Maureen S
5000+connects TopLinked.com Telephone Name Sourcer/MagicMethod Trainer-Names Generator
What is the most common Gatekeeper response you encounter?
This question is for those who are engaged in telephone names sourcing* or for those who have a reason to penetrate beyond the Gatekeeper to reach someone you may (or may not yet) know the name of. What is the most common Gatekeeper response you encounter and can you also describe your approach that elicits that Gatekeeper's most common response?
Thanks!
Maureen Sharib
Telephone Names Sourcer/MagicMethod Trainer
*telephone names sourcing: the finding of persons who hold (usually) specific titles in (usually) specific companies so that you may approach them with your opportunity.
Answers (20)
Trish B
Inside Sales Expert - The Bridge Group, Inc.
Best Answers in: Sales Techniques (5), Lead Generation (4), Equity Markets (1)
When sourcing the contact to whom we wish to position our value proposition when we don't have a name, always call high. The higher the contact in the organization the more informed about organizational structure his gatekeeper will be.
The age old method of "asking for assistance" almost always works. i.e. "Mary, I am hoping you can help me. I am trying to find the person within your organization that is responsible for application security. Can you point me in the right direction?" If the gatekeeper does point you in the right direction you can now also say you were referred by X's office which may be an advantage.
Many also try this approach via email by asking for the "C" level contact to make a referral. There is a particular method to how you do this as well - if you want more info on that topic let me know.
If the gatekeeper works with the person you need to contact, you can also use this same method. "Mary, I am trying to reach John. Can you get me on his calendar for a 10 minute introductory call? Here is what I would like to discuss....(insert compelling value proposition)". If she won't schedule you then ask for the best way to communicate with your desired contact or ask "How would you reach out to xxx if you were me?"
Hope this helps.
This may not be a direct answer though it is an approach to getting contacts. I would say "may I ask what this is regarding?" is most common reponse, so I try to avoid that by not asking for the particular title but for the office and admin.
I generally find a gatekeeper is a gatekeeper for a reason. They may be both shielding the authority your trying to approach but also the influence you may want to connect with. They jealously protect their boss's valuable time, but are also the person who knows where all the bodies are and thats the real key.
My particular efforts are usually to establish a relationship at the C level be it CIO, CEO, etc. and these names are generally publically available. However those may not always be the level you wish to enter at.
I have found the "best" gatekeeper is the Executive Assistant. I will not call the front desk and request the CIO directly. I will actually ask for the administrative assistant for whichever position I seek to connect with and once connected will outline who I am and my goals in contacting them. C level people delegate much and in any process be it pre-sales or throughout the project lifecycle they will delegate the bulk of the direct contact and support work to appropriate staff members. In reality they will mostly direct you to their personal assistant who will know and schedule you with the "right" people.
Establishing a good working relationship with the executive assistant will gain you the access to not only schedule, but to the appropriate "key-givers" in the immediate orbit of the signature authority. These are generally the trusted advisors the C level executive will look to for opinion on your proposed solution anyway. This of course builds a whole list of names and direct contacts . I find that being upfront about your goal in establishing a business relationship and asking their help in the best ways and people to approach gets you much farther than asking for the CEO's name and direct contact info.
While this is primarily directed to pre-sales and delivery, I would think the approach would work where collection is the goal. If your inquiry is seen as intrusive you will not get past the gate, however if your approach is such that it supports their mission to protect the authorities valuable time, they will happily redirect you to any number of names and titles effectively turning gatekeepers into key givers.
Hope this helps.
Thank you :)
Paul M
Federal Civilian and Commerical Technology Account Manager
Best Answers in: Sales Techniques (2), Business Development (1)
First of all, if you can't find out the name of who you want to call, then you are probably calling too low. I've had the most luck calling one level below the top when I need to call.
Treat the gatekeeper as if he or she is the executive you want to reach. And stop using the term gatekeeper, this person in an executive assistant. This is not just substituting a euphemism, it's a very important distinction. Gatekeeping is binary, once the gate opening has been granted, a gatkeeper would have no value to you.
An executive assistant provides value to the executive by only allowing through information and resources (including yourself) that provide value. Your relationship with an executive assistant only gets stronger if you work with an executive over time.
