Most sellers want to get as quickly as possible to the ultimate decision maker in an account rather than sell their service to some third party, junior executive. This can be very difficult. Particularly in larger and more complex organisations senior people are protected by one or more ‘Gatekeepers’.
Whether formally appointed as Personal Assistant, Assistant Manager or Secretary there is no doubt about their true role. These employees see their main task as preventing anyone (internal or external) gaining access to their boss.
Today’s effective cold caller needs to make an ally of the gatekeeper who can be extremely helpful to the hopeful seller. The most effective way to do this is very similar to the opening approach recommended for the actual decision maker: ask for help.
“Good morning is that the Personal Assistant for <Mr Prospect>? …….It is? Thank you I wonder if you could help me?”
(Wait)
Well can you tell what you want?
“Certainly my name is <John Brown> of <Allied Pharmaceuticals>. My company has never done business with your company before but I’d like to change that. The problem is I don’t know the best way to make an initial approach to your company and I was hoping that you could guide me?”
Occasionally at this point the gatekeeper will put you through to their boss – so you have a result.
But more often you will be advised to send an introductory letter or email to the boss.
This communication must not attempt to ‘sell’ your service but rather it should seek help in finding the right person who has to deal with the type of problem your email describes. (The type of problem your business exists to solve)
All such emails or letters must be followed up with a further phone call about one week later. This time, when the gatekeeper asks what you want, you can honestly say that: “It is about some information I was asked to send to Mr Prospect”.
The best way of all to deal with gatekeepers is to avoid them altogether by calling when they are least likely to be there. These times are between 07:45am and 08:30am Monday to Friday and between 17:45 and 18:30
Monday to Thursday. Friday afternoon is special because it is the best time of the week for all cold calling: so many staff are out yet most bosses are in.
You will be surprised how often your request to be connected to Mr Prospect results in a direct pick up by the person you’re after.
The most recent reaction I had to an odd-time cold call was to be asked by “Mr Prospect” how I had got directly through to him. I told him to which he replied: That should not have happened…but can you show my sales people how to do that?
Bob Etherington
