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Cold Calling Cold Calling: Uh Oh, Sales Pros Headed for Trouble with Gatekeepers Now! Who would have thunk? Most sales professionals grossly underestimate the changes that need to be made when they move from face-to-face communications to the telephone. This one error in judgment unwittingly causes all sorts of grief and aggravation as sellers try to communication with gatekeepers, praetorian guards who hold their ground at the doors of high-level decision-makers. Fail to accommodate for the loss of visual cues, overlook the need to adjust your phone presentation, and you will predictably get chewed up by gatekeepers. Tweaks to your phone manner will on the surface appear small, subtle. But the impact and change in results will be nothing short of tremendous. What kinds of changes do you need to make? Try this on for size, speak slowly. Imagine the person on the other end of the line is writing down every word you say and speak at that pace. Warning! This is a killer for sales professionals who are used to packing in a lot of words into their 90-seconds of time on the phone with prospects. Feel the pain and do it anyway. Hold yourself back and speak slowly. Making changes to your cold call presentation may have more to do with what you should stop doing than about what you need to do. Resist the temptation to roll right into your sales presentation. Save that for your face-to-face sales call. Remember, the gatekeeper is not deciding whether or not to buy your products and services, she is deciding whether or not you get on the executive’s calendar. Keep your words focused on that important goal. Those unfortunate sellers who forget this and position the gatekeeper to make a yes or no buy decision learn soon she will make a decision all right. The one she’ll always make is “No.” If you're trying to sell to her, it's a clear signal that you don’t belong at the executive level. Speak to the gatekeeper as though you’re a top dog, an expert in your own business arena. When it comes to knowing the questions to ask and the answers to give about your product/service, no doubt about it you can hold your own. No, you most certainly do not have to impress the gatekeeper with your knowledge of her company’s business. You do, however, want to come from a position of strength because you know your own industry. Those who roam at the top dog, executive level, think in bottom-line terms. You will save time, energy and eliminate discouragement if you are prepared with a good, strong bottom-line benefit statement that tells specifically how your product/service will impact your prospect’s business. Present to their method, their mode of thinking, and you will have a sense of belonging and no longer feel like a weenie begging gatekeepers for the attention of their executives. Apply these tactics and stay out of trouble with gatekeepers:
***** Forward this article to friends. They will thank you for it! For your mini-course “Jealously Guarded Secrets to Cold Calling Company Presidents” visit www.ColdCallingExecutives.com or call New Business Development Coach, Leslie Buterin (like butterin’ bread) at (816) 554-3674 9-3 CST (that’s Kansas City/Chicago Time) (c) 2008 Leslie Buterin. All Rights Reserved.
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Leslie Buterin, founder Top Dog
Consulting |