You make a cold call. No answer.
You make a cold call. No answer.
You make a cold call. No answer.
You make a cold call... Answer!!!!!
“Hi this is James Dean’s Office.”
You’re kidding me. A gatekeeper.
Maybe you try to pitch the gatekeeper. Or maybe you try to befriend them.
Then you hear the dreaded…
“Can I take a message?”
Yep. You and I both know that message is going right in the trash.
Remember sellers: A gatekeeper has two jobs:
- Close the gate by detecting and rejecting your pitch
- Open the gate for important people (which is where you want to be)
This is why it’s useless to try to pitch the gatekeeper (which triggers their gatekeeper alarm) or befriend them (as if they don’t know what you’re doing).
The opening the gate is to walk right in like you own the place.
Instead of befriending the gatekeeper, unfortunately you have to make it seem like you know the boss and they’re the ones in your way.
We have 3 steps to do that in what we call The Gatekeeper Triple Bypass.
- The Slide-by. When they answer, ask to be put through. Nothing else.
- The Context. If they stop you, share context, not product.
- The Social Proof. If it happens again, lean on social proof to explain what you do.
Let’s get right into it.
1st Bypass: The Slide-by
To act like you own the place, you need to know how someone who actually owns the place would act. If a landlord owns a building, what do they do when they come to visit?
They walk right in!
Start with the Slide-by and ask to be put through with no explanation.
No company name. No small talk. Assume they will open the gate.
Tone is key here: try to sound gruff. If you’re walking directly to the elevator with a stern look on your face, most doormen will think “Yep, I’m gonna stay out of that person’s way.”
Here’s how it looks:
Gatekeeper: “Aubrey Graham’s office.”
Nick (Slide-by): “Hey, could you get me over to Aubrey? It’s Nick.”
Notice two things:
- Only state your first name to establish familiarity. It’s like you’re calling someone you already know.
- End with a question to apply the pressure back on the gatekeeper: Remember, they’re in your way, we don’t owe them any answers.
That said, a good gatekeeper will push for more info. That’s next.
2nd Bypass: The Context
The sharp gatekeepers will still ask, “What’s this regarding?” or “What company are you calling from?” after the Slide-by, so you’ll have to reveal a bit more information on the 2nd bypass.
The problem is they’re on high alert for anything that makes it seem like we don’t belong. If you bluntly share your company name or mention your product, you’ll get busted as a salesperson.
Instead, we’re going to use context as the reason for our call to establish familiarity, just like we do in our cold call openers. For example:
Gatekeeper: "Aubrey Graham’s office."
Nick (Slide-by): "Hey, could you get me over to Aubrey? It’s Nick.”
Gatekeeper: "What’s this regarding?"
Nick (Context): "I work with a few other Skadden partners in the LA office. Would you let him know that it’s Nick Cegelski?"
That’s an example for a law firm, but some other examples to set context could be: something you recently read (i.e. Press Release for new office) or a compelling event (i.e. upcoming audit cycle).
3rd Bypass: Social Proof
The toughest gatekeepers will push you to finally reveal what you actually do. Even if you nailed attempts 1 and 2.
At this point, you have to explain what you do. But don’t pitch. Use social proof.
This continues to push on the familiarity and the fact that you work with their peers:
Gatekeeper: “Aubrey Graham’s office.”
Nick (Slide-by): “Hey, could you get me over to Aubrey? It’s Nick.”
Gatekeeper: "What’s this regarding?”
Nick (Context): "I work with a few other Skadden partners in the LA office. Would you let him know that it’s Nick Cegelski?”
Gatekeeper: "I need to see if he’s available. What company are you with?”
Nick (Social Proof): "We help a couple other partners in the office with their tax planning; it’s Northwestern Mutual. I sent him a note the other day, mind letting him know it’s Nick?"
If you’re still stonewalled at this point, it’s OK to throw in the towel and ask to leave a voicemail. Some gatekeepers cannot be passed.
We don’t recommend repeatedly fighting the impassable gatekeeper, so if you’ve been shut down 1–2 times, you’re better off avoiding them entirely by:
- Calling Mobile Numbers. The gatekeeper isn’t gonna answer their iPhone for them.
- Calling During Off-Hours. That CIO you’re calling probably works longer hours than the gatekeeper. Try calling in the early morning, during the lunch hour, or after 5:00 p.m.
- Trying a Different Channel. The phone isn’t right for every prospect; if you keep getting shut down, try another channel like email, LinkedIn, or direct mail.
And that’s a wrap, folks!
I really, really, really recommend you listen to Nick’s tone in the video below. You can say all the right words, but if you don’t sound like you own the place, the gatekeeper will stonewall you.
