How to Bypass the Gatekeeper
Get the meeting at the level that counts: Four key sales strategies to get you in and out with sales in hand.
I’m tired of reading and hearing about how to get past the gatekeeper. Emails, articles, news flashes, blasts, webinars, podcasts… they make my blood boil. These “gatekeeper” tactics are insincere, duplicitous, unprofessional, offensive, and a waste of sales time. A waste of your time. And, really, who has time to waste?
The gatekeepers–receptionists, administrative assistants, and executive admins–field calls for the decision-maker. They’re valuable to the executive, but not to you–not until you’ve developed your relationship. And certainly not when you cold call.
My goal is to change your business-development, prospecting, and lead-generation strategies to referral selling, to change the way you sell and succeed. Get past the gatekeeper. And close more business in less time.
Dump the Script
We’ve been trained to make sales phone calls: Say your name (never your company name), why you’re calling, and then relay some brilliantly simple benefit statements about why the person on the other end of the line would want to schedule a meeting with you as soon as possible. Make sure your voice is friendly and upbeat, and don’t wait for the person to respond until you get through your script. And, thank the receptionist or assistant for their help to get them on your side.
In my world, the world of referral selling, cold calling from a script doesn’t cut it. Ever. Think of the opposite sales approach. When you receive a referral, you don’t need a script. Your referral source has pre-sold you and your capabilities. All you need to say is who you are, who referred you, and schedule a time to talk. You’re “proud” to mention your company name. Because you are introduced by a terrific, trusted resource, your prospect wants to know who’s calling–they want to know it’s YOU calling! Done.
Get the List That Counts
The Web 2.0 world promises to increase your prospecting productivity by delivering qualified leads to your inbox at the prospect’s time of need. We’re all familiar with availability of “bought” lists. But take a closer look: Are these leads really qualified, or are they just names?
You might get so-called leads from your website, special offers, email campaigns, direct mail, trade shows, advertising, cold calling, and conferences. These are not sales leads; they are lists. A list will get you to the gatekeeper and no further. Until you qualify them, lists are not sales leads.
The fastest and least expensive way to meet the people you want to meet and who want to meet you is to get a referral and a personal introduction. There is no gatekeeper.
Stop Cold Calling
A sales call is either cold or hot. Here’s my definition (make it yours): A cold call is one that’s made to someone who doesn’t know you and is not expecting your call. Make a cold call, and you’ll get the gatekeeper. Get the gatekeeper, and go nowhere. Salespeople delude themselves into thinking they are making “warm calls” when in fact they’re actually making cold calls.
Consider the following situations. Cold or hot?
- You call someone because you got the name came from a colleague or friend. Cold!
- You call someone and then follow up with a letter. Cold!
- The person’s name came from a specific list. Still cold!
These are all cold calls–the person doesn’t know you and is not expecting your call. Even though you think you’ve been able to avoid sounding like a telemarketer, this type of call is still cold.
Referrals: They’re Hot, Hot, Hot!
Recent research by a global sales organization asked executives why they would take a meeting with a salesperson. The top two reasons:
1. A referral from someone within their company
2. A referral from a trusted source outside the executive’s company
Clearly, referrals matter and make an impact. Make every sales call a HOT call by getting an introduction from your referral source.
Adopt a referral-marketing system and shorten your sales process by at least 30 percent, be pre-sold, gain the trust of the prospect, eliminate the competition, and attract new clients more 50 percent of the time. There is no other sales prospecting or sales strategy that can claim these results.
Get the referral, and get the introduction. The Gatekeeper has left the building. So walk right in and close business!
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Once again, Joanne, very salient information. A good reminder for all.
Bart
Nothing beats a referral. Nothing.
let just try to understand: are you saying that all the efforts that a salesman usually put into finding new “cold clients” prospecting should be on the contrary spent in looking for active references rom existing clients? And that the usual “new business activity” should be definitely removed from our sales action plan? Thanks for your clarification. Paolo
Hi Paolo:
I am definitely saying that cold calling should be removed from a salesperson’s business development activity.
Instead of cold calling, salespeople attract new clients and build sales when referrals are their business development sales plan. Yes, referrals from existing clients, but also from many others.
For more clarification, listen to my 30 minute mini-webinar here http://www.nomorecoldcalling.com/salesworkshop-nmcc_webinar.html The link is in the red box on this page.
Thanks for writing
“Say your name (never your company name”
That cracks me up!
If you get past ANY Gatekeeper WITHOUT divulging your company name, then that Gatekeeper hasn’t done their job properly and doesn’t deserve the title of Gatekeeper…
Thanks Joanne for your clarification. One more question: do you think this approach can be applied to all kind of sales or do you recommend for a specific kind of sales. I mean, I’m studying the different kind of sales. It’ not fair neither true to say that selling is universal, unbiased on what you sell and to whom. I’m dealing with several companies here in Italy with very different approaches and markets: from huge printing machines (B2B) to creams and milks for babies or coockies (B2D) to long term car rentals (or fleet management) to labels to Congress organisation and so on. It is not definitely the same: so I was wondering if this approach could be suitable for every kind of sales. By the way do you have a methodology to classify sales? and by the way your book, that I ordered a couple of days ago, will be shipped today and hope I can get it next week! Ciao and thank you once more. Paolo
Hi Paolo:
Referral selling works in any kind of sales when the sales person has a large group of sales prospects. (Which is true for most salespeople)
Sometimes, a salesperson tells me that his product is specific to a small group of businesses, and he knows all the contacts. Then, referral selling doesn’t apply.
My experience is mainly Business to Business, but referrals also produce results in many Business to Consumer sales situations.
My referral system is great for people looking for a job.
So, you see, there is broad application for referrals.
Thanks Joanna for your explanation. I’ll come back when I’ve read your book. See you soon…
Paolo
Great read. I cant express enough how outdated cold calling is. Really people, stop doing it!
After sifting through so many “Warm” leads and getting nowhere…we changed our process and went down the referral route – What a difference it has made! No more wasted time cold calling for me thank you very much! Joanne – your book has completely changed the way I spend my time. Thank you!
[...] you receive an introduction through a referral, you make an immediate connection (Read, “How to Bypass the Gatekeeper“). You’re already pre-sold, shorten your sales process, talk to the decision-maker, and [...]
[...] you receive a referral introduction, there’s no resistance and no gatekeeper. “Anatomy of a cold call”? There is no anatomy. The call is dead. Call the [...]