How to Get Past the Gatekeeper

The person who answers the main line at a company has a job to do: protect their team’s time. Many reps treat that person as an obstacle and try to bluff their way through. That usually backfires, and it can damage your reputation with the account.

A better approach is to be honest, brief and polite. Gatekeepers deal with pushy callers all day. Being the one who’s easy to talk to works in your favor.

01Know who you’re asking for

“Can I speak to whoever handles IT?” signals that you don’t know the company. Do the research first and ask for a person by name. If you can’t find a name, ask for help finding the right person instead of asking to be transferred to a department.

02Be clear and brief about why you’re calling

When asked what the call is about, give a short, honest answer. Something like: “I’m calling about how your team handles IT support across your locations. Is Sarah the right person for that, or would it be someone else?” It’s clear, it doesn’t oversell, and it invites them to help.

03Ask for their help

Gatekeepers often know more about how decisions get made than anyone else. Asking “Who usually handles decisions like this?” or “What’s the best way to reach her?” can get you a direct line, an email address or the best time to call.

04Use other channels to warm up the call

If you’ve already sent the decision-maker an email or connected on LinkedIn, mention it. “I sent Sarah a note last week about this and wanted to follow up” is true and gives the gatekeeper a reason to put you through or take a message.

05Try different times

Early mornings, late afternoons and lunch hours sometimes connect you directly with the decision-maker, or with a different person at the front desk. Vary your call times across attempts.

06Remember names and be consistent

If you’re calling the same company several times, note the gatekeeper’s name and use it next time. Being friendly and consistent builds a small amount of goodwill with each call, and that adds up.

Written by Scott Henkin, Founder of Tek & Tel

Scott brings more than 20 years of sales experience to helping businesses build stronger pipelines through appointment setting, sales development, LinkedIn outreach, cold email and lead generation.