Cold Calling: How You Can Get Past The Gatekeeper, Into The Executive Suites

Put pencil to paper and list every single sales-stopping-objection that spews from the mouths of gatekeepers. Know what you’ll find? Literally, dozens of objections that subtly challenge the appropriateness of you scheduling an appointment in the executive’s office.

Ah, but here’s the good news...

When you’re greeted with “buyer’s resistance” all you need to do is get rid of the “resistance” and you’re left with … a buyer!You can kiss that hangdog look goodbye and wag your tail with excitement, because contrary to popular belief, objections are buying signals. You gotta know that when your prospect’s gatekeeper throws out an objection to your request for a meeting with her Top Dog, she’s drawing the line with a double-dog-dare.

The gatekeeper wants you to convince her that her executive needs your product/service. That’s right, part of her job is to look for sales pros with products and services that her executive needs.

Objections to scheduling sales calls are predictable. Yep, you can count on the same objections to greet you again and again and again. More good news … there are words to overturn these temporary obstacles to your sales calls. You just need to learn what they are and remember …Your success hinges on your ability to give those overturns as needed.

What words will grease the hinges and open the gates for your Top Dog sales calls?I’m glad you asked and am delighted to tell you. But hey, don’t be deceived by the simplicity of the answers. I’m serious. To value the complex simplicity of these effective overturns, you’ll want to be sure to write down the words you say when the gatekeeper gets in your face with these overturns.

Compare those words to the overturns that follow—then do an “effectiveness test.” That’s right, make a couple of calls, use your current overturns. Make a couple of more calls and use the overturns below. I guarantee you’ll be surprised at the simple, yet effective, ways these overturns get you past the gatekeeper and into the executive suites.

Here we go …When you hear the words, “We have to cancel our appointment with you.” Don’t wimp out like a lesser pup and say, “Oh, okay.”

Stay in the game, with these words …“Great! What’s a good date to reschedule?”When a “bulldog,” gatekeeper says: “I’ll put you through to voice mail.” Don’t even let yourself be banished to voice mail jail with a pathetic response of “Okay.”

Hold your ground and say, …“He isn’t in? Great! What’s the best time for me to contact him by phone?”When the executive assistant, relays, “The executive isn’t here right now. Do you want to leave a message?” Don’t give an answer that’ll keep you chasing your tail and running in circles like, “No, I’ll just call back later”. Level the playing field.

Posture yourself as one big dog talkin’ to the office of another with these words …“Great! Thanks for your help. My name is . . . my number is . . . I’m calling to schedule a twenty-minute meeting to see whether or not we can save 20% of your (name your executive-level prospect’s significant expense). What’s the best date for me to follow up with you?”Then, when the Gatekeeper insists, “I’ll need to check this out with my executive first” be thankful she’s following through with your request. But don’t forfeit control by saying: “OK.” Keep the ball in your yard with the words, “Great!’ I appreciate your help. What’s a good day for me to follow up?”There’s appointment-scheduling power in these words.

You’ll move to the head of the pack with an outrageous number of executive-level, Top Dog sales calls as you commit to keeping effective overturns to predictable objections on the tip of your tongue.

And know you’ll be able to consistently trot on through open doors when you understand and act on the knowledge that the difference between getting into the executive suites and sitting on the outside panting and howling at the gatekeeper is the words you speak during your prospecting call.

Forward this article to friends—they’ll thank you for it!