Imagine This
Imagine that you sell marketing automation software to businesses. After identifying a company that could benefit from your product, you research who’s in charge and give them a call.
Expand the following rows to explore how to qualify leads using BANT.
The Phone Call
Receptionist: “Hello, this is Lina. How can I help you?”
Salesperson: “Hi, Lina—this is Malik from Glivy, Inc. I’m trying to reach Everly Garcia, the director of marketing.”
Receptionist: “And may I ask what this is about?”
Salesperson: “Of course. I’d like to talk to Everly about how we can help her marketing team increase its lead generation by 30% to 50%.”
Receptionist: “OK, the best way for you to reach Everly is through the contact form on our website.”
Sound Familiar?
Discouraging, right? Your solution may be the answer to a prospective customer’s prayers, but if you can’t gain access to the person in charge, you’ll be out of luck.
In this lesson, you’ll learn about the roles that decision-makers, influencers, and gatekeepers play in sales. You’ll then learn best practices for getting past the gatekeeper so that you can speak to decision-makers directly.
In this video, you’ll learn what decision-makers, influencers, and gatekeepers do in sales. You’ll also learn six tips for getting past gatekeepers.
Why Speaking to the Right Person Is Crucial
Imagine that you’re selling project management software to a small startup. Who do you want to pitch your product to—the project manager, a junior team member, or the company’s receptionist?
Clearly, you want to pitch to the project manager, because they set the standard for the team and decide what project management tools to use. Second to the project manager, a junior team member may also voice their opinion and sway the project manager’s decision. The company’s receptionist, on the other hand, probably isn’t directly involved in the team’s projects or purchasing decisions. So, they wouldn’t be the best bet for a pitch.
While this is a simple example, it illustrates the importance of speaking to the right person in sales.
How to Identify Decision-Makers, Influencers, and Gatekeepers
So, who are the key players in the sales process, and how do you leverage each person’s role?
Expand the rows below to learn more about the roles of decision-makers, influencers, and gatekeepers in sales.
Decision-Makers
A decision-maker has the final authority to make a purchase. An executive- or senior-level person, they can say “yes” to a sale without asking for anyone else’s approval.
How to identify them: Decision-makers are most often founders, CEOs, presidents, vice presidents, directors, chief officers, senior managers, or other executives at the top of the proverbial ladder.
How to leverage this role: Strive to meet with decision-makers directly. Or, at least get on the decision-maker’s radar so that they task a subordinate with vetting your solution.
Influencers
While influencers don’t have the final say in a purchasing decision, they do have direct relationships with decision-makers and carry clout. Decision-makers often task influencers with researching and screening options. That’s why influencers can make powerful allies for presenting your solution and obtaining buy-in.
How to identify them: While more challenging to identify, influencers are typically junior-level associates or middle managers in an organisation. You can distinguish influencers from decision-makers by asking questions such as, “Who else is involved in this process?” or “What’s your purchasing approval process?” Or, you could also ask, “Should I be aware of any other priorities or concerns from other stakeholders?”
How to leverage this role: Demonstrate why your solution stands out and will impress the influencer’s boss. Prepare the influencer to present your solution effectively to their boss—or, better yet, convince them to make an introduction.
Gatekeepers
Finally, a gatekeeper is someone who screens incoming communication to a higher-up as part of their job. By serving as traffic control, gatekeepers determine which meetings are relevant and necessary for their boss’s attention. That means they also shield their boss from unwanted interruptions—including salespeople.
How to identify them: Gatekeepers most often have receptionist, executive assistant, or other administrative roles.
How to leverage this role: Earn the gatekeeper’s trust by proving that you have something valuable to offer their boss. Ultimately, convince the gatekeeper to connect you with the right person.
- Research the key players and their respective job titles at an organisation. Review the company’s directory or organisational chart if it’s available online. If not, try checking the company’s “About Us” section on their website—which may feature the executive team. You might also investigate companies’ or individuals’ profiles on LinkedIn.
Who’s Who?
Check your understanding of decision-makers, influencers, and gatekeepers in sales by completing the following sorting activity.
Drag and drop each description into the correct category.
How to Get Past the Gatekeeper
Figuring out why salespeople sometimes resent gatekeepers isn’t rocket science: Gatekeepers often thwart their attempts to access key stakeholders. And keeping frustration at bay when a gatekeeper forwards your calls to voicemail isn’t easy. But with the right approach, you can get past the gatekeeper. You may even convert them into a partner and advocate for your solution.
Expand the following rows to explore how to win a gatekeeper over with the help of these six tips:
Treat Gatekeepers With Respect
Often well-connected and trusted by peers and supervisors, gatekeepers should always be treated with professionalism and respect. Don’t talk down to them or otherwise be pushy, rude, or dismissive. Approach a gatekeeper as a valuable resource and potential partner in your sales process. Never underestimate their influence.
