Vaulting the Hurdle

Selling over the telephone is a process and structured in a succession of well-defined stages where the objective of each stage is to earn an intermediary approval from the prospect that ensures progress to the next stage.

Progress occurs when the prospect makes a decision that takes the process to the next stage. If the customer asks the telesales executive to call another person, at a higher level of decision, then the sales process has made progress. Various stages involved in the telesales process are discussed.

Telesales executive usually do not always have direct access to the person who can make the decision. Not having a direct telephone number means that telesales executive has to reach that person with the help of other persons inside that organization. The persons who can help telesales executive reach the decision makers are called gatekeepers.

They are usually secretaries, personal assistants or front desk representatives. Regardless of their job title, all these persons have the same task of filtering calls, by deciding which calls get through to members of management. So, it is their job to keep telesales executive from reaching the decision maker. Telesales executive first challenge is to get past them.

The objective is in reaching the decision maker (this stage does not exist if telesales executive already know who the decision maker is and have a phone number where telesales executive can reach him). The important actions involve in reaching this objective includes preparing the call, know who the person telesales executive want to reach is, get mentally prepared for rejection and know what telesales executive have to do in order to avoid rejection.

Below telesales executive can find three of the most effective techniques for getting past gatekeepers.

The Two-Step Approach

Initially find out the gatekeeper’s name and use it. This establishes a personal connection which reduces the formality of a rigid business interaction. Then, ask for their help. The person screening the calls is, after all, a decision maker as well and they decide who passes through to the person who can make the acquisition. That’s why telesales executive must have the same attitude towards them, that telesales executive would have towards the decision maker.

Asking her for help will make her feel important, and this is an essential part to getting her to like telesales executive. Most people only treat her like an obstacle and want to get through as quickly as possible to a person holding a management position. They are hardly given any attention or respect. That is why a person giving her due respect will be appreciated.

The Deviated Path

It is an important part of secretary, personal assistant or front desk officer job to keep telesales calls away from busy managers. However, nobody has trained them to keep calls out from people that usually interact directly with customers or suppliers, such as accountants, PR officers or any other non-management personnel.

So, instead of asking to talk directly to the decision-maker, ask to talk to anybody working in a department that usually interacts with customers or suppliers. Once telesales executive get through to a person in one of these departments, getting to the decision maker is much easier, as the person telesales executive have reached has not been instructed to filter calls.

The Direct Approach

Another approach that can be successful is the direct approach. Telesales executive just say who we want to talk to, using a severe tone of voice. For example:

“Hello, I’m ______________ from ___________ . Pass me through to the Manager, please.”

This is an intimidating approach. Telesales executive pretend to be a very important person that has no time to waste. It is very risky, as chances are it might spark animosity in the gatekeeper. It works well if telesales executive feel that the person is easily intimidated, new on the job or if telesales executive have tried other approaches unsuccessfully and telesales executive have nothing left to lose.