Episode 009 How to get information that guarantees you close a cold call

Power Sales Guru With Will Harris podcast

How to get information that guarantees you close a cold call.

Anyone with the desire to grow and willingness to prepare must also accept the responsibility to take action. It is an established fact that the largest and most powerful train in the world can be held in place by a one-inch block of wood.

Placed in front of a huge train, a little 1 inch block of wood will hold it completely motionless. However, that same train, when in full speed motion, can crash through a steel-reinforced concrete wall. That shows the power of……..ACTION! ACTION!

Taking action when others over look an opportunity is the biggest differentiator in sales. You know it and I know it. Every day we face a great opportunity but it can go unmissed as we take no ACTION. ON this podcast we are going to discuss the one resource that’s THE most critical source of information before you reach out to prospect.

This source is there every time but is not dressed up like a present under the Christmas tree…yet it is still a gift. WE are going to discuss what this gift is and how to unwrap it and claim your success.

What if you were able to know all your prospect’s business needs?

What if you knew their personality before you contacted them?

What if you could access EVEN what your prospect’s boss wishes?

All of this is available to you with ease…and 95% of other sales people don’t even consider this resource.

The key to GETTING critical information that guarantees you close a cold call is…..

The Receptionist Gatekeeper

In a previous podcast, we talked about from the mid-level gatekeeper, right…the person that has the power to say NO but not the power to say yes. Well now we come full circle we’re talking about the frontline receptionist gatekeeper. The sales tactics I discuss on this podcast is ideal for cold calling into a company.

Let me set the context…..You may have an idea of who to speak with at a midsize company (not too big, not to small…like goldie locks…just right). Maybe you researched them prior to your call. AND Now the phone is ringing

And the first thing you hear is: “Thank you for calling Harris Technologies, how can I direct your call?”

Remember it’s a cold call…so the normal your response would be: “Hi, I would like to speak to the person in charge of purchasing?”

The receptionist will respond: “That will be Jane, please hold and I will transfer you.” She could even transfer you without supplying the decision maker’s name or department.

And that concludes your interaction with the gatekeeper.

Let me share a personal story about my mother. My mother was that gatekeeper at a mid-size company for 15 years. After school, I would ride my bike to my mother’s job. I would stay there doing my homework for two hours until she got off of work.

Once she was off work we would throw my bike in the back of her blue Chevette and we would go home. My mother’s workspace was situated in the middle of the lobby at a traditional desk. I would go around the corner so she could see me doing my homework as she greeted visitors to the company.

I could see the large volume of calls my mother took at the front desk. I also observed people from the back come up and have conversations with my mother. Gatekeepers in this role do not get paid based on the volume of calls they receive or the number of people they talk to. Nor are they paid based on the efficiency in which they transfer a call.

During one ride home after work, I asked my mother if her job was boring. She replied that she had begun playing mental games to keep her mind sharp. It also helped her become more efficient at the skills needed to transfer calls.

My mother was extremely good at her job. As with most jobs, there were pros and cons. The cons were that my mother was the undeclared emotional garbage dump for anyone having a bad day. Employees would come up and scream at my mother when their day was not going correctly.

Sales people who were frustrated that their appointment was late for a meeting would make angry demands of my mother. Many times I wanted to get up and tell them you better stop yelling at my mother. I never did, though, because she told me that would get her fired and we needed her to keep that job. So I continued to sit around the corner and do my homework the best I could without letting anyone distract me.

My mother was the eyes and ears of that company.

She saw everything. It was amazing how few professionals treated my mother with respect. The sales people were especially rude. My pretty sure they didn’t think they were being rude.

Here is an example of how they would speak to my mom.

“Hi, my name is Ron and I’m looking for the person who deals with purchasing equipment. Could you get me in touch with them please?”

Now you may say, that doesn’t sound that bad. You said they were rude. No it is bad…it just sounds normal. And normal becomes accepted. Normal becomes natural. But we know that different is the new great.

Let me say it again and this time have a new kind of ear:

“Hi, my name is Ron and I’m looking for the person who deals with purchasing equipment. Could you get me in touch with them please?”

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But here’s what really is being said:

“Hi, it’s me. I need to speak to someone important. I know it’s not you. So, can you move out of my way and let me get to them please?”

The problem with this approach is that it totally overlooks the treasure you have in front of you.

There’s story about King George of England. He was traveling through a distant village in Holland. He stopped and asked to buy two eggs. The charge was for two hundred florins.

“Eggs must be scare around this place,” said the King.

The innkeeper smiled and said, “Pardon me, sire. Eggs are plenty enough; it is kings that are scare.”

And the king smiled and paid.

When you reach a receptionist type gatekeeper then you may have a scare king or queen in your presence. They could have answers to questions you wish you knew. Things that can save you time and increase your chance of success. Don’t pass by a king or queen and say nothing.

And yes….I said if you reach a receptionist. It is natural for us to hear people say “How to reach the decision maker”…. “When you reach the decision maker…” Because that is a cherished event, right? But so is reaching the gatekeeper.

My Mother knew who was in trouble and about to get fired. She knew also who was romantically involved with whom in the company. And when they were fighting and letting their work slide. You won’t here this on someone’s voicemail: Thank you for your call but I am fighting with my love interest in Accounting. For this reason I will not return your important call…so please keep trying and don’t take my unreturned call personally. I really need what you are saying but my heart is breaking right now.” Noooo you won’t hear that on a voicemail. But you can from a gatekeeper.

And of course my mom knew what competition was sneaking in the back door to coerce decision makers away from established vendors.

