Gatekeepers: Tips & Tricks PDF

Gatekeepers Tips for working with gatekeepers (GK’s)- including how to avoid them  But first, some stats… - Cold calling has a 2% success rate. That means, on average, it only works immediately 1 of every 50 times - It takes...

Gatekeepers Tips for working with gatekeepers (GK’s)- including how to avoid them  But first, some stats… - Cold calling has a 2% success rate. That means, on average, it only works immediately 1 of every 50 times - It takes an average of 8 times to reach a prospect - 80% of sales require five follow-up calls - -48% of salespeople do not make a single follow-up call - 92% of salespeople quit making contact attempts after contact attempt #4 - 82% of B2B buyers accept meetings with a salesperson - 80% of sales are made by 20% of salespeople - Up to half of a salesperson’s time is spent interacting with a GK - 72% of phone cold calls don’t get through to a human being Source: https://financesonline.com/cold-calling-statistics/  Best practices- Avoiding the GK - Avoid the GK- bypass via an (earned) warm intro - Try another department - Try another time during the day or day of the week. Stats say the best time to contact someone is from 10 AM – 2 PM, and Wednesdays tend to be the best days to contact someone - Go during lunch- you might have a friendlier face during that time - Call outside normal business hours (VITO’s (very important top officials) are generally in the office before and after everyone else is there - Write a letter to VITO - Attend networking events to meet your prospects in person - “Chat the Bot” - If you have a cell #, use it to bypass the GK - Work with other marketers. DME reps are especially valuable  Best practices- approach - Treat the gatekeeper as a resource, and not an obstacle - Name drop. If you don’t have a name, call ahead to get one - Treat the GK with respect. Until you get past them, they are the most important person in that office - Humor always helps, as does being steady and calm - Smile before you go in, and watch your tone of voice - Be respectful. If they’re super busy, come back later. When you do come back, acknowledge how difficult their job can be - Be confident- what we do helps everyone - Be direct, but polite - Don’t assume the GK is a “nobody”. It could be someone very important - Be respectful to those that are in the office with you. GK’s often notice kindness, and will be more likely to help you - Change your approach if previous attempts failed  Best practices- technique - Don’t lie, be (mostly) honest. If they ask if this is a sales call, say yes! - GK’s are trained to weed out salespeople- don’t sound or act like one. - Avoid giving direct responses to screening questions - Ask the GK for information (“If you were me…”) - Don’t try to sell the GK! - Thank the GK if they were helpful- hand-written notes are always a good idea - Listen to what the GK tells you, and adjust your questioning accordingly - Practice in front of am mirror! If you’re hesitant, the GK will sense it - Be persistent! 80% of calls require 5 or more sales calls. But… 92% of salespeople give up after 4 attempts Best practices- techniques (continued) - Show that you’re listening by adapting your questions - Task the GK to do something. If they do the task, they’ll like you more, and will be more willing to help you - If the contact isn’t available, ask when they might be available - IMPORTANT: Keep your ask short and direct - Use the contact’s first name, and NOT their last name - BRIEFLY explain how you’re going to help, but don’t give a sales pitch - Use LinkedIn to find your contacts/nMES - Send the contacts information prior to your arrival (Letter to VITO)  What to do when you’re shut down (next steps) - Be gracious to the GK, and see if they can offer you any further assistance (if you were me, what would you do?) - Research. If you’ve already researched, ask around - Try another route-maybe try to contact the contact via snail mail (selling to VITO) or via a hand-written note - Find someone (or multiple people) that knows your contact, and ask them to call you - Find out if the contact is active in organizations or activities, and attend them - Use the websites’ chatbot to try to arrange a meeting - Email them - Contact them via LinkedIn - Vary your messaging - Try another time during the day or day of the week. Stats say the best time to contact someone is from 10 AM – 2 PM, and Wednesdays tend to be the best days to contact someone Questions & Discussion