Getting to Know Your Gatekeeper

There are times when cold calling can seem like a sport. You have your objective and numerous strategies on how to reach it. Once you get to the end, a winning record will reward you with new customers and higher sales. There are always going to be obstacles between you and your goal and your success depends on how you handle them. One of the biggest roadblocks you will face when cold calling is the gatekeeper. The B2B telemarketing services you choose to utilize will help you through this seemingly tough opponent and on to your objective. After all, you can’t start your lead nurturing process until you are allowed to speak with the right people. The gatekeeper holds a very important role and the more you understand them, the better chance you have of getting past them.

A Gatekeeper’s Role

You’ve been there before. You have what seems to be a perfect lead but you just can’t get anyone on the phone. You’ve left messages, called back at more appropriate times, and even tried to sweet talk the gatekeeper, but still no luck. Before getting too frustrated, take the time to understand the job of the person answering the phone. They need to make sure only important and essential calls get through. You are probably not the only salesperson they speak with on any particular day so it is understandable why they may make excuses for their co-workers or send you straight to voicemail. The more you learn about their specific job, the better the chance you will be able to get through to them over the phone.

Use Their Expertise

With the amount of cold calls you have probably made over the course of your career, you have no doubt come to realize that the gatekeeper often knows more than people give them credit for. They can have insights into what needs improvement in their company as well as first-hand knowledge of what the higher-ups are looking to fix or replace. Take a moment to ask what they know about your services and if they think it would work for their business. They may be unsure or they could know that their boss was just talking about adding your exact product into their daily practice. You won’t know how involved the gatekeeper is unless you ask. You’ll be surprised how often it can work in your favor.

Personalize It

Depending on the size of the business you are trying to sell to, the same person may answer every time you call. This makes it easier to build a rapport. On the other hand, you could get a variety of employees making it a little more challenging to get to know everyone. Start taking notes on all the people you speak with. Each time you get in touch with them, bring up the details of your last conversation. Relating to everyone you come in contact with is a great way to set yourself apart from the numerous other sales people that try to get through every day. Once you are on a first name basis with them, you will no doubt be first in line to speak with your buyer.

Keep In Touch

If you tell a person you will call back on a specific day at a specific time, make sure you keep that appointment. While the gatekeeper may not be the one to make final decisions, they could make it easier for you in the long run. A company will sometimes not have use for your services right away, but that can always change. Contracts expire, prices increase, and sometimes their desired level of service is not met. If anything like this happens, you want to make sure you are checking in on a regular basis. Your next call may be met with a willingness to set up a meeting because the gatekeeper already knows you are exactly who they need to do business with. It is common to not get great results on your first call, but you never know what could happen with the next one.

There will always be roadblocks keeping you from making a sale. It is how you handle these obstacles that will set you apart from your competition. A gatekeeper usually has quite a few responsibilities, one of which is making sure only important phone calls get through to different departments. Prove your worth by building a relationship with the person on the other end of the line rather than just trying to get past them. Staying on top of your call schedule to make sure your company is fresh in their minds is also a great way to get through to a buyer. Stop thinking about a gatekeeper as an annoyance and start thinking of them as someone who can help you. Your lead generation success will be proof that it works.