The main reason so many people in sales jobs believe screens are not a problem is because most have no idea when they are facing one! Every day, highly trained gatekeepers take advantage of thousands of innocent, unsuspecting sales people who have no clue of what happened.
Today’s gatekeepers are not those of the past.
Like today’s modern buyer, the average gatekeeper (GK) is an educated, sales savvy, well-trained expert. Many GKs have received some of the same sales training that you have and most have been in more sales interactions than you have.
A sharp GK will have the sales person believing that he just missed the decision maker (DM). Or that the DM stepped into a meeting minutes before he called. In addition, since many sales people keep little or no records of their calling activity, the result is sales people who attribute low contact rates and subsequent poor sales to bad luck.
Today’s GKs are sales and public relations people; protecting the image of their company and the DM. Therefore, instead of encountering cold, unwavering opposition when trying to get through to the DM, sales people face a serene, invisible barrier that is deadly. Before you can learn effectively to negotiate and get pass a good gatekeeper screen, you first need to know how to recognize one.
The timing of the GKs questions
Pay attention to the time the GK asks you certain questions. For instance, if the GK tells you the availability of the DM before asking your name or company, it is probably not a screen. For example:
GK: XYZ Company, may I help you?
Sales Rep: Yes, Lisa Jones, please.
GK: I’m sorry, Ms. Jones is not in. Who is calling?
This is probably not a screen since the GK offered the information before knowing who the sales person was. Should the reverse happen and the GK ask the question before telling you anything, then it is a sure sign of a screen. If you call once or twice and the GK responds as above, then you call again and this happens…
GK: XYZ Company, may I help you?
Sales Rep: Yes, Lisa Jones, please.
GK: Who is calling?
Sales Rep: Steve Smith, Acme Widgets.
GK: I’m sorry, Ms. Jones is not in.
Then you know you are facing a screen.
Alter and record the timing of your calls
If you call three different times of day on three different days of the week, yet get the exact same answer as to the disposition of the DM, it is likely a screen.
Watch and record the hold time
You find that every time you call, the GK puts you on hold to check the whereabouts of the DM, and comes back to inform you that he is in a meeting. However, if you notice that each hold time is almost exactly 18 seconds long---then guess what? Yes, it is a screen.
Sean McPheat is the managing director and founder of MTD Sales Training. MTD Have trained over 30,000 staff worldwide. Sean is regarded as a leading authority in the world of selling and has been featured on CNN, BBC, and ITV. Check his free weekly tips and his MTD sales blog for more advice.
