5 Top Tips for Dealing with Gatekeepers

Sales professionals often refer to them as “gatekeepers” – the people who control our access to the decision-makers. Office administrators, receptionists, secretaries, phone staff, personal assistants, security staff, clerks – anybody who answers phones, screens visitors, or sets appointments can be a gatekeeper.

As sales representative, we may tend to have a somewhat adversarial frame of mind when it comes to gatekeepers. They can be seen as obstacles barring our path to the people we really want to contact. We may get frustrated when we leave messages with the same gatekeeper over and over only to be told that the decision maker isn’t available. We feel like they make our jobs and our lives more difficult. We wish gatekeepers would just get out of our way. We try to push or bluff or wiggle past them.

If we take a step back and consider things from a more objective viewpoint, though, we can understand that the gatekeepers are just doing their jobs. The decision-makers have their staff in place to contribute to their success, which means the administrative staff provides services that help their boss be more efficient. Part of this is ensuring that the boss’ valuable time isn’t wasted. A substantial part of the gatekeeper’s job is to ensure that the boss can get things done by filtering out unwanted and unnecessary interruptions. When we are denied access, the gatekeeper is protecting her employer’s interests – she’s not just there to give us a hard time. It’s not personal, so don’t take it personally.

Also, an important thing to recognize is that gatekeepers are human. That means it’s possible for us to develop relationships with them that can help us reach our goals. Here are a few guidelines for dealing more effectively with gatekeepers.

5 Top Tips for Dealing with Gatekeepers

1. Avoid taking a sneaky or adversarial approach. Some sales reps attempt to bluff past gatekeepers by pretending to be an acquaintance of their boss or obfuscating the purpose of the call. That kind of game rarely works on a good admin, and is likely to get you blacklisted. Be honest and genuine, and avoid using sneaky tactics to get past the gatekeeper. Your best bet is to be truthful about the reason for the call.

2. Get to know the gatekeeper. Sales representatives who introduce themselves to the gatekeeper first and take some time to get friendly with them are far more likely to eventually meet with the decision-maker. Keep in mind that gatekeepers often routinely block cold calls and unscheduled “drop-in” visits. If they don’t know who is calling or don’t recognize the name, it doesn’t get through.
3. Leave detailed messages, and demonstrate to the gatekeeper that you have something of value to offer. Let them know what’s in it for the boss; if you can convince them, they will be certain to pass it along. You may even be able to garner some information about the current needs of the business – administrative staff can know a surprising amount about their employer’s problems.
4. Let the gatekeeper know that you recognize their boss’ time is valuable, and that you don’t plan to take up much of it. Tell them you don’t want to interrupt his work, and ask to schedule a five-minute call at a time when the decision-maker isn’t too busy. Five minutes isn’t much to ask, but it’s a foot in the door, and the gatekeeper will appreciate your consideration – improving the chances that your message will get through and the call will happen.
5. The best way to get through to the decision-maker is to be respectful and courteous toward their gatekeepers. If we recognize that they are real people performing a sometimes difficult job, we are more likely to be met with the same respect. Remember that within the office environment the gatekeepers wield substantial power. Bullying, bluffing, condescending, or otherwise disrespecting the gatekeeper tends to result in “lost” messages and constant blocking of access.

Bonus Tip: Even though the Gatekeeper may seem like a small cog in the corporate machine, if we don’t build trust with them first, we’ll never get the chance to build it with the decision-maker. The best way to build trust with a Gatekeeper is to communicate that your goal is actually the same as theirs – to help their boss be successful. It may take some time to build a level of credibility and trust, but once the gatekeeper understands that we can provide value to their boss, they will be much more cooperative – and even an ally within the decision-maker’s circle.

Baker Communications offers leading edge sales training solutions for sales makers and sales managers that will help you address the goals and achieve the outcomes addressed in this article. For more information about how your organization can achieve immediate and lasting behavior change that will uncover new opportunities, drive revenue, and boost your bottom line, click here.