Getting Passed the Gate Keeper
Getting Passed the Gate Keeper
We all know the feeling of going out to make our cold calls,
only to be shot down by the person at the front desk who looks
at us as nothing more than a solicitor.
These front desk people would be otherwise known as the gate
keepers.
Lets face it, getting passed the gate keeper can be tough, we
are on their turf, what they say goes. Any slight resistance
could end up with them making a call to security.
Here are few really good tips on getting passed the gate keeper
that have been proven to work.
1. Ask to speak with someone in the sales department.
The next time you are out cold calling, the last thing you want
to do is walk into an office building, approach the front desk,
and immediately try to sell your product.
Instead, try this approach. Walk up to the receptionist counter,
introduce yourself verbally and with a business card, and ask if
you may speak with someone in their sales or retail department.
By asking to speak with someone in a specialized department, the
receptionist will believe you are there on official business and
put you in contact with that department.
Now that you are in front of someone in the same area of work as
yourself, they will most assuredly be sensitive to your needs,
and understand your situation.
These are the people in the company that will point you in the
direction you want to go, and in the direction of the people you
want to speak with about your products and services.
2. Call ahead before you go.
Before you go out to make your calls, place a telephone call to
the companies you plan on visiting to let them know that you
will be stopping by.
Tell them something like this.
Hello, my name is Jim Smith and I will be in your neighborhood
this afternoon. I just wanted to let you know that I will be
stopping by between the hours of twelve and two to introduce
myself. That's it, stop right there.
Do not ask for permission to stop by. This will give them the
opportunity to say no.
Once you arrive at their office, you can than reintroduce
yourself as the person that had called earlier in the day.
This technique makes the transition from gate keeper to decision
maker much smoother.
Getting passed the gate keeper can be very tricky, but it can be
done. By following the two examples I described above, you
should find yourself talking with more decision makers. Good
luck.
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