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| Mar 31, 2005 7:39 am |
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re: How do you manage gatekeepers |
Kaustav Chakravarthy
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Hi,
We train on sales, and naturally much of our work has to do with selling our services as well.
I've found that the gatekeeper is invariably an ally, provided one shows them the respect they want to see.
1) We start the sales approach by simply dialing the target company and asking to speak with the target. This approach works many times, and the issue of dealing with the gatekeeper does not arrise.
2) If the gatekeeper wants to know what the call is about, we state where we are calling from, and a brief explanation of why we are calling, such as "we would like to make an appointment with Mr. So and So over a business issue". This is invariably enough to get through to the target.
3) One may also come across multiple gatekeepers (such as when the target is a senior official). In this case it is better to use the gatekeeper who is immediately connected to the target, as one's own weapon - I usually get them onto my side by being polite and cheerful, stating my request clearly, taking time to get their name right and empathising with them. Typically my request is to get the target on the line, or to get an appointment with the target. I usually achieve my goal on the second or third call at most.
I've seen very few cases where I've been unable to talk directly to (or atleast pass on an exact message to) the target through the gatekeeper.
Hope this helps.
Ryze and Shine !
KaustavPrivate Reply to Kaustav Chakravarthy (new win) |
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