post JamesFreddy linked you to?

      If you SOUND like a salesperson, OF COURSE the gatekeeper is going to back into the traditional attacker-defender set up where you as the salesperson are trying to scale the castle wall, and they're up there with burning oil to pour down on you.

      So DON'T SOUND LIKE A SALESPERSON.

      Have a quick reason why they should connect your call.

      Here's the secret: it doesn't even have to make sense. Not really.

      What 9/10 gatekeepers are looking for is ENOUGH of a reason, just barely enough, to put the call through.

      They WANT to connect the call.

      And if you're in the mindset of being combative, that's your problem. Take responsibility for changing that mindset. Because the truth is they WANT to do their job.

      Only in fields where they have been explicitly told to protect their boss' time, like attorneys and dentists, do they deliberately block.

      1/10 times on average (heck it's probably 1/20 or 1/30, but let's be conservative here to prep you for reality) you are simply going to run into some cantankerous gatekeeper who feels it is their life's purpose to sit like a stone and block the flow of everything that comes by.

      Let those go.

      NOTHING you can do will fix them.

      Not your problem.

      Identify and move on ASAP. After all, what the gatekeeper is like is indicative of what the whole culture is like. Isn't it.

      Rude begets rude.

      Do you want a rude client?

      I don't.

      The rest, every other normal garden variety gatekeeper, WANTS TO HELP YOU. Just give them the barest almost-good-enough reason to!

      No pitching.

      The gatekeeper is not for pitching to.

      Just give them a basic reason to connect your call.

      They want to be able to say to their boss, "Well, it SOUNDED like a call I should put through."

      CYA Mentality.

      Combined with general niceness and a desire to please.

      Just sound different.

      "Hi, my name's Jason...maybe you can help me."

      *surprised pause* "Okay!" (immediately helpful tone)

      "I'm not sure who I should speak with..." (even if you DO know the name--I use this method every day and it has instantly gotten me connected with presidents of large companies) "...I'm looking for the person who takes care of..." whatever it is. "But I'm not sure who that would be there."

      Sometimes they will connect you so fast they won't even tell you where you're going.

      Other times they'll ask, "Sure, what's this regarding?"

      Now if you get your dander up here, you've made a mistake and failed. That's your issue. They're not asking because they're wanting to block you.

      THEY ARE ASKING BECAUSE THEY ARE SEEKING THAT BAREST GOOD-ENOUGH SLIVER OF A REASON TO CONNECT YOU.

      See, it isn't what happens...it's how you interpret what happens.

      If this was Cranky Gatekeeper Who Despises Salespeople #1157, you'd know it by now. And you could politely disconnect.

      Everyone else...friendly. Wanting to help.

      Get this straight in your head. If you made it this far, you're one step from success.

      Ready for the secret?

      NOW YOU JUST REPEAT WHAT YOU SAID A MOMENT AGO.

      Oh. You thought they were listening to you?


      Ha ha ha ha ha!

      They weren't listening!! They were looking at their computer screen or out the window or waving at a co-worker who just came back from a break outside.

      Don't take this all so seriously. They sure don't. (Well, Cantankerous Meanie Gatekeeper #7663 does, but who cares about her? She's not our target market.)

      Repeat what you just said.

      "Well, like I said, I'm looking for the person who takes care of XYZ. But again, I'm not sure who that would be there..." and trail off.

      This forum is littered with testimonials from people over the past several YEARS who have tried this approach and come back to report their fascination with their success with it.

      Remember, some gatekeepers will block you.

      There's no escaping it.

      Most, however, are actually on your side and want to help you--if you give them an almost-good-enough reason!

      Now get your head straight and back to work.
      I used to have a position where we used this (outside sales, not on the phone) as our opener to whoever we encountered upon entering.

      "Hi, I wonder if you could help me . . . " (shut up).

      Like Jason said, most people WANT to be helpful.

      I love Chet Holmes (particularly his Dream 100 strategy), but that approach is not one I would want to use on the phone.
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  • Profile picture of the author Freebiequeen1999
    It also depends on who you are trying to reach - docs,dentist, etc busy with client....
    service biz - owner may be out in field, doing work or supervising
    restaurant owner may be cooking or supervising
    you can increase chances by knowing when/time etc to call
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