Let’s face it, having a list of names of people you want to reach in business (did you make your RAC?) and even the craftiest pitch don’t mean much if can’t get your targets on the phone. Half the difficulty in reaching out to others is actually reaching somebody at all. It’s even more difficult when that somebody is a Big Kahuna with a thicket of protective voice mailboxes, blind e-mail addresses, and defensive assistants running interference.
So how do you open the door? You need to learn to artfully manage the gatekeeper.
For starters, some mindsets to adopt:
- The first rule of managing the gatekeeper: Never go head-to-head with an admin. You’ll lose every time. Never, ever get on his or her bad side. Your job is to make him or her into an ally, not an adversary.
- Recognize the gatekeeper’s awesome power. If they’re any good, they become trusted friends advocates for their bosses, and integral parts of their professional, and even personal, lives.
- Don’t approach a gatekeeper – or a target – without a deep understanding of his boss’ business and an interesting value proposition. You won’t necessarily need this upfront, but don’t waste your time getting access if you’re not ready to play ball once you’re there. Ideally, you should be approaching new contacts with 98 percent value add, 2 percent ask.
Now, the skillset - five steps for your approach:
1. First contact: Particularly on your first call, be very careful not to be aggressive or nervous. Remember, you don’t want to anger him or make him feel like you’re trying to get away with anything. As in all situations, relaxed confidence goes a long way.
2. No traction from the first call? (This will happen more often than not.) Then follow up promptly to establish your presence and make it known you won’t go away. “Hi, this is X. I’m just calling back because I haven’t heard from Y.” Without being too pushy, this approach starts to create the presumption that his return call is imminent and expected.
3. Remember to reward good behavior – or in other words, treat the gatekeeper with the dignity they deserve. What does that mean? Acknowledge their help – thank them by phone, or with a gift – flowers, Starby’s card – and thoughtful note. You may even do this at the stage where they’ve just been polite and open, but haven’t yet made anything concrete happen. (Feel out the situation – a gift shouldn’t come across as a bribe.)
4. If your gatekeeper signals you’ve taken a step too far – for example, if he/she is short with you – recover quickly. The way to do that is by being humble, candid and even vulnerable. She’ll question whether she was too gruff, perhaps with someone who really should meet her boss.
5. If the gatekeeper gives you the chance to send an email to your target, make sure to put your best value prop right up front. Be simple, direct, and to the point.
Still not getting anywhere?
Persist. Slowly but surely build the relationship over time, without being a pain. Never be needy. Try to add some value to the gatekeeper’s life – even just finding a way to make her smile every time you call can go a long way.
You can also try to whiz past the gatekeeper by:
- Calling the office at an odd time – early morning or late evening. The admin will have gone home, and there’s the off chance your target might just pick up the phone himself.
- Utilizing several forms of communication. E-mails, letters, LinkedIn requests – try ‘em all.
This post was based on content from my first book, Never Eat Alone.
Want to read more on this subject? I liked Andy Dicken's Top 10 Tips for Getting Past the Gatekeeper.
UPDATE: For those of you looking for the broken link in today's tip, How to Gain VIP Access in Minutes, go here. Thanks!
