When someone starts their career in selling or a new business, it's a constant battle to win new accounts and develop customers. The initial contact for new accounts is the dreaded gate keeper. How a business or a salesperson greets this opponent determines victory or defeat. If a salesperson treats the gate keeper like the enemy, the enemy wins every time. The gate keeper has all the power and control to determine who gets past them. Fortunately, there are ways to turn the gate keeper into a customer.

The Two Faces of The Gate Keeper

One of the first things we must recognize is that gate keepers don't want to be cruel to everyone they meet. Most of the time, the vicious gate keeper is really a charming and lovely person who enjoys meeting people. The gate keeper is the receptionist who just happens to sit at the front desk and answers the telephone. In most cases, the receptionists are hired for their pleasant personality and vivacious nature. However, one of the assignments a receptionist gets is to ward off salespeople with two significant weapons. The weapons are misinformation and a license to be cruel to solicitors pedaling anything.

When a gate keeper hears your voice on the telephone for the first time or when you walk into their door, they are sizing you up by your actions and your tone of voice. The last thing you want to do is tell them you are a salesperson. Yes, the last thing because the minute you do and they recognize you as a solicitor, all the defenses go up. You instantly become the enemy and the weapons of misinformation come out. The receptionist might sound friendly but the veil of deception is in full mode.

Fortunately, there are two faces of a gate keeper. The friendly face and full disclosure of information is available from every gate keeper when you don't act like a typical salesperson. When I was first taught to sell, I was told to introduce myself and ask for the buyer on cold calls. This action led to rejection and limited success. My winning strategy turns the table on the gate keeper when I appear to be lost and need information. The result of exposing a helpless nature reveals the helpful, friendly and resourceful receptionist to provide all the assistance I need. The secret of triggering the right response is to ask for help and not appear to be a solicitor.

How to Trigger the Friendly Receptionist

There are triggers that will reveal the friendly receptionist or the vicious gate keeper. The tactics you use will determine how successful you are.

• Unless you have an appointment with a client, never ever walk into a business with the look of a solicitor. This includes carrying a briefcase or introducing yourself as a salesperson. The only time this will work is when you are famous or a celebrity. The gate keeper will recognize who you are and the weapons of misinformation will come out. You will hear things like, "all of the decisions are made at the corporate office."

• If you know the name of the contact you want to reach, act like a friend and use their first name. Use a friendly tone of voice and don't tell them who you are unless asked. If asked, tell them you have been trying to reach this person for a while. Keep the tone of voice the same as you would with your best friend. There is a noticeable difference in voice tone and the receptionist will hear the difference.

• Acting like you need help is powerful in cold calling. The most vicious of gate keepers will not be able to resist helping you. One of my favorite lines is – "I’m hoping you can help me, I'm not sure if your company can use my service. – Does your company have a need for _____________." The question is a plea for help and that is all the receptionist hears. The receptionist doesn't hear that I'm a salesperson. The gatekeeper hears someone needing help and they comply with good information.

• Relax, really relax to the point that you feel like you are with friends on the telephone or when in front of the toughest gate keeper. It is amazing how well this works over the telephone or in person. If you wear glasses, a great gesture is to remove your eye glasses as you begin talking to the person. This does two things, it assures the person you aren't carrying anything and if you can expose your wrists, it verifies your openness to them with your body language.

• Slow down and take time with your questions. Cold calling is not a speed sport and the more time you spend, the more information you will get. One tactic is to almost leave and then turn around to ask another question. Some people refer to this as the Colombo tactic from the television show. The action of almost leaving and then asking another question usually almost always gets additional information. It works because the minute the receptionist thinks you are leaving, they drop their guard some more. This gives you an advantage for the next question.

• Don't be afraid to challenge misinformation. One of the things I have always enjoyed when hearing something that didn't quite seem right, is to challenge the statement. I've learned that if you challenge something a gate keeper says that is deceptive, they can't uphold the lie more than twice. So, when this happens, challenge the statement in a friendly manner to get clarification.

First Impressions Score the Most Points

There is only one opportunity to make a good first impression with a gate keeper. The first impression will score the most points and give you time. The objective is to get more time and information. Don't sabotage the entire sales call by treating gate keepers or prospects like opponents instead of friends. You will get more information which will lead to more customers.