The Key to the Gate Keeper
Last week, while speaking at NAWBO, I met a lady who wanted help getting more sales by 5 pm. I asked what she was currently doing and she said she was sending letters, cold calling, and emailing everyone. I asked what worked best and she said a little bit of all of that. She wrote and spoke of what they had to offer. I advised her to try some different things and gave her examples. I also asked her to stop telling people what she has to offer and find out how she can help them. She said the gate keeper would never let her though. Ah yes, the beloved gate keeper. Well, the following has been true for many years but has just gotten more important since September 11th.
The gate keeper is either your best friend or they are your competitor’s best friend. If this person does not give you the time of day, you give it to them. If they are power hungry, and many are, give them power! How? Ask them to set up your meeting! Yes, it works over 80% of the time in an internal study done at SalesBy5. Again, if they want or exude power, give them something to do that is powerful and then give them a reward. Think about having a small backpack of smart weapons. If the gate keeper is having a bad day, what would make them feel better? If they look like they are hungry or thirsty, what would make them feel better? Many are even told not to go to take a break for the restroom or a call unless they have found a replacement for themselves for that 5 or 10 minutes. Many must eat lunch at their desk. Find out the key to the gate keeper and you just got in the gate.
A wonderful old story from Southwest Air lines executive offices noted that the higher end applicants for Southwest Airlines had to pass the test with the gatekeeper first, before they could be offered the job. If they upset the gate keeper, they still got an interview but it was cut short depending upon how they treated the gate keeper. In our office, if you make Sarah unhappy, you have made the whole office unhappy, and we do not take kindly to that.
If you try this and have success, please share your story. If you try this and have no success, again, share your story.
Sell everyone! Decision makers are not who they used to be!
photo by anniebee