An EA knows what the boss is worried about, and will admit you if you professionally can show what that value is. Even if you are targeting the wrong person, a good EA will point you in the right direction, as long as you are providing value.
Do not go on a fishing expedition with the EA, it means that you haven't done your homework yet. It usually takes me about 2-4 hours to gather the information needed to make a 30 second first call to an organization. If you haven't done that level of research, you are not ready to call that executive or the EA.
Usually, I request 15-30 minute meetings with an Executive. It's enough to give my value prop, and see if we can work together.
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Sayeed C
Owner, cassim unlimited
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maureen
i have worked with many government departments in india where gate keepers can be quite a pain.
firstly i ensure that i walk in a hurry. never permit any of them to catch my eye and have a slightly irritated expression on my face.
if they do stop me i either speak in english (these low level staff are not comfortable in english) or could speak in hindi which is not a language of the south. right through i have this superior air that i do belong wherever i am going. i never ask permission to go and in rare instances have had to openly drop names of senior officers who i know sit way inside.
the same policy works like magic even in star hotels .
makes dull and boring work that much more fun.
sayeed
Ralph B
President at FLARB LLC and Owner, FLARB LLC
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No.
Since I am a GATEKEEPER I thought I would add my comments on "Common Gatekeeper Response" :
1. People who call me without identifying who they are get's the least assistance and "No".
2. People who continually repeat my name (feigning familiarity) without ever mentioning theirs - I am anxious to get rid of those calls too.
3. When I have to ask who they are ...
a. they respond with a first name and a generic company name that means nothing to me - again I will try to end the call.
b. If respond with a full name, name of company and reason for calling - I will spend my precious time listening to who they want to contact and actually assist them.
4. About 50% of the outside sales calls ask for former employees. That immediately shows me that they are going down a list of names and have not done any homework on our company. Especially since it is easy to confirm management names by checking the company website.
WHAT WORKS FOR ME? Several people who responded first have already said it but let me just confirm that what they say is true! I will do my best to assist anyone who tells me the truth right off the bat, who gets to the point and doesn't waste my time. Someone who remembers speak with a respectful tone (and not talk down to me) because I am getting nothing out of helping them - they are benefitting. And when they call during a time that I am on a deadline and don't have the time to talk - I appreciate people who are willing to send me an email stating what they need and why they are contacting our company and then I can forward it out to our management team.
II have never had problems that people want to try to provide their services to the company I am working for and I will see that their information gets to the right people. I let those people decide on whether they want to do business with them.
Mark M
Managing Director - Financial & Accounting Professionals LLC (accruals@insight.rr.com)
Best Answers in: Using LinkedIn (1)
the absolute most common phone response is after you indicate who the call is for and what it's about:
pregnant pause,,,,,,oh mr./ms. is in a meeting,,,,,,,,
now this once happened when a partner at a CPA firm in Cleveland was standing about three feet away from me at a golf tournment,,,,,,,,,so I thanked the gatekeeper and said great, I'll just speak with him at in the (client company tent) and her response was to get real smart first and then apologize, because that is what she was told to say,,,,,and just said never mind and went and introduced myself.
Bill S
Vice President /General Manager Shippers Warehouse & Managing Dir. for Atlanta Supply Chain Inc. 20,000 Connections
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Ask for the gatekeepers admin, they hold the keys to entry. Be polite and nice.
Best Regards,
Bill Stankiewicz
Vice President and General Manager
Shippers Warehouse of Georgia
Office: 678-364-3475
Williams@shipperswarehouse.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/billstankiewicz2006
Sustainable Consumer Packaged Goods member
CPG Branding and Forum Member"
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Shashank S
Senior Research Associate
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I am presently trying to get through to the Recruiters at KPOs and Management Consultancies in Delhi/NCR. Invariably, the Gatekeeper responses, I have received so far, jockeys between:
1) Please upload the resume using the link provided on the website. We shall get back when we think appropriate (regardless of what is mentioned as the response duration/application process on the website).
2) The concerned person is not available at this moment. We can't provide the email address either.
So, in case you happen to be inexperienced in this field and not on a campus, chances are that your 'alternative background' can mar your chances of getting that elusive call.
