Sales: How to Handle that Dreaded Gate-Keeper
Author: John W David

Handling that Dreaded Gate Keeper - Best Approach

This seems to be a serious problem for some of our subscription members and even some MPSC owners.

So, let’s help you put the problem to bed. Before anything else, you have to begin a new mental process of thinking, speaking, acting, and being the CEO of your own sales career business within the business that cuts your monthly checks.

Therefore, before anything else, how would a great CEO of a powerful business handle the situation? Start there.

Have you ever experienced those annoying telemarketing calls right at that time of the evening when you want to put the day to bed and get in some mind-relaxing quality family time.

Usually right after the call during which you may have to be forgiven for being just a little short tempered with the whole intrusion into your private time, you consider buying one of those tele-marketing call zappers.

Some of us want to take even more drastic measures.

The point is, these people are usually perceived to have nothing of any value to offer other than to try to scam you out of a few bucks entirely for their own benefit.

The question then is: How are you perceived when you call a prospect?

Similarly, of all the people who want my time as well as who want your time in a selling interview, you know that, for the most part, they are just wasting your time.

Wouldn’t you like to have a gate keeper of your own? Of course.

My time is valuable. So, is yours.

Likewise so is the time of the people you are trying to meet. And, so is their time mostly wasted just as is yours and mine by people who just don’t get it.Getting it is the key to solving your problem.

So, they have someone who not only protects them and their very precious time commodity, but also who revels in how many nuisance calls s/he was able to squash like a bug!

Here’s the point.
Are you one of those time wasters who she is right in obliterating from her boss’s radar screen? Simple question.Let’s rephrase that question.

Is what you have to offer her boss so important that without it he is missing out on something that is definably, measurably, and time-linably worth a major value benefit in his life, his business, his career, or his family? Is it?

Now, understand this, it’s all about perception. My sales pros could turn vinyl coated paperclips into a cataclysmic benefit. So can you. It’s all perception.Then, another question.

If you know that the person with whom you want to speak desperately needed what you have and you, unbeknownst to him, hold the key to it and wanted to get it to him right now, what would you do?

That’s maybe a bit more dramatic. However, just humor me a bit.

You see, there would be several points of knowledge that you would have at your fingertips that would empower you not to go around the gate keeper but to go right through the gate keeper just as if she didn’t exist.

This gives you the confidence to be more forceful or self-empowered.

And, the closer you might be related to that other person you want to meet, the more determined and the more forceful you would be in getting through her. If it were your kid, for example, I know you would move mountains to get through.
And, you would get through. Right?

So, the next and most obvious question then is why does the situation have to be so extreme before you take extreme measures? Nothing has really changed except the circumstances.

You see, in the final analysis, you create the gate keeper.

And, as long as you feed her with openers that all look and sound like the ones she’s obliterated before, you will continue to get what you’ve always gotten. For example, when I taught my own sales forces, I taught them that the way through anything is to act like you own it. That’s a huge point of departure.

The gate keeper is not trained to be nor does she want to be that sophisticated to filter out higher levels of importance.

Before anybody realizes that you don’t own the place, you’ve gotten through and have accomplished what you set out to do. It is really that simple.

If you truly believe, based on carefully qualifying the person and the facts, that what you have to offer someone else is going to change dramatically, definably, measurably, and within a finite time line, you are going to up-scale your performance and results accordingly.

You will be perceived as probably the only sales rep (change that to read sales professional) that day worthy of that person’s time.

That’s what the gate keeper is listening for.It IS NOT in her best interest to keep her boss from what will do him the most good.

Question: Why else are you there?

Once my sales pros and I were certain that we were in the right pew, our approach was confident and totally authoritative. In fact, we had no plan for rejection because we didn’t need one.

"Good morning. This is John David of the ProShop Learning Center. I need to speak with Tom George, please. Thank You". There is no pause between ‘please and Thank You.’

At the same time, I am not running through it. I’m just effectively being the CEO of my own business. And, as the CEO, I am politely instructing this person on the phone to do what I want her to do.Nor is it a question.