It is all about the approach with the gatekeeper. They have the information you need and have the ability to put you in touch with the people you want to talk to. The gatekeeper answers phone calls all day and deals with any number of interruptions. If you come across as just another nuisance, it is doubtful you will reach the person you want to speak with.

There are three levels of questions to ask the gatekeeper. Level one questions should be the easiest.

Level two questions should become more complex in nature. Level three should be the most difficult, but the most important.

If you are wondering what type of questions to ask the Gatekeeper then don’t worry. I have created a Free Power Tool to help you create your own level 1, 2, and 3 questions. Or you can get my book Power Prospecting and have the questions I created for each level. Both are available at www.Powersales.guru

Out of the four communication styles we discussed, the receptionist gatekeeper is most likely to be a Supporter.

You do not want to have a Thinker style answering the phone. That would be a nightmare for any company. Could you imagine that….Hello why are you calling? Are you sure you should be calling here? Maybe we aren’t the best company to call? What was your process on verifying that we deserve your business? I think you should consider all your options before committing to call us? Are you sure?

Now…companies want the most welcoming person be the first interaction with the outside world. It is most likely that you will have an isolated Supporter who is just willing and ready to bond with you.

When coming up with the questions you would ask the gatekeeper, consider what you wish you knew before you got on the phone with the decision maker?

UTILIZING THE GATEKEEPER

This is the closest thing I can give you that is similar to having a script in Power Prospecting. I will list out a possible dialogue between you and a gatekeeper.

Remember, different is the new great.

You want a process that will give you more than you have gotten in the past, which will get you more of what you expect in the future.

So I’m going to walk through a script where you just called into a prospect and you are cold calling in. The phone rings and the receptionist gatekeeper picks up and says “Thank you for calling. How may I direct your call?”

What you do next is not normal. What you do next is intended to break the pattern and stand out as different. Everything in this script is suttle but there for a reason.

The next thing you say is:

What is your name?

____, I need your help. (Pause)

Who is in charge of ____? (Ask initial question)

Then you will ask a

Level 1 Questions:

Level 2 Questions:

Level 3 Questions:

So that I don’t bother you in the future, what is their extension?

Before you transfer me, what is ____? (Ask follow-up questions)

Now let’s put it together to take a look at the flow:

• “Thanks for calling Harris technology, how can I direct your call?” “
• “Excuse me, what is your name?” (Sweetest sound in the English language is someone’s name)
• “My name is Suzanne.”
• “Suzanne I need your help.” (Pause until she agrees to help)
• “Ok, I’ll try”
• Initial Question…

Everything I mentioned has a reason for being there. I will explain why…because if you know the why’s then the how’s are easy. If you know why I am using this technique then you can adjust when you speak to your gatekeepers.

The first thing I asked was:

What is your name?

The sweetest sounding name in the English language to anyone…is there name. Also, if you happen to have a tough gatekeeper then when the call ends, call back in a week and say: Is this Sue? You will be surprised at the difference in the gatekeeper’s mood when you already know their name. first impression is lasting.

Also, my mother was sitting up front isolated from everyone. It is possible your gatekeeper is too and you represent a lifeline to the world in between checking Facebook or texting. But you never know until you engage.

Next I said

Suzzane, I need your help. (Pause)

I paused and didn’t just say: I need your help. Can you tell me who is in charge of ….. I pause because I want her to respond. I want to break up what she is used to doing. Have you ever been to a state fair and rode a horse. That horse rides the same path every day and all day. It is used to that path and will rarely veer off it.

The gatekeeper is used to a set process of moving people and you don’t want to be caught up in the same negative way they treat other sales people. Different is the new great…keep that in mind and follow the process. Every training class I give this is one section that every one always comes back and tells me works wonders. It helps you stand out and be different. And trust me these wonderful people will love to engage back with you.

They are Supporters and the key word that makes a Supporter spring to action is HELP. Suzzane, I need your help. Let that word help resonate in their ears. Let it ring through and sound the alarms that this person is different and they are great.

Then after she responds I will continue with my first question.

Who is in charge of ____? (Ask initial question)

Remember, you can make up your own first question and in my book I list out a page worth. And based on the interaction you then ask a

Level 1 Questions:

Level 2 Questions:

Level 3 Questions:

The Free Power Tool guides you to guides you to develop a stronger initial bond with the decision maker. Foster a relationship with the gatekeeper, as much as possible. And identify the questions you want to ask.

We went over the two types of gatekeepers. WE covered the midlevel manager (account influencer) in a previous episode and in this one we covered the receptionist (company greeter). We looked at how to set yourself apart from others who call the receptionist gatekeeper. Taking the time to get to know the situation and the gatekeeper, as well as being prepared to ask questions of them, will help get you to a YES. It will help you find information before a cold call guaranteed to get you a sale.

My mother’s story had a happy ending. A few years later, the president gave her a chance to manage a startup department. That year my mother’s department was the only one that turned a profit. The following year she was promoted to Vice President. When the company owner sold the firm the following year, my mother’s division was the only one not part of the buyout. Everyone who had mistreated her over the years was lined up outside her office begging for a job, in fear of losing their job once new management took over.

I’m not saying every gatekeeper will be as knowledgeable about the business or the company as my mother. I’m saying you never know until you ask. Imagine that every time you reach the gatekeeper, you just reached a king or queen.

Thank you for listening to this episode of the Power Sales Guru podcast. I am your host Will Harris wishing you Happy Selling and remember different is the new great.