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How to Overcome The Gatekeeper #455
When B2B selling you’re often calling on large organizations that by design make it hard to connect with an executive, or figure out who’s the right person to talk to. Sometimes these companies have administrative assistants tasked as gatekeepers/ They do everything in their power to stop sales people from talking to their boss. What’s a seller to do? Taoism teaches that the harder one tries, the more resistance one creates for oneself, and the harder things become. This is quite a conundrum. So what can we do to soften the hardest of gatekeepers? That’s the topic for today.
Today’s Chapter: Overcoming the Gatekeeper
Water is soft to touch
Yet can overcome the hardest of granite
An authentic desire to help
Can overcome the hardest Gatekeeper.
I was in the area.
Thought I would stop by.
Here is some information, you may find of value.
Would you like to learn more?
Not pushing, not bullying,
not rushing the moment.
A genuine desire to help and befriend
Opens doors to opportunities.
Lest the listener gets bored.
Today’s Story
Towards the end of the day Chris knocked on Pat’s door. “I wonder if I can pick your brain?” asked Chris. “Sure” said Pat. Chris smiled and said “I appreciate the opportunity to work these larger deals but they all have assistants and I can’t get through to the decision maker. What am I to do?”
Pat nodded. “I know this sounds hard but it’s not. Some gatekeepers are defensive, some not. Just remember they are all people. If you’ve left a number of unreturned messages, ask their advice on when it’s best to call. Ask their advice on who’s the best person to call. Treat them like the boss, ask the qualifying questions, they often know the answers. Heck sometimes they are the decision maker.
Chris asked “So what’s the mindset I should have?”
Pat replied “Be a floating log in the river, you go farther going with the flow, then try to paddle upstream. Put yourself in the place of the gatekeeper, embrace who they are and respond in kind”
Take Action Quote
Some gatekeepers are on power trips. It’s tough to get around them. I know. But with patience and when you interact with complete respect, you can turn around the hardest of Gatekeeper. Abraham Lincoln said.
“If you wish to win a man over to your ideas, first make him your friend.”
This lesson is essential in all selling situations. When you can turn strangers into friends, even gatekeepers, with respect and patience anything is possible.
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How to Connect with Pat Helmers at Sales Babble
Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers. Masterful selling is understanding what buyers want, discerning if you can help, showing what you have and helping them to make a decision that is good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com
I’ve interviewed 100s of sales experts and discuss all things sales: prospecting, qualifying, value propositions, presentations, demos, closing, generating referrals, earning references, upselling, marketing, lead generation, copywriting, and most important the right selling mindset. Stop fearing sales and embrace it.
This is a production of Habanero Media https://habaneromedia.net
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