Mr.Pickles

Sr. Customer Success Manager

What is your best way to defuse a gatekeeper?

Is this a Sales Call?

From time to time, our teams get tough gatekeepers incapable of transferring the call, suggesting to reach out via email and in some of the cases passing the call to the direct voicemail.

And always, there's the old good classic: "We don't take unsolicited sales calls - bye"

What is the best tactic/defusion that recently worked for you and your teams?

What's best?

Attached poll

Defuse Overcome Avoid Ignore

*Voting in this poll no longer yields commission.

54 comments

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FightingFistDrangon

Politicker

Director of Sales

You gotta bring value. Often times there's something you can help the GK with too

Mr.Pickles

Arsonist

Sr. Customer Success Manager

how would you approach it?

FightingFistDrangon

Politicker

Director of Sales

Observing your fall points and looking for possible ways to support or avoid those falls.

RainbowShardUranie

Politicker

Director of Businesss Development

Treat them as they are the prospect, and ask them literally to help you out.

No_ty

Politicker

Sales Dir.

Just give love to Doris

Mr.Pickles

Arsonist

Sr. Customer Success Manager

always

Lenca

Politicker

BDR

Right?

Mr.Pickles

Arsonist

Sr. Customer Success Manager

the flowers...

CaneWolf

Politicker

Call me what you want, just sign the damn contract

Befriend them! Nobody is ever nice to Doris. Ask her about her day, be polite, etc.

Mr.Pickles

Arsonist

Sr. Customer Success Manager

nothing like the friendzone - I agree, GK are doing their jobs and certainly is not easy or fashionable dealing with ppl...

jefe

Arsonist

🍁

Doris?! They're always Debbie for me

(especially when I was in educational software)

DungeonsNDemos

Big Shot

Rolling 20's all day

Don't forget Barb or Brenda

jefe

Arsonist

🍁

Oh Barb....

Boutdamtime

Politicker

Client Executive

I’m always as nice to GK as possible to the point where I actually hang out with a few still from my last gig. But that being said I used to sell med device and I used to make calls from inside the hospital so they would pick up from a number they recognized lol worked every time. But typically my approach is to call directly to the decision maker.

Mr.Pickles

Arsonist

Sr. Customer Success Manager

I agree - polite until the end

Lenca

Politicker

BDR

Always better to defuse being nice, a good tip is to remember the GK's name

Mr.Pickles

Arsonist

Sr. Customer Success Manager

Send her flowers haha

SabertoothSales

Valued Contributor

Southeast Regional Manager

You gotta bring value. Often times there's something you can help the GK with too - "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine" kind of thing.

Mr.Pickles

Arsonist

Sr. Customer Success Manager

that seems fair

KendallRoy

Politicker

Get the prospect's direct line or mobile from Zoominfo or Lusha
One trick I used to do in my hard calling days. "Hi, was hoping you could help me. I'm trying to get hold of X. We've spoken a while ago. Old number I have for him must've changed. Do you know how I can reach him?"

You'd be amazed how often they just give you their mobile

Mr.Pickles

Arsonist

Sr. Customer Success Manager

Better way to reach is by email - bye :(

KendallRoy

Politicker

Won't work 100% of the time. If it doesn't, mark the prospect as having a difficult gatekeeper, move on, don't waste time in the future.

Mr.Pickles

Arsonist

Sr. Customer Success Manager

noted

MaximumRaizer

Politicker

Sales Manager

Personalization

Mr.Pickles

Arsonist

Sr. Customer Success Manager

Relevance? :D

cifu

Opinionated

SDR

just be nice and friendly

Clashingsoulsspell

Politicker

ISR

Befriend them! Nobody is ever nice to Doris. Ask her about her day, be polite, etc.

Mr.Pickles

Arsonist

Sr. Customer Success Manager

Poor Doris - I think it's great to build rapport in any interaction. Not sure how to do it when the gatekeeper is bitter haha

SalesPharaoh

Big Shot

Senior Account Executive

I don't know what you mean by avoid and ignore. Avoid gatekeeper without having a 2nd backup contact?

funcoupons

WR Officer

👑

My preference is to avoid the GK whenever possible. Direct lines, cell phones, using the directory.

