Tips on handling gatekeepers during cold calls

When a mobile number isn’t available, you'll likely deal with gatekeepers. Dom Odoguardi suggests two approaches in his post:

1. Steamrolling 

Adopt a bold and demanding tone. Convey confidence and urgency, and avoid sounding like a typical salesperson.

Example dialogue: "Hi, it's Dom. I need to speak to John - please patch me through. Thank you. It's about their xyz challenges this month, but I only have 2 minutes."

2. Nurturing 

Focus on building rapport and treating the gatekeeper as an important ally. A more gentle approach involves admitting confusion and seeking assistance, which can be disarming.

Example dialogue: "Hi, it's Dom. How are you today?... I’m a bit confused about who I should be speaking to over there, could you help me out? I think it might be John in the XYZ department, but I'd like to confirm with you."

Neither approach guarantees 100% success, but both can improve your chances of connecting with the decision-maker. Dom plans to cover handling objections from gatekeepers in his next post.

Gatekeeper = valuable insider

Landon Hobbs has a smart tip for cold calling: Start with the gatekeeper. He didn’t just try to get past them - he actually talked to the CTO’s assistant to find out what issues they had with their current system and what they were paying.

This inside info helped him have a really good conversation with the CTO and CEO later on, which led to landing a $34K deal in just one month.

Landon’s advice? Treat gatekeepers as allies, not obstacles. By really listening and using what you learn, you can make your calls way more effective.

A short gatekeeper strategy

Mark McInnes recommends a gatekeeper strategy that works exceptionally well for his team.

Here's how it goes:

1. Always refer to your pre-call planning document to prepare.

2. Understand the real value your prospect will gain from talking with you or your subject matter expert.

3. During the call, don’t try to bypass the gatekeeper. Instead, ask for their help.

4. Explain clearly why the person should speak with you, and then request their assistance.

If you provide a compelling reason, gatekeepers are likely to connect you. If you don’t have a strong reason, reconsider your call or improve your value proposition.

Remember, gatekeepers block unwanted calls but let through real opportunities.