Gatekeepers

Many of you have asked me about getting around the dreaded ‘gatekeepers’ in a customer’s business. My deluded mind has thought of many sinister ways to remove them – many of them now illegal. Let me define what a gatekeeper is, and then some ways to get around them, or right over the top of them!!!

A gatekeeper is someone who guards or monitors passage through a gate. In a business context, a gatekeeper manages or constrains the flow of knowledge and information. In the sales process, a gatekeeper is a right royal pain in the butt (my official definition). They block you from gaining access to other parts of the business and / or the real decision makers. Contrary to popular belief, they are not always the personal assistant to the CEO or some other strategic contact. If you are in the ICT game, for example, it may be the IT Manager who is blocking you from seeing other contacts like marketing, finance and even the CEO. They need to control you, and not have you run off all over the company, creating extra work for them. Alternatively, they may have concerns over how they will look if you let them down.

Now many a brave, yet naïve, soul has tried to run over the top of Gatekeepers – and although they might gain access to other parts of the business, they never really win. A CEO once said to me, ‘you don’t have a dog and bark too’ and many of these ‘gatekeepers’ provide the technical expertise senior management need to make decisions. The aim is to make the gatekeeper part of the equation, leverage existing relationships to take them further.

OK, so we all know that we must get around the beloved gatekeeper. How is the $64 question. How do we get to other parts of the business without offending our delightful gatekeepers?

DIVERT – Take the contact outside their area of knowledge. Ask them questions around marketing, logistics or other areas you know they can’t answer. Don’t try and be smart with the questions. You are not trying to prove them wrong.

SEEK ASSISTANCE – Ask your contact for assistance to meet other contacts or the decision maker. This works well if you have built credibility and a relationship with the gatekeeper. Remember, the gatekeeper will not want to risk you going to other people in his/ her company if you embarrass them or impact their personal or political status.

USE YOUR OWN MANAGER (or higher) to make contact with other parts of the business. Sometimes, your customer contact sees you as not being at the same level of the person you want to meet. Once set up, DO NOT let your boss run the meeting. YOU run the meeting, otherwise the same de-positioning occurs.

LEVERAGE NETWORKING OR SOCIAL EVENTS – Use other contacts to help make contact. Invite them (along with the Gate Keeper is often appropriate) to corporate boxes and other functions.

DIRECT APPROACH – If the account is in dire straits, consider taking the direct approach, without involving your current contact. It is risky, so be smart. There is minimal risk if you have little business. This approach can be utilized when you are new to the account, and pleading ignorance if all goes wrong. However, be ethical – you want to be around for the long term!

If the Gatekeeper is the Personal Assistant, be purposeful in getting to know them, and what makes them tick. People buy people, and you would be amazed at how much a CEO relies on the ‘gut-feel’ in what the PA thinks about you. Never, ever underestimate the influence they have. Embrace them – but not literally – but you know what I mean.

Gatekeepers are a part of the sales process. You need to have a strategy to address them. Otherwise, you will have protracted sales processes, a lot of second guessing and praying for luck.

Go forth and conquer!!!