TheNewLead Forum

Ever heard an already irate colleague berating someone on the phone? I have, a dozen or more times. I've asked this colleague regarding it and most of the time, her answer would be related to a gatekeeper, whose unwilling to transfer the call to a person my colleague intends to talk to.

What exactly are "gatekeepers"? There are those individuals who mostly screen the calls of their superiors, the decision makers. Gatekeepers mainly control the flow of the information by preventing the sellers to directly communicate with the buyers. Some gatekeepers are advised to do so while most are just concerned about interrupting their bosses with seemingly unimportant phone calls.

Aside from generating leads, the next relevant step in reaching out to those decision makers would be getting past a gatekeeper. So what exactly do you do when a secretary, an assistant, an operator or a receptionist puts on their gatekeeper hat again? Here a few tricks I've learned from my colleague:


1. Create an original spiel.
That means tailoring your script to whom you're targeting. You could research opening scripts but edit them to sound more like YOU and would sound like they're really directed to that person you want to talk to. Sound original, show some personality but remain professional. It would horrible if your spiel would be like "Yo, yo, yo, lemme talk to my homie, shawty."


2. Practice your opening spiel.
It doesn't necessarily mean that you'd be saying the same lines over and over again but when you've already mastered your own opening script, talking to an actual gatekeeper would be easier. Especially if the gatekeeper sounds scary and is having that "time of the month."


3. Be polite.
You're the one asking for a favor so it follows that you're the one whose suppose to be as amiable and as professional as possible. Be courteous and be mindful of how your voice sounds and your spiel delivery. No one wants to talk to someone who sounds drunk and keeps on hollering, "Pass the phone to the manager, lah!"

4. Be confident & quick.
Do not ever let the gatekeeper hear even a syllable of hesitation in your voice (long pauses, fillers such as "um.., aahh..). A slow & faltering delivery would suggest an uncertain call and that would probably mean you'll just waste a buyer's time. You've certainly wasted a gatekeepers time, that's for sure.

5. Sound like a VIP.
Anyone who acts and sounds like a VIP (Very Important Person) are given more leeway and attention. So think and talk like you own the whole Singapore and you want to talk to someone renting a space in Woodlands.

6. Flatter them.
Make them aware that they are important in a business decision and if not for them, why,  you wouldn't be able to contact the manager at all! Create rapport, be friendly yet professional. Creating rapport doesn't entail you saying "Hey sweet lips, you have the sexiest voice I've ever heard." Don't ever, ever use that line or anything remotely similar to it.

7. Learn then call again.
If the gatekeeper is quite stubborn, it would be pretty hard to talk to the decision-maker. Learning the basics, such as the full name of the gatekeeper, the schedule of the decision maker, etc would certainly help so just keep on calling and eventually you'll be able to know those infos. Then you can use those to call again and give out a more convincing, effective spiel.

Treat gatekeepers just as you'd like to be treated. Don't ever falter in reaching out to those decision makers. And most of all, be confident, believe in your product and believe in yourself. Just like my colleague, she's on that level where she can scold a gatekeeper already. Don't try that yet, try the basics first.