As a virtual telemarketer/cold caller, you are responsible for obtaining the name of the decision maker, the person who doesn’t have to check with anyone else in the company to make the decision to schedule a virtual appointment. In some cases, on-line vehicles for determining correct names for CEO’s, CFO’s, Owners and HR Managers are unreliable. The Front Desk Receptionist, Administrative Assistant, PBX Operator and, if you are calling after hours, the Security Officer, at times, double as “gatekeepers.” You need the gatekeeper’s assistance in order to speak to the decision maker, however, there is just one problem; part of his/her role as a gatekeeper is to PREVENT you from reaching out to their fearless leaders! So you have a roadblock of sorts, at the very beginning of your lead development process.
According to a “seasoned” Gatekeeper, (interviewed by Maureen Sharib, on a source chat on Maureen’s Magic Method), when asked how best to get through to the decision maker, the gatekeeper replied, “tell me the truth, tell me who you work for and what you are trying to accomplish. If I can give you information I will and if I can’t I won’t. I know you have a job to do and so do I. I think that is when everybody wants to resort to the sneak attack. It's better to move on and keep your integrity in my book.” When a participant responded that being honest may be hard to do at times, the gatekeeper said, “I suppose that is why building relationships is so important”. Honest communication is the key to unblocking the gates to reach the decision maker.
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