If I haven’t decided that I need to speak with Tom and that speaking with Tom is not an option, then I am leaving the choice up to her. Yes! Think about it.Do you really want the gate keeper to make that decision?

Now let me tell you this. I am not rude. But, I have a voice and a CEO demeanor that clearly transmits a successful attitude, focus, direction, and objective.

I always have a powerfully important reason for what I think, for what I say, and for what I do. So should you. It makes getting things done a lot easier.

Where too many sales people get into trouble is they back into the call and their delivery says to the gate keeper: "Road Kill!"

She’s already notching her gun, licking her chops. And, you’ve lost… big time.

My teams and I rarely ever got to the point when someone would dare ask us: what it’s about. And, again, friends, it’s in the voice and the confidence of the voice. Because, I truly believed that we were what they needed (period!).

I knew from our track record and that of our crews that once we got a little we’d end up with it all. So, why not be confident?! But, you have to believe that, too!Whatever you believe will show in your approach and be heard louder than your words in your voice.

If we were pressed, I would just very, very, very subtly lower my voice and deliver:

"What is you name please?" "Susan? Thank You". That was intended to be a message.

Then after just a two-count, "Susan, would you please tell Tom it’s John David on the line and that it’s personal and important."

That’s not really a question. Nor, is the answer optional.

When I would say please, I communicated several messages that, in my delivery, are intended to mean that the please is in her best interest. And, I work every word in that sentence. Tom needs my help. I know he needs my help. Big Time! Now, she knows it, too.

Two things you never do.

Never, ever divulge to a gate keeper the nature or reason of your call. Some of you may get ‘What’s this about?’ No! Don’t do it.

"I’m sorry, Susan. It’s personal and important to Tom that I speak with him alone. Please, tell him John David is holding" Then shut up. Don’t even breath into the phone.The other thing not to do is to play up to her.

It signals her to pull out her claws and you’re a ball of yarn. She’s just going play with you and toss you all over the place while slowly unraveling your story line until it’s a shambles.

I’ve watched my own secretaries do it. And, though I winced at how the other person must have felt, I could not feel bad for someone who placed himself willingly and totally unprepped to bring any benefit whatsoever that she could see on my behalf.

Friends, the only real gate keeper is inside you.
If you believe in yourself and in your mission, if you truly believe that what you can do for this person, his business, her career, his family because your research clearly tells you so, then it’s your duty to bring it to him.

* You must clearly define the benefits in your prep.
* You must be able to measure the net gain of those benefits so that they are cataclysmic and your solemn duty to bring to her.
* And, you must be able to show a time line when those cataclysmic benefits will actually, really, and truly occur.
Your qualification of this prospect must be bang on target to your own company’s Ideal Customer Profit Profile. That sets up your prep work.

Your prep work must reveal from the profile the connection between what you can and will do and what they need and want and are able, authorized, and willing to pay for as determined in your research.

Your appointment-getting practice and rehearsals must reflect the quality of the intended sales face-to-face and ultimately to Summary Presentation.

The quality of strength in any of those things will reflect in your interaction with the gate keeper if for no other reason that you’ll project, in your voice and in your words, a strength of confidence and purpose.

That’s what she wants to hear!You will have made the decision that she has to let you through simply because you are different and better than the road kill she’s used to.

There’s no magic bullet in any aspect of selling. The gatekeeper, to a professional sales person, is a hiccup on the road to successful selling.

Professional Selling is about Professional Attitude and Focus in what you do before the call, during the call, and after the call. With confidence of professionalism, authority of professionalism will follow.

Separate from the pack and the gatekeeper will be your respected ally.

Ciao for now,
John W David
Master Sales Trainer / Keynote Speaker
internetmarketing-proshop.com/sales
trade-show-secrets.com






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John is Master Sales Trainer and author of six very popular and totally unique books and workshops dealing with Elite-level, top-producing sales professionals.

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