What do you say to the gatekeepers at businesses to talk to the owner?
Here is one example of what you might say, but I also want to see what you say.
Gatekeeper: Can I help you?
Yes, is the business owner here or may I speak with them?
Gatekeeper: Can I ask what you need to see him or speak with him.
Yes, I want to offer him my FREE services.
Gatekeeper: What are you services??
IT is kind of a private matter.
Here is one example of the ways I've seen it done.
What do you say to the gatekeepers?
------------------------------------
Mark Rosenthal aka markingriffin
IMO/Ins Agent/Agent Trainer/Free Advice markcrosenthal@aol.comwww.realfastservice.com
Please visit mywebsite to learn more about me.
Email me for my Free Prospecting MP3 Tapes.
There are so many free resources, why not call with a name, much more likely to get through.
"Is Ted available?"
"May I tell him who's calling?"
"Absolutely, it's Full Throttle, is Ted there?"
*Most of the time you get through there.
"What company are you with?"
"ABC, is Ted available?"
"Can I tell him why you're calling?"
"I want to stop out and introduce myself when I'm next door this afternoon."
*It usually doesn't go this far, but if it does, I move on. There are so many businesses to call, who cares if you don't get through.
Other variations I've heard:
"It's Tom for Ted, is he in yet?"
"Hi, it's Tom for Ted, I wanted to catch him before I go into a meeting here shortly, is he around?"
I personally don't try too hard to get through, if I was in pharma sales and had a limited supply of doctors to call on in my territory, then I might think differently.
I just tell them I'd like a few minutes to stick my neck in and introduce myself. If I say "It is a private matter" I think it would raise all kinds of flags. Just my opinion though.
I do something similar, but I provide the specifics to the gate keeper. I treat them like they are a very important person. So for example. I take the "Can you help me" approach.
I don't sell insurance, YET, but I'll try and adapt my approach to what I think I would say when I do start calling B2B for insurance.
"Hello, this is Squeed calling from ABC Company, I'm hoping that you can help me to connect with Ken, is he in?"
Gatekeeper : What is this regarding ?
"It is in reference to me helping him to provide additional high quality, lower cost benefits to the employees of his company."
Although, I like your "It's a private matter" approach.
If I get blocked I try and find the email address of the decision maker on their website and then I email them and say something like:
"This is Squeed from ABC Company, you've done an Excellent job in training your assistant to effectively screen your calls, phew, she's a tough one, but I did want to speak with you regarding ..."
"Hello, this is Squeed calling from ABC Company, I'm hoping that you can help me to connect with Ken, is he in?"
Gatekeeper : What is this regarding ?
"It is in reference to me helping him to provide additional high quality, lower cost benefits to the employees of his company."
-S
I think you would get shut down by most gatekeepers when you start talking about "helping him to provide additional high quality...bla bla bla." No offense, I am sure that providing high quality etc. is exactly what you intend to do. BUT it sounds like another sales call and I am sure most businesses get a lot of those every day, at least the successful ones. I think you would be better off with a simpler script.
I personally like the "I am calling/stopping by to introduce myself" approach.
"IT is kind of a private matter."
I think this line would raise red flags with a lot of gatekeepers too. I can't say I have tried that exact line so maybe it does work but it would definitely make me suspicious. I know its all just a way to get around the gatekeeper but I'm sure it would make her/him look pretty bad if they let you talk to/see the owner and you immediately start in on your sales pitch. Probably would make it hard to come back to the same business for future follow-up.
This is just based on my personal observation. If it works for you then you don't need my opinion!
I use to say "it's a private financial matter", that can make it interesting if you get the owner's wife answering the phones. I know it works, but so does being straight forward, so that's what I do.
When I cold call small biz, I come across gatekeepers often, and they will ask me who I am, I repeat my name very slowly, I tell them my last name, and how it rhymes with "the village people", it usually gets a chuckle.
I also tell them, that I too am a small biz owner, and that I network with other small biz owners in the area, that usually gets the owner on the phone...
If the gatekeeper still wants to know why I called, I will tell them that I am a Health Insurance Broker, and that I shop around all the ins cos in the state to find him the best price for his health insurance, some of those get through, some dont. I think if the gatekeeper is resolvent upto that point, she wouldnt let anyone through anyways.
------------------------------------
"First by deflation then by inflation, central bankers will deprive your children of all land and liberty"
"Central Bankers are more dangerous than standing armies"
As little as possible. I'm not trying to make the gatekeeper a client (for now), I'm trying to make the owner a client. When you have an attitude of 'you have to get through or your ass is grass', you will get put through. In other words, when you believe, you will be believed. I take an approach very similar to Full Throttle's:
DCFT: "I'd like to speak with Bob."
Receptionist: "Bob who?"
D: "Bob Owner."
R: "Who should I say is calling?"
D: "Death Cab."
R: "Death Cab who?"
D: (with a bit of annoyance) "Death Cab For Tootie."
R: "Where are you calling from?"
D: "My office."
R: "No, what firm?"
D: "My firm."
R: "What is this in regards to?"
D: "He'll know when I speak to him."
R: "Hold please."
The mentality you need to have when cold calling is:
You have the financial cure for cancer.
Mr./Mrs. Big is deathly ill, they just don't know it yet.
