how to consistently get around gatekeepers when b2b cold calling

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How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When Phone Prospecting Michael Halper Founder and CEO SalesScripter

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Page 1: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When Phone Prospecting

Michael HalperFounder and CEO

SalesScripter

Page 2: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

What is this call in regards to?

Page 3: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

We are not interested.

Page 4: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Send me your info.

Page 5: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

You can spend up to 50% of your time talking with with gatekeepers.

GatekeepersVoicemailProspect

Page 6: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Take the natural role of opposition based on conflicting interests.

Page 7: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

There are small things that you can do to improve “Gatekeeper Relations”

Page 8: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Types of Gatekeepers

Front-desk Receptionists

• High level chaotic environment– Checking people in– Receiving packages– Answering phone calls

• Knowledgeable about organizational details

• High focus on screening– Assigned to keep callers out– Trained on how to keep sales people out

Page 9: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Types of Gatekeepers

Switchboard Operators

• Less chaotic environment– Only responsible for call routing

• Limited organizational knowledge– Typically limited to information in directory

• Low focus on screening– Only concerned with directing calls

Page 10: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Types of Gatekeepers

Executive Assistants

• Medium level chaotic environment– Typically busy but accessible for brief

conversations

• High level of knowledge– Organizational details– Current processes and systems– Current initiatives and challenges

• Sometimes has influence and power

• Medium focus on screening

Page 11: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Types of Gatekeepers

Automated Phone Trees

• Automated menu that answers in place of an live person

– Press 1 for (list of departments)– Enter extension for your contact

• Can sometimes be more difficult than a live gatekeeper

• More common in large businesses– Fortune 500

Page 12: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Understanding the Gatekeeper

“Seek first to understand in order to be understood.” Stephen Covey

"Great Spirit – Grant that I may not criticize my neighbor until I have walked a mile in his moccasins” Lakota Sioux Praye

Page 13: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Understanding the Gatekeeper

• A day in the life– Hectic– High volume calls and request– High volume of sales cold calls– Not completely satisfying work

• One of their main objectives– Keep cold callers out– When you get in, they stand to get in

trouble

Page 14: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Gatekeeper Tactics

Enlist Their Help

• Try to get the gatekeeper to shift from blocking to helping

• Present yourself as lost and needing direction– “Maybe you can help me.”– “I am not really sure who…”– Speak with curiosity

• Ask for advice– Organization– Process– Scheduling

Page 15: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Gatekeeper Tactics

Treat Like a Prospect

• Take a step back when notice resistance and begin to go through script or pitch

“Actually, let me take a step back and tell you who I am and why I am calling.”

• Redirect to your elevator pitch

• Ask your pre-qualifying questions

Page 16: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Call Script

Page 17: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Gatekeeper Tactics

Name Dropping

• Internal contacts– “I spoke with Tom White in accounting

and now I am trying to reach someone in HR.”

– “I am planning on meeting with Tom White in accounting and before I do that, I would like to talk with someone in HR.”

• External clients– “We work with LumberLift and helped

them to decrease inventory costs.”

Page 18: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Gatekeeper Tactics

Mention an Initiative

• Mention a current project:– “I am calling to talk to him about the

Renew Project.”– Can be found through research

• Mention a generic project:– “I am calling to talk with her about the

current project to decrease labor costs.”– Most businesses have similar projects

going on

Page 19: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Gatekeeper Tactics

Ask Probing Questions

• Opportunity to extract valuable information

• Will show respect and could be an opportunity to build rapport

• Asking questions they to don’t know can help to get through them

Page 20: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Call Script

Page 21: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Gatekeeper Tactics

Befriend the Gatekeeper

• Catch and use the gatekeeper’s name

• Focus on tonality– Smile– Laugh

• Share that you understand– Understand the challenges– Know they get lots of sales people calling– Are responsible for screening calls

Page 22: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Gatekeeper Tactics

Dealing With Automated Phone Tree

• Goal is to get to a human being

• Press “0” to get try to get to an operator

• Enter guessed extension

Page 23: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Gatekeeper Tactics

Avoid the Gatekeeper Altogether

• Call at a off hours– Before 8:00 am– During the lunch hour– After 5:00 pm

• Secure direct line info– Try to get direct line on first pass to avoid the

gatekeeper on second pass– “I have XXX as her direct line, is that correct?”

Page 24: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Gatekeeper Tactics

Don’t Take it Personally

• It has nothing to do with you and who you are

• Their rejection is toward your company and just the concept of letting someone in

• They are just doing their job

• They job is very difficult and unpleasant

Page 25: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Gatekeeper Objections• The gatekeeper’s job is to give you objections

“What is the call in regards to.”“Is this a sales call?”“She does not take sales calls.”“They will not be interested in that.”“We are already using someone.”“Can you send me your information?”“You will need to send your info to our supplier line.”

