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  • Add You - Make Friends With The Gatekeeper! 10 Ways to Get Through More Often on the Phone

    Boosting Employee Morale Increases Productivity
    The question asked by executives and managers – “How can I motivate my employees?” – is sometimes difficult to answer. Since each employee is motivated by a variety of difficult incentives, you need to find out what is of value for each person. Research shows that people often leave an employer because they haven't received the recognition they want, or feedback on how they are doing. With this in mind, designing a positive, employee-driven motivation program works with some of your employees, but then what do you do for the others?Leaders continue to look for ways to boost morale. Many organizations feel that if you want innovative and unique ways to boost your employee’s morale, just ask them. Of course, employees may not want to tell employers face-to-face what they want and what they are thinking. So the employer can conduct an anonymous “morale audit,” giving employees a survey to fill out. This is only one method.Since many employers don’
    r so and try calling again a few times before leaving another one.

    4, In the office? Far too many times, outbound telemarketers make multiple calls to a prospect when he isn’t even in the office. If you get through to a prospect, check every time, is he/she in the office? If not, then when are they expected back? I find many times that a receptionist or colleague will just keep putting you through to voicemail in the full knowledge that your prospect is out, or even on holiday.

    5, I was just speaking to… If you have been put through from one gatekeeper to the other, this technique involves you giving the impression that the first one thought your call was of interest and was almost recommending it to the second one. This is also good when your original prospect is not the right person and they have put you through to the decision maker, use an implied recommendatio

    Call Centers
    The Call Center industry provides a large percent of employment in the United States. There are many classifications of Call Centers and these mainly depend on the kind of service they provide.A call center is a centralized office that answers incoming telephone calls from customers for the purposes of product support and complaint. These call centers also make outgoing telephone calls to customers that is more commonly known as telemarketing. An office may also respond to letters, faxes, e-mails and similar written correspondence.The typical call center is usually set-up in a large room or an entire floor of a building, with workstations that include a computer, a telephone set hooked into a large telecom switch and one or more supervisor stations. The call center may be linked to a network of other call centers or a corporation’s computer networks, including main frames, microcomputers and LANs. The growing voice and data pathways into the ce
    Make friends with the gatekeeper! 10 ideas for getting through on the phone and leaving your competition out in the cold…

    Are gatekeepers the bane of your life? You know you have a great product that will definitely add value to your prospect, make him or her money, save time, you name it - if only you could just get through!!

    Having just spent the best part of a whole morning phoning my prospect list, I became aware of many of the in-built strategies I employ when approaching gatekeepers, that I feel have given me the edge, so I thought, why not share a few?

    The first thing to remember is that although you are unique and have a unique proposition, your prospect is probably getting tens if not hundreds of inbound calls a day. It would be entirely possible for some managers within organisations to answer sales calls and do nothing else whatsoever.

    You appreciate these people need protecting. We live in the days of CTPS, (Corporate Telephone Preference Service) it may be called something else where you live. Essentially this is the trend for companies to opt-out of receiving unsolicited telephone calls.

    The trend for companies to opt-out of receiving calls means essentially there are less prospects left that you can legally make a cold call to.

    Think about it, the companies left on databases that will accept calls, are going to be getting many more of them, and this trend will only continue in the future.

    Hence the reason for employing PA’s, briefing colleagues and receptionists to block your call, or at the very least, filter it, to avoid you potentially wasting their time.

    The irony of opting out of receiving sales calls, is that the companies doing this usually employ outbound telephone marketers of their own. sometimes into the hundreds! I can understand it from both points of view, but that’s the situation, so we have to live with it.

    People will always make sales calls, in the future it will mean as in all means of media communication, we will have to enhance our quality and pay much more attention to segmenting the right kind of prospect, who is much more likely to want to take our call as he or she actually wants to hear from us.

    The tips…

    1, Have a positive approach. Read any book by Napoleon Hill i.e. Success through a positive mental attitude, to get this message fully. Even if you can’t get through, you need to create a positive association in the gatekeepers mind, this means being pleasant, having a little well-placed humour here and there. If there is a positive association, the gatekeeper will actually help you to get through, and keep taking your calls. I don’t mean faking it here, make it natural and who you really are.

    2, Statement-suggestion. This is for when you have been asked the reason for your call by a receptionist or colleague. it means telling the gatekeeper the reason concisely, then in the same sentence, without a gap for breath, your suggestion for a next action. then you go quickly. You are trying to avoid them asking for you to leave a message, or telling you “I’m sure if Mr x was interested he will call you”.

    3, Leave a message? Whether you do or don’t is personal preference, I suggest exhausting all avenues to get through before leaving a message. If you just can’t get through, try leaving a message with a little more enticing than just your name and number. Keep it short and ask for what you want with a good reason for your prospect to respond. After leaving a message, leave a day or so and try calling again a few times before leaving another one.

    4, In the office? Far too many times, outbound telemarketers make multiple calls to a prospect when he isn’t even in the office. If you get through to a prospect, check every time, is he/she in the office? If not, then when are they expected back? I find many times that a receptionist or colleague will just keep putting you through to voicemail in the full knowledge that your prospect is out, or even on holiday.