Mr./Mrs. Big will welcome the cure if you make them understand they are sick.
You are calling your best friend, so why wouldn't you give them the cure for cancer?
You cannot fail when you cold call, the person on the other hand has failed to meet your criteria for becoming a client.
It's real simple, but not easy. These are techniques that you must practice all the time because they are predicated on an attitude of utmost confidence. If you can't get these lines out without stammering, studdering, or pausing, you're dead. However, I am a testament to these techniques working. Since I've learned them, my calling success ratios have gone through the roof - now I get 3 appointments from 40 dials verses vs. 3 appointments per 100 dials.
Death, are you serious? If so, what are you calling for? Health, life?
I am 100% serious. This is how my calls go. Some are shorter than that, others don't let me get that far. My only goal is to get to the decision maker. Wasting time with anybody else is counterproductive.
I don't cold call on product, I call to set appointments. When I sit down with the prospect, I'll uncover what solution is appropriate.
Tootie, if I owned a business and you managed to get past my gatekeeper, our conversation would be very short.
Abusive tactics are fine for tin men, but I don't see them having application in a professional setting.
I fail to see how any of my techniques are abusive. That is not my intent. I have the financial cure for cancer. I am trying to cure as many people as I can. If you can point out where I am abusive, please do and I'll be sure to change my verbage.
If you had the cure for cancer, what would it make you do or say to cure as many people as possible?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Originally Posted by healthagent
If you're clever enough to get past a gatekeeper you could cost them their job or at minimum get them chewed out.
Part of their job is not letting sales calls through - especially when the manager/owner is very busy.
And part of their job is to let calls IN when they need to be put through. I am one of those calls.
When I cold-called I never made an attempt to get past them:
"May I ask who's calling?"
"Yes, John from Maryland Health Plans."
"And what it this regarding?"
"I'm calling to find out if he would be interested in quotes on the newest health insurance plans in MD."
"I'll have to take your number and have him get back to you."
"Not a problem - it's 410....."
...and onto the next call.
And how much success did you have with that? That sentence may seem like I'm coming off as a d1ck, but I have a point. If this approach yielded more appointments and sales for you than mine, I will be happy to use it. However, I've tried this approach before and it was not successful. Or, at least it was far less successful than my current approach. Maybe I was saying something wrong, or you were saying something right in that conversation.
If the owner is truly busy, the gatekeeper will say this immediately. At that point, I'm fairly certain the owner is busy. However, if she asks a bunch of questions before saying "the owner is busy", I know the receptionist if full of it. I won't press the issue, I'll take the receptionist's name down and drop by to introduce myself face to face.
Last edited by Death Cab For Tootie : 09-20-2009 at 05:40 PM.
Reason: Posts merged
I fail to see how any of my techniques are abusive. That is not my intent. I have the financial cure for cancer. I am trying to cure as many people as I can. If you can point out where I am abusive, please do and I'll be sure to change my verbage.
If you had the cure for cancer, what would it make you do or say to cure as many people as possible?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
And how much success did you have with that? That sentence may seem like I'm coming off as a d1ck, but I have a point. If this approach yielded more appointments and sales for you than mine, I will be happy to use it. However, I've tried this approach before and it was not successful. Or, at least it was far less successful than my current approach. Maybe I was saying something wrong, or you were saying something right in that conversation.
If the owner is truly busy, the gatekeeper will say this immediately. At that point, I'm fairly certain the owner is busy. However, if she asks a bunch of questions before saying "the owner is busy", I know the receptionist if full of it. I won't press the issue, I'll take the receptionist's name down and drop by to introduce myself face to face.
My job on the phone is to speak to any many owners as possible, not speak to as many secretaries who won't let me through as possible.
I see a lot of advice on this board regarding telemarketing; most of it old dinosaur 1950's obsolete sales techniques that don't work.
If an owner gives his secretary instructions not to let calls through but you're clever enough to get through you're chances of closing that owner are....well, zero. Waste of time - move onto the next call.
If you have to trick your way into an interview you have already lost. A better way is to get invited in by sampling.
That is what John (and others) are doing.
John is very clear about why he is calling (person or over the phone) and he waits to be invited in.
I have been on many a cold call appointment in the past, most of which were a waste of my time. Rather than trying to convince someone I have the solution for what ails them once I have tricked or pounded my way in the door, it is much better to be up front about the purpose of your call. Those who are interested will invite you in. Those who are not will not.
I can't figure out why this is so hard for agents to figure out.
As to Mark's question, I suspect you already know the answer. You are just trying to get some discussion going.
You have so many flyers, business card ideas, etc. that you should have no trouble getting invited in. Every time you hand out an informational flyer, a free living will, a tip calculator or whatever you are sampling to see who is interested. Some will have an interest now, some later (and will keep your stuff and actually call you) but most will probably refuse it or toss it in the trash.
Sampling is a time proven method of finding out who is interested, who is not.
The test drive is a way of sampling. Coupons and sales flyers are sampling. Food give aways in the grocery store are sampling. Every one of them works.
My website is a wealth of free samples which not only attracts traffic but generates sales.
And I never have to trick or bully anyone into granting an interview or buying a product.
Gatekeepers at Businesses
Re: Gatekeepers at Businesses
could be why i gave up telephone prospecting ??
Linear Mode