Tip: Remind yourself that gatekeepers are just doing their job. Giving them a compelling reason to connect you with a key stakeholder is your job.
Engage With Them
Who has unfettered access to executives’ calendars? Who interacts with various departments across an organisation? Who has more institutional knowledge about the company than you do? The answer to all these questions is the gatekeeper.
Gatekeepers hold a wealth of information about a business and its key players. So, instead of trying to sneak around them or go over their heads, why not engage with them?
Engage with gatekeepers by:
Asking informed and meaningful questions. Take the opportunity to learn more about the company’s inner workings and pain points. For example, you might ask: “I see that your company has nearly doubled in size over the past two years. How has the training and onboarding experience been?” Seeking the gatekeeper’s perspective will make them feel valued and help you prepare for an eventual meeting with a decision-maker.
Asking for the gatekeeper’s advice. Is there a better time to call? What’s the stakeholder’s preferred medium of communication? Or, is there anyone else you should contact? Show respect for their knowledge and gain helpful insights at the same time.
Tip: Don’t try to sell to the gatekeeper. Gatekeepers may have insight into a dilemma the company faces. However, they’re rarely involved in the decision-making process for sales. Don’t waste their time (or yours) with a lengthy pitch or detailed explanation of your solution.
Be Transparent
Don’t lie about who you are or why you’re calling to circumvent the gatekeeper. Not only will you aggravate the gatekeeper, but you may also come across as deceitful or untrustworthy to the decision-maker.
Instead, explain the purpose of your call with transparency and tact. Give your full name and company information. Then, ask the gatekeeper if you can speak to the decision-maker you’ve identified from your research. If the gatekeeper asks about the purpose of your call, be prepared to summarise your offering.
For example: “I want to talk to Avni about a potential partnership to offer life coaching services as part of your employee benefits. Based on your company values and our extensive experience working with Fortune 500 companies, I think we might be a good fit.”
Tip: Speak in a confident, upbeat, and casual tone. Gatekeepers may feel defensive when first realising that they’ve answered a cold call. But you can reduce scepticism by being open, friendly, and professional.
Add a Personal Touch
You might catch a gatekeeper’s attention by adding a personal touch. Consider these examples:
Address the gatekeeper by name. Also, take note of any details you discuss with the gatekeeper so that you can refer back to them in follow-up calls.
Send a handwritten note.
For large deals, send a treat to the office—most everyone can enjoy food to share or a flower arrangement, for example.
Look for other creative ways to show the gatekeeper and surrounding staff that you’re not a stereotypical salesperson.
Avoid Red Flags
Certain red flags signal to gatekeepers that you’re not worth their time. Gatekeepers will be on guard if:
You don’t know the name of the person you’re trying to reach. (“Can I speak to the person in charge of finance, please?”)
You mispronounce the name of the person you’re trying to reach.
You give an obviously scripted or generic sales pitch.
Tip: Always research the company and decision-maker you’re trying to contact ahead of time and tailor your approach.
Try Other Avenues
Finally, if you can’t get a gatekeeper to budge, it may be time to try other avenues. Diversify your communication attempts to increase your chances of success. For example:
Send the decision-maker an email or mail them a letter
Message them on LinkedIn or another social media platform
Find a mutual connection and get a referral
Tip: Change your target. For example, if you can’t reach the decision-maker, try to contact relevant and influential subordinates.
Persistence Is Key
Be polite but persistent. Don’t give up after a first failed attempt to reach a key stakeholder.
You might follow up with the gatekeeper by saying, “Good morning, Lina! It’s Malik again from NETLOGiX. I called last week when Everly was out of the office, and I’m hoping to catch her before her day gets underway.”
Or, depending on the situation, you might even embrace humour: “Hi, Lina, it’s Malik, your most enthusiastic and persistent salesperson from NETLOGiX. You were so helpful—and so patient—with me last week that I decided to call again and see if there’s any way you could help me schedule a meeting with Everly.”
Check Your Understanding
Check your understanding of getting past the gatekeeper by navigating the following scenario. Imagine that you’re cold-calling a prospective client to offer recruiting services.
Summary
Making a sale requires gaining access to the right stakeholders. You’ll waste your time—and exasperate others—pitching to employees who don’t have purchasing oversight. Always research a company and map its organisational structure before reaching out. Identify and strive to speak with the company’s decision-makers directly, but be prepared to work with influencers who can help present your case. Finally, don’t be discouraged if you hit a wall with gatekeepers. Approach them with transparency and respect. Tap their knowledge about the company and its key stakeholders. And if all else fails, try other avenues until you break through to the person in charge.
- Call early or late. Executives are often the first people to arrive at the office—and the last to leave. You might catch them answering phones directly if you call before or after standard working hours.
Now that you’re equipped to qualify and understand potential buyers, click on ✔ Mark Complete. In the next lesson, discover how to develop successful sales relationships, starting with an essential element: building trust.