• Only a few different responses– Redirect to value statement– Redirect to qualifying questions– Disqualify

Page 26: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Call Script“What is this call in regards to?”

Page 27: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Call Script“Is this a sales call?”

Page 28: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Call Script“We are not interested.”

Page 29: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Call Script“We are not interested.”

Page 30: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Call Script“We already use someone for that.”

Page 31: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Call Script“We already use someone for that.”

Page 32: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Call Script“We already use someone for that.”

Page 33: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Call Script“Send me your information.”

Page 34: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Call Script“We are not looking to make and changes.”

Page 35: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Key Takeaways• You could spend up to or more than 50% of your time cold calling talking to

gatekeepers

• Many gatekeepers have an objective to keep cold callers out

• By improving your ability to deal with gatekeepers, you can likely immediately improve your results

• Gatekeepers often have a tremendous amount of knowledge and can be a good source of information

• There are very easy to implement tactics that can help

• Preparing for gatekeeper objections is a key step

Page 36: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

What is SalesScripter?

Cold Calling

Objections

Gatekeepers

Sales Messaging

Voicemail

Qualifying

Closing

Sales Process

Rapport

Building Interest

Cold Emailing

Setting Appointments

Building Credibility

Call Cadence

• Provides complete clarity for what a salesperson should do and say

• Very practical and easy to understand / implement / adopt

• Consultative selling approach

• Many tactics are counterintuitive

One Half - Sales Methodology

Page 37: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

What is SalesScripter?

Cold Calling Scripts

Objection Responses

Key Questions

Marketing Tools

Voicemail Scripts

Meeting Scripts

Cold Email Templates

• Software platform that provides all the tools needed to execute the methodology

• Campaign-based (buyer persona) structure

• Makes it extremely easy to implement and reinforce the methodology

One Half – Prospecting Platform Software Application

Page 38: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Complete Sales Training Solution

Cold Calling

Objections

Gatekeepers

Sales Messaging

Voicemail

Qualifying

Closing

Sales Process

Rapport

Building Interest

Cold Emailing

Setting Appointments

Building Credibility

Call Cadence

Methodology

Salesperson

Manager

Cold Calling Scripts

Objection Responses

Key Questions

Marketing Tools

Voicemail Scripts

Meeting Scripts

Cold Email Templates

Software PlatformResources and Services

Books

Training Videos

One-on-One Coaching

Sales Consulting

Live Training

Completely

Aligned

Page 39: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

If You Want More Help

• https://www.youtube.com/user/LaunchPadSol• Or search Sales Scripter• Over 130 videos• Sales Prospecting 101 Training Program• Webinars• Sales Tips• SalesScripter demo videos• Subscribe

Go to Our YouTube Channel

Page 40: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

If You Want More Help

• Five ebooks – Found at https://salesscripter.com/ebooks/– Do’s and Don’ts of Cold Calling– How to Get around Cold Call Objections– How to Build a Value Proposition that Generates

Leads– How to Build Sales Campaigns that Sell– How to Build Email Drip Campaigns that Convert

Sales

• The Cold Calling Equation – PROBLEM SOLVED– Found at

http://www.amazon.com/The-Cold-Calling-Equation-Problem/dp/1468173545

Check Out Our Books

Page 41: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

If You Want More Help

Sales Coaching and Sales Consulting

• 2 or 5 hour blocks of one-on-one coaching

• Weekly 30 minutes one-on-one coaching sessions

• Weekly 1 hour one-on-one coaching sessions

• Weekly Unlimited one-on-one coaching session

• Weekly 1 hour group coaching sessions

Contact us if interested – [email protected]

Page 42: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

If You Want More Help

10 Week Sales Prospecting Mastery Training Program

• Meet virtually 1 hour per week• Content includes weekly tasks for each participant to perform between classes• Course modules include:

– Building Campaign Coordinates – Identifying Your Value– Identifying Your Pain– Building Your Qualifying Questions– Building Rapport, Interest, and Credibility– Mapping Your Ideal Sales Process – How to Cold Call– How to Use Voicemail as a Sales Tool – How to Deal With Objections– How to Get Around Gatekeepers– How to Be a Better Closer– Improving Mental Strength

$399 per participant

Contact us if interested – [email protected]

Page 43: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

If You Want More Help

• Build your scripts and campaigns– Call scripts– Email templates– Voicemail Scripts– Objection responses– Key Questions– And more

• $49 per month / $29 per month with annual subscription– 30 Day Money Back Guarantee

Sign up for SalesScripter

Page 44: How to Consistently Get Around Gatekeepers When B2B Cold Calling

Questions?

Michael HalperFounder and CEO

[email protected]

www.salesscripter.com