Why You Can't Get Past the Gatekeeper: The Truth About Cold Calling

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We're focused on what you can do and say when you reach a gatekeeper.

The purpose of your first 10 seconds is to earn another 20 seconds. So, when your gatekeeper picks up the phone, use a tone of voice that exudes confidence.

Energy is contagious. Keep yourself full of energy in whatever way works for you while you're smiling and dialing.

Don't let the very first words out of your mouth set off alarms that you don't know the person you're asking for. Use only their first name. This portrays familiarity, and all of us are more at ease when we feel like we're in a familiar environment.

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Keep that environment for as long as you can to build even the smallest sliver of trust.

Are you going to get the first name wrong once in a while and still expose yourself as not knowing them? That he goes by Ben and not Benjamin, and that anyone who knows him would already know that?

Well, sure. But you've got to try. Use your best judgment.

Now, it's sort of like there's this universal script that buyers are just waiting for salespeople to use so they can quickly tell them no.

1:08

"I'd like to speak to Ben Gold, please."

"Who is this?"

"This is Greg Zippi calling from Legendary Brands about an email I sent him last week."

"Oh, is this a cold sales call? He doesn't accept cold calls. Please send him a brochure in the mail, and I'm sure he'll look at it."

Well, you know he won't, but anyway.

There is another way.

Get your prospect's attention and wake her from the numbness on her end of getting dozens of cold prospecting calls every week by surprising her.

Break the pattern she's expecting you to follow as a prospecting caller.

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"Ben's Craft Brewery, this is Linda."

Now, if she doesn't share her name:

"Hi, I don't think I caught your name."

"Linda."

"Hi, Linda. Nice to meet you. I was hoping you could help me out. I was wondering if you sell branded merchandise for people to wear and use to say how much they like your restaurant."

Now, three selling principles are already coming into play.

First, you used her name.

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People always like to hear their own names.

Second, you treated her with dignity. How often is that not the case for a receptionist? Salespeople see her as nothing but an object to get around.

Third, you asked for her help. You acknowledged that she has valuable ideas. That's a compliment, and we know that compliments make us like the people who give those compliments to us.

And fourth, you already slipped in a benefit of your branded merch.

Now, you did that in 36 words. It took me almost three times that long to explain it.

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That was your first 10 seconds. There's a great chance you're going to get your next 20.

Once you get Linda to stay on the phone just a little bit longer, there are one of two ways she's going to answer.

If they do sell branded merchandise, she's probably going to say something like:

"Yes, are you looking to buy some?"

In which case you say:

"No, I'm sorry. To be perfectly clear, I'm not looking to buy any, but I am looking to help you guys use your merch to drive more revenue for your restaurant by bringing you new customers. I was looking to talk to Ben about that."

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Now, if they don't sell merch, she's probably going to say something like:

"No, we don't do anything like that."

"Well, that's what I thought might be the case. That's exactly why I was calling to speak to Ben about how branded merch could drive more revenue for your restaurant by bringing you new customers."

Now, whichever path you just went down, you're 30 seconds in, and just now she understands that this is a prospecting call.

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But now you've also added in the following key points.

First, that there's a problem or an unrealized opportunity she will agree they have. In this case, every restaurant in the world wants to increase their receipts, and they're always looking for ways to bring in new customers.

And second, you've created a knowledge gap.

Well, how can they help us solve that problem with custom-branded merchandise?

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Linda has been listening the whole time because you broke her expected pattern.

You've been able to build some street credibility for you and your organization with the extra attention it brought you.

And the conversation has been all about them.

Hopefully, she'll put Ben on the line.

But what if, after your wonderful expectation-bursting approach, Linda says:

"Ben's not here right now."

This is where a good line that a good friend of mine constantly preaches to his sales reps comes into play. He says:

5:05

"When you're making phone calls, you're either selling, or you're learning. If one of those two things is not happening, you're not doing it right."

You change to learning mode because Ben's not there, and there are several directions you can go.

"Is there a particularly good time to reach Ben?"

Now, if Linda hesitates or is not forthcoming:

"I sense a little hesitation. Is there someone else I should be talking to about this instead?"

"Should I call this number, or is there a direct or a different number I should use?"

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Now, after she gives you a number, some might want to ask:

"Is that a cell?"

But you can also get that from a simple website that looks it up for you.

So, you may not want to waste your extremely precious questions asking when you can figure it out yourself.

If you don't have it at this point, you also may want to ask for or confirm his email address.

Finally, if you still think you have enough goodwill left with Linda, you may want to learn one more piece of valuable information.

6:06

"Linda, if I could ask one more quick question. I called him Ben. Is that the name he prefers going by, or does he prefer Benjamin or something else?"

Now, at that point, thank Linda for her help and pleasant demeanor, or whatever trait she exhibited on the call, and wish her a great rest of her day.

So, what does following all the concepts we've gone over so far in this lesson get you?

If all went well, you now have up to seven pieces of valuable information that will raise your confidence significantly when you call Ben back.

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First, you know whether or not they already have a competing offering for what you provide.

Second, you know the best time to reach or contact Ben, or who the better contact is.

Third, you have the phone number he prefers to be reached on. You can confirm yourself whether or not it's a cell or landline.

If it's a cell, this is number four: you now have the ability to text him if that's appropriate to what you're selling.

7:11

Five, you now have an email address that you know is good.

Six, you've confirmed the name he prefers to go by.

And seven, you have Linda's name you can reference when you call back in.

Now, I don't know about you, but I consider that a successful call.

Now, there's one thing left for you to do if this is the path your call went down.

You should immediately send a quick email to Ben telling him that you just spoke to Linda and that she mentioned a good time to reach him was whatever time she gave you.

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And that you will call him at that time to share some ways your organization has been helping restaurants like his increase their revenues and profitability.

Note, once again, you're selling.

You've created, in this case, a knowledge gap for Ben to think about.

"How can you help increase my revenues?"