Gatekeeper

In the B2B sales process, the gatekeeper is typically a receptionist or an executive assistant or a designated person who is trained and responsible for keeping a prospect from being bothered by irrelevant callers.

Gatekeepers are one of the biggest obstacles a sales team will face, as they can prevent you from delivering your pitch to the people who need to hear it.

Actionable steps for getting past the gatekeeper:

A gatekeeper doesn’t have to be your enemy. To get past them, you simply need to convince them that talking to you will benefit the decision maker. You need them to see that you’re not just another junk caller. Here are a few tips for achieving this:

• Be polite
• Establish trust by mentioning something learned in your research of the prospect
• Be persistent
• Avoid the gatekeeper altogether - try another avenue
• Try social engagement – LinkedIn In-mail, Twitter, etc.
• Use your network and try to get a referral