If that's not possible, I'll try a few different approaches to try and get past them. I do not pitch GKs, because it's almost always a waste of time. If a company has a rock solid GK that will not let me through no matter what, I tend to move on pretty quickly.

I tend to have pretty good luck with GKs though, don't get blocked too often.

Mr.Pickles

Arsonist

Sr. Customer Success Manager

Couldn't agree more with - never pitch GKs - imo, building rapport with the GK can be effective and also eases the process allowing you to get to the prospect.

funcoupons

WR Officer

👑

How do you build rapport? Small talk, introducing your concept, etc?

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

Send snacks. Hand written thank you cards. Branded company logo gifts. The small things help build rapport with them.

BO_

Fire Starter

SDR

Defuse. Overcome only results in negatives since you're trying to change someone's mind.

youKNOW

Politicker

Sales Manager

USE THE FORCE......

j/k....anyway my opinion is that Gatekeepers don't exist. In a world where there are so many ways to get a contacts direct information, I honestly don't think that a GK is something to be worried about. If you have a name....you should be able to get beyond whoever it is asking who you are. If you come off confident enough with the reason for your call, 99.9% of the time they'll let you through.

Mr.Pickles

Arsonist

Sr. Customer Success Manager

good one :D

No_ty

Politicker

Sales Dir.

jedi mode

iworkinchonies

Politicker

Account Executive / Chronic degenerate

We run into GKs all day every day. The best way I've gotten past them is by being completely upfront with them rather than trying to sneak past. Saying "Hey (their name), this is (my name) with (company). I'm trying to get in touch with (prospect) to talk through a partnership we have with (company name). Are they around?" works well.

Mr.Pickles

Arsonist

Sr. Customer Success Manager

That's actually on point - thank you

Notinterestedclick

Good Citizen

Account manager

Being close with a "gate keeper" is qualitative not quantitative and should be treated as such. As a BDR it's not so important in my opinion as alot of the work is quantitative - but if you're anything above an AE and your customer has an Executive assistant or someone handling their schedule - get on good terms with them ASAP - it can make or break you.

Mr.Pickles

Arsonist

Sr. Customer Success Manager

ok :3

DungeonsNDemos

Big Shot

Rolling 20's all day

If I can be pleasant, to the point, and try to help them actually feel that I'm calling to help then it's the best chance I have.

Mr.Pickles

Arsonist

Sr. Customer Success Manager

that sounds like the best course of action - any intro line to share?

ColdCallPro

Valued Contributor

Account Executive

I do a lot of expansion sales, so I typically say "I am one of your vendors at (company name), and I am looking to connect with (contact name) regarding our new offerings."

Mr.Pickles

Arsonist

Sr. Customer Success Manager

Nice - I like it. what if they tell you: "sorry we don't take unsolicited sales calls" (?)

KendallRoy

Politicker

"We've spoken with X a while back actually. Just wanting to reconnect. They should know what it's about."

If they still block you, move on

Mr.Pickles

Arsonist

Sr. Customer Success Manager

let it go ♫

SDMHGWarrior

Tycoon

CEO

Send her flowers

No_ty

Politicker

Sales Dir.

someone smart

Fribbles

Notable Contributor

Sales doosh

stiff arm

PleaseAdvise

Executive

Account Executive

Build a relationship with them. Ask their name when they initially tell you off, write it down. When they pick up again and you recognize their voice, greet them with their name. This rarely happens to them, and can turn a roadblock into an ally, who will actually want to pass along your messages to the DM.

Whereis3

Good Citizen

Account Executive

Treat them as they are the prospect, and ask them literally to help you out

Blackwargreymon

Politicker

MDR

Befriend them! Nobody is ever nice to Doris. Ask her about her day, be polite

MR.StretchISR

Politicker

ISR

Just give love to Doris

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Mr.Pickles

What is your best way to defuse a gatekeeper?

What's best?

54 comments

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