Chris B suggests this expert on this topic:
Randall is a superb sales and marketing professional. While he may not specifically use cold calling, I'm reasonably sure he has experience penetrating companies to identify sales opportunities, improve contract retention, or otherwise is just a consummate professional with expert interpersonal skill who could lend some wisdom.
Darlene M
Career Coach at Tough Questions? Great Answers!
Best Answers in: Job Search (1), Staffing and Recruiting (1), Direct Marketing (1), Internet Marketing (1), Career Management (1)
Paul's answer: "Treat the gatekeeper as if he or she is the executive you want to reach. And stop using the term gatekeeper, this person in an executive assistant. This is not just substituting a euphemism, it's a very important distinction. Gatekeeping is binary, once the gate opening has been granted, a gatkeeper would have no value to you." This is good stuff!!
I have been the person, a personal assistant, between you and the person you want to reach. You have less than 30 seconds to convince me that you had something of value to say. If you couldn't convince me, my boss rarely got the message. If I did mention it, it was usually about how quick I got you off the phone. So, be intentional, be precise, create value quickly or don't bother to call. I was very good at ending the call within 30 seconds or less if the person was calling and fumbling through their value statement. That's all!
Joe B
Partner at The Clarion Group, Executive Search
Best Answers in: Job Search (1), Staffing and Recruiting (1)
Generally if you do it with confidence we have little resistance in getting senior names.
More frequently the problem is the lack of knowledge of the person answering the phone:
“May I speak with your Vice President of Sales?”
“I don’t know who that is.”
“Then can you connect me with the sale department?”
“We don’t have one.”
“Suppose I wanted to buy something from your company? Whom would I speak with?”
“I think you have to go to our web site.”
For a long time I’ve considered starting the sales & marketing consulting/research company called: “I_Tried_To_Buy_Something_From_Your_Company_And_You_Wouldn’t_Let_Me.com” and market it to these companies’ CEO’s who all think they are “customer driven.” Anyone want to co-found?
Some companies are tougher than others and every do often we still do get “Why do you want to know?” It’s our policy to tell the truth, identify ourselves and say we are calling for help on an assignment. It works, usually.
Ariel R
Motivational Professional
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I called an attorney's office a few years back to confirm with the attorney that he is on his way to a lunch meeting that we had scheduled in 15 minutes. This was a colleague of mine from a different company, and the way that he trained his secretary was to tell people that "he is in court". This attorney hasnt been inside a courtroom for a good 15 years now!! lol.
I'll tell you what works for me.
Scenario:
Exec. Assist.: "Dr. Smith's office, this is Debbie, may I help you?"
My response: "Hi Debbie, how are you today? My name is Ariel Royzin, and I am calling from Scientific Search to speak with Bob (You should know his first name if you're already making the call), and I wanted to chat with him concerning his LinkedIn account online. Would you please be so kind as to please connect me into his voicemail, since I know that he is in a meeting Debbie."
If Debbie wants me to leave a message with her, I leave her my name, company and telephone number, along with my concern for his linkedin account.
Should I be so lucky as to get into his voicemail (this happens every now and again, lol) I tell him MY reason why I am calling. I have been fortunate about this thus far, and would recommend others to try it.
The old adage of acting as if you know the person still works well. And if you've really done your homework ie googled the person you are calling found out something unique about them you can in fact feel that to a degree you know the person with whom you'll be speaking with.
When I call into a company and ask for John Doe and his assistant ask what the call is regarding I offer my first and last name and company name.
However, my tone suggest that John and I just might be old friends and that he should be expecting my call. This usually gets me through to the intended person. If it does not and the admin throws me into voicemail. I'll leave a short message. Several days later I call back and I now have the admins name and I greet her as if she and I know each other. I will at this point simply ask her for her help. "Hey Jane, I called a couple of days ago trying to reach John about how he could use our services to improve his process. I know he's a really busy but I truly believe our services will assist him in streamlining his process. Would you please help me in reaching him?" I find that being as completely honest, open and friendly as you can with everyone you do business with goes a long way. My two cents...
