Be Nice To The Gate Keepers

Gatekeepers are perceived as the lowly staff that answers the phone.  

Many companies treat them as "burners" meaning, they don't bring in money like the sales team.  

If you don't have the VP, or Presidents direct line there's a reason for that.  They have a cell phone, you know they do.  

Every sales guys has a cell phone, Vice-president, President, Owner, Principle--all those guys have cell phones.  If you don't have it, that might clue you into something.  What that something might be is up to your interpretation.  

Maybe they don't give out their cell.  Maybe they keep business and personal separate.  Maybe they don't want to be bothered by you so they give you the main number so the secretary can screen the call.  

When you get the bubbly Gate Keeper, frustration could rise at yet another person to blow past to the target.  Oh, dear. 

Sales rule #1: Talk to everyone.  You might think it a waste of your time but gatekeepers can feel that sneer behind the phone immediately.  We've all gone to the school of miming that teaches us confident evasion.  We ask your name and company so that we can get Bill off his other phone call to take yours.  

OR, we can send you directly to voice mail when your treating us like ugly gnomes.  Your voice gives it all away. 

In many cases Gatekeepers aren't treated all that well in their company.  What bonus do they get when the company does well?  Incentives are for the sales guys.  Gatekeepers are thought of as a necessary evil.  

Wow, really?  How would a gatekeeper feel if a President presented it that way?  Crummy.  Why don't you replace the human with an automated machine?  Oh, is that too impersonal?  You want to put forth your company as a personal service company?  Then you need a live person answering the phone and you need a good one.  

Hopefully you get a professional that passed the miming school of confident evasion that can handle the rude voice gestures that come their way.  Those Gatekeepers won't care if you find your prospect unless you happen to treat them like a person.  

Complaining at them is futile too.  What do you expect them to do?  This is why you say hello in a friendly way. 

A conversation I've heard from Sales person "Bill" had a dialogue like this: 

"Hello, what's your name?"
(***********)
"Are you such-and-suches administrative assistant?"
(***********)
"Oh!  Your the Sales manager?  Well I've got something for you too!" 

Yep Sales managers, office mangers, and even Vice President's answer the phone too.  So you're nasty quip trying to bypass the Gate Keeper just proved you're here for a wham-bam-thanks for buying my shit.   

Your perception of the Gatekeeper might be a bit skewed when you find out that administrative assistants know the low-down on the company.  Administrative assistants have cell phone numbers.  Remember that when you get hard-nosed at the Gatekeeper.  

It's nothing off their skin or teeth to forward you to voice mail.  No amount of complaining is going to get them on your side either.  Who knows, if your nice to them, you might have an in that you wouldn't have before.