Liking these tips? Follow @KADScrambledEgg on Twitter for wisdom on #sales and #salesmanagement.
I began my sales career cold calling as many of us do. Cold calling is a difficult job that requires one to be resilient to rejection and builds a thick skin. We’ve all dealt with the gatekeeper and we all have techniques for getting around them. Even with inbound leads the gatekeeper can still be difficult to maneuver past.
I was young in my sales career when I learned one of my first lessons about gatekeepers from my mother. She runs a successful business and is well known in her industry. I was listening to her trying to call one of her clients and the gatekeeper was questioning my mother’s intentions. My mother didn’t have time for the delays. When the receptionist asked my mother a question, her reaction set off a light bulb. She was short and curt with the woman on the other end of the line. My mom is extremely busy running the company and was inconvenienced by the receptionist’s inquisition and it showed. The gatekeeper wants to keep unexpected calls away from their boss, however they will be reproved for delaying important calls. My mother's tone was aparent she was not a sales person and she was put through immediately.
What if I applied this same technique to my cold calls? I did and it worked. Here are the lessons learned to get passed gatekeepers:
1) You perception of yourself can be felt on the phone. Reps who think of themselves as inconveniencing the people they’re calling will be a dead giveaway to the gatekeeper. Instead, think of yourself as busy and important as this will be sensed.
2) Tone is extremely important. When you’re cold calling your tone should demonstrate you’re authoritative. Remember you’re busy and you should be inconvenienced by questioning. This does not mean to be rude, it means be strong in your delivery. Being too friendly or meek is a dead giveaway the person you’re asking for is not expecting your call. For example, don't use the word "just" as it seems apologetic and pathetic. "I'm just calling to......." Throw it out of your vocabulary as someone who is taking time out of their busy day doesn't need to "just" check in. There is an important reason for your call. Make it sound that way.
3) Brevity in conjunction with an authoritative tone is a winning combination. You should not ask the reception how they’re doing today. A busy person doesn’t have time to find out how the person who answered the phone is. The gatekeeper will also feel you’re trying to “build rapport” or buttering up to them to hopefully get past them. Many sales reps do this and this is annoying to them so don’t try it. It reeks of you being in sales. You should also not offer your last name or company name unless you're prompted to do so. If you offer this you're letting them know you're giving the additional information because you're not on a first name basis with your prospect.
Just as you are in sales and your job is to get to the right people, the gatekeeper is just as skilled at sensing a sales call and deflecting it. Do something different and unexpected as the gatekeepers are just that – gatekeepers. Do something that is off their radar and hard for them to detect.
Thanks Mike Pici for the Post-it idea!