Michael C
CFO and Entrepreneur
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Maureen,
My days of Cold Calling are several years old, but what I have found in general is that when I am trying to get to something or someone, when I don't know exactly how or who, the best approach is honesty and friendliness. (assuming that you are a genuinely honest and friendly person.)
When I was both selling professional services, and as an Entrepreneur, I had a 5 minute elevator speech. Basically something like this.
"Hi, my name is XXX and I work for XXX. Have you heard of us?" . . . No, well that’s OK. How about this. Can I have 5 minutes of your time to tell you who we are and why I am calling you, and if you feel that it makes sense for us to talk further, then great, otherwise I won't waste any more of your time."
It cuts to the chase and asks for permission.
In terms of the Gatekeeper, say the same thing, but simply change it slightly to ask them for 5 minutes of their boss’s time. Treat them with respect, and ask for their permission and you will be surprised how much help you will get.
As long as you really believe in what you have to offer, you will do fine.
I have always found that, for example, when dealing with check-in lines at the Airport, if the guy in front of you is being a complete jerk, then you come in after and apologize for them and treat him or her with respect, and you will find that they will go out of their way to help you if they can.
Assume that the person that called before you treated the Gatekeeper like a low paid flunkey, and treat them like they are as important as the Executive that you are trying to reach and you will get through more times than not, and if you don’t you will probably know why.
Of course if you want to be really creative, you could have your assistant call first with some contrived reason and be a complete jerk, and then you could call 5 minutes later with your pitch and be the nicest person in the world. Just a thought.
Two of the most common Gatekeeper responses you will receive are:
"I am sorry he or she is in a meeting (on the telephone)" Both are often true, sometimes not.
"She is not available at this time" which is always true since it may mean that, "She is not available at this time" or “She is not available to talk to *you* at this time.”
As a former "gatekeeper", I can tell you that rudeness, pretending you are too busy to talk to staff; or are someone of importance so you will not be questioned, will not work with an experienced executive assistant or gatekeeper. However, being honest may.
In the past people who would not normally be able to talk to my manager did make contact simply because they did not use trickery to gain entrance. If you have a service or something similar, you should remember that many busy vp's or manager's will think of you as a salesperson, it won‘t matter what service you have to offer. However, if the gatekeeper is willing to listen to you (assuming you are willing to talk to the gatekeeper and explain your reason for calling) you have a good chance of getting to the powers that be.
You should also be aware that even if you do manage to get through the door, you still may not be invited further because you chose to bypass the gatekeeper. More times than not, my exec asked me what I thought of the person, product, etc. and went with what I thought or advised. The term gatekeeper is a misnomer. Gatekeepers are more than that, they are valuable and trusted advisors and as such, sometimes become annoyed (or incensed) when someone passes under the gate without their knowledge.
The gatekeeper can be your best friend when trying to get to the boss.
"Thanks, we have everything we need in that area, so no need to discuss it with you"
My response to that would be "We have a number of clients who are your peers and have gained significant business benefits. Can your company afford to ignore what your peers consider important?"
Maureen,
Gatekeepers are people, I treat them with the highest respect, talk to them with language "in their world" and I befiernd them without trickery or manipulation. I get REAL with them and I have great results getting to the people I seek to talk to.
The most common response is "what is this in regards to?"
That's when I get engaged with them and get one on one if possible with them, so that they feel OK with letting thru.
Jeff Tytel
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Kevin J
Senior Sales Director at The Hackett Group
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Perhaps my best sales advice was from a good friend who is the Executive Assistant for the CEO of a $4B company. I chided her, asking her "...what exactly do you do all day?", expecting a "hem-haw" answer. Shows how little respect I had for her role. Anyway, her response was cathartic for me. She said, "You know, Kevin, I maximize Dave's free time". I chuckled, but she repeated what she said, and it resonated inside of me.
So in every phone call [they get dozens a day], they must assess if your "schpiel" is worthy of taking part of their exec's day. EAs are well-informed, and in every sense of the phrase, the "right hand man" for a good executive. And their reputations are on the line, when they decide who gets part of their exec's time. So rightfully so, they take their jobs seriously.
So you need to have your research DONE, when you speak to them. And if you have done your homework, you will know the right value-proposition for their executive. If you make them look good, they will be your biggest supporter.
