In my first sales job, I had a routine of making 25 personal cold calls every morning. It was brutal for a while. The gate keepers saw me coming from a mile away and they knew every trick I was throwing their way. I knew the location of every public bathroom in every office building in the Westshore section of Tampa because that’s where I’d hide after a gatekeeper called security on me. Like I said, it was brutal.
Then, one day our team was given a quick training session on cold calling by a district manager named Brent (I forget his last name). I don’t remember anything about the session besides his words: “Kill ‘em with kindness.” It was the permission I needed to start being myself. Every book I had read talked about the gatekeepers like they were evil sentries for the decision makers and it was our job to conquer them. Brent’s words helped me understand that I didn’t have to be a manipulative jerk. I could just be a nice guy and have a lot more success – bringing us to our second cold calling strategy…
Cold calling strategy #2: Don’t try to overcome or get past the gate keeper.
Don’t do it – you’ll never win. Approach the gatekeeper with understanding and appreciation for their job. Don’t try to get past them or try to overcome them. Appreciate their job and kill ‘em with kindness. Follow this process:
- The first words out of your mouth should be: “I don’t have an appointment, and don’t expect to see anyone.”
- Explain in everyday language what you do and ask who you should call later for an appointment. Don’t use your mission statement here – “we provide security services” is enough.
- After getting the name, ask “What’s the most convenient way to schedule an appointment with him/her?”
- Head for the door.
- As you’re about to leave, look at your watch or smart phone, pause, and then ask the gatekeeper “By some crazy chance, do you think he/she is available now?”
If you follow this routine, you’ll start to kill it within weeks.
What do you think? Am I right about the gatekeepers? What about steps 4 and 5 - too cheesy? Comment below..