    5, I was just speaking to… If you have been put through from one gatekeeper to the other, this technique involves you giving the impression that the first one thought your call was of interest and was almost recommending it to the second one. This is also good when your original prospect is not the right person and they have put you through to the decision maker, use an implied recommendation

    Flight Operations Job Sites
    Employment opportunities for flight operations personnel are often available through a major airline or with a regional carrier. On the other hand, the best opportunity for pay and independence is typically found through a private jet operator. Let’s look at some sources that can help you find work.Aviation Employment Board – A free site, this forum features job opportunities across the range of business and commercial aviation. Registration is free and you can post your resume for free as well. Visit www.aviationemploymentboard.net for more information.Hot Jobs – Owned by Yahoo, Hot Jobs is job site listing numerous opportunities at any given time. Aviation opportunities are limited, however. Registration is free and you can post your resume for free as well. Visit www.hotjobs.com for more information.Climb to 350 – One of the largest aviation sites on the internet, Climb to 350 lists an variety of opportunities including flight operati
    appreciate these people need protecting. We live in the days of CTPS, (Corporate Telephone Preference Service) it may be called something else where you live. Essentially this is the trend for companies to opt-out of receiving unsolicited telephone calls.

    The trend for companies to opt-out of receiving calls means essentially there are less prospects left that you can legally make a cold call to.

    Think about it, the companies left on databases that will accept calls, are going to be getting many more of them, and this trend will only continue in the future.

    Hence the reason for employing PA’s, briefing colleagues and receptionists to block your call, or at the very least, filter it, to avoid you potentially wasting their time.

    The irony of opting out of receiving sales calls, is that the companies doing this usually employ outbound telephone marketers of their own. sometimes into the hundreds! I can understand it from both points of view, but that’s the situation, so we have to live with it.

    People will always make sales calls, in the future it will mean as in all means of media communication, we will have to enhance our quality and pay much more attention to segmenting the right kind of prospect, who is much more likely to want to take our call as he or she actually wants to hear from us.

    The tips…

    1, Have a positive approach. Read any book by Napoleon Hill i.e. Success through a positive mental attitude, to get this message fully. Even if you can’t get through, you need to create a positive association in the gatekeepers mind, this means being pleasant, having a little well-placed humour here and there. If there is a positive association, the gatekeeper will actually help you to get through, and keep taking your calls. I don’t mean faking it here, make it natural and who you really are.

    2, Statement-suggestion. This is for when you have been asked the reason for your call by a receptionist or colleague. it means telling the gatekeeper the reason concisely, then in the same sentence, without a gap for breath, your suggestion for a next action. then you go quickly. You are trying to avoid them asking for you to leave a message, or telling you “I’m sure if Mr x was interested he will call you”.

    3, Leave a message? Whether you do or don’t is personal preference, I suggest exhausting all avenues to get through before leaving a message. If you just can’t get through, try leaving a message with a little more enticing than just your name and number. Keep it short and ask for what you want with a good reason for your prospect to respond. After leaving a message, leave a day or so and try calling again a few times before leaving another one.

    4, In the office? Far too many times, outbound telemarketers make multiple calls to a prospect when he isn’t even in the office. If you get through to a prospect, check every time, is he/she in the office? If not, then when are they expected back? I find many times that a receptionist or colleague will just keep putting you through to voicemail in the full knowledge that your prospect is out, or even on holiday.

    5, I was just speaking to… If you have been put through from one gatekeeper to the other, this technique involves you giving the impression that the first one thought your call was of interest and was almost recommending it to the second one. This is also good when your original prospect is not the right person and they have put you through to the decision maker, use an implied recommendatio

    Bring That Difference To Your Business!
    Romans had a phrase for this- First among Equals.Online marketing has too coined a similar one – when everything is equal the difference is me.This is the key to build a successful business.One who makes the difference succeeds.That is what differentiates between the bestsellers and thousands of books that just come and go.The uniqueness.An artist sells million of albums and many others even fail to create a ripple. Why?The uniqueness.If you want your business to succeed you must bring that element of uniqueness.It is good if you already have a unique product. You have already won half the battle. But what if you do not have that unique product. This is especially true if you are marketing affiliate products. You still can bring the difference.How?Introduce yourself in your product. Make your marketing unique. When your product is similar brand it unique with your style.You n
    their own. sometimes into the hundreds! I can understand it from both points of view, but that’s the situation, so we have to live with it.

    People will always make sales calls, in the future it will mean as in all means of media communication, we will have to enhance our quality and pay much more attention to segmenting the right kind of prospect, who is much more likely to want to take our call as he or she actually wants to hear from us.

    The tips…

    1, Have a positive approach. Read any book by Napoleon Hill i.e. Success through a positive mental attitude, to get this message fully. Even if you can’t get through, you need to create a positive association in the gatekeepers mind, this means being pleasant, having a little well-placed humour here and there. If there is a positive association, the gatekeeper will actually help you to get through, and keep taking your calls. I don’t mean faking it here, make it natural and who you really are.

    2, Statement-suggestion. This is for when you have been asked the reason for your call by a receptionist or colleague. it means telling the gatekeeper the reason concisely, then in the same sentence, without a gap for breath, your suggestion for a next action. then you go quickly. You are trying to avoid them asking for you to leave a message, or telling you “I’m sure if Mr x was interested he will call you”.

    3, Leave a message? Whether you do or don’t is personal preference, I suggest exhausting all avenues to get through before leaving a message. If you just can’t get through, try leaving a message with a little more enticing than just your name and number. Keep it short and ask for what you want with a good reason for your prospect to respond. After leaving a message, leave a day or so and try calling again a few times before leaving another one.

    4, In the office? Far too many times, outbound telemarketers make multiple calls to a prospect when he isn’t even in the office. If you get through to a prospect, check every time, is he/she in the office? If not, then when are they expected back? I find many times that a receptionist or colleague will just keep putting you through to voicemail in the full knowledge that your prospect is out, or even on holiday.

    5, I was just speaking to… If you have been put through from one gatekeeper to the other, this technique involves you giving the impression that the first one thought your call was of interest and was almost recommending it to the second one. This is also good when your original prospect is not the right person and they have put you through to the decision maker, use an implied recommendatio

    Practical Tips for Brochure Design
    Brochure design is an important element of the overall small business advertising plan. A well designed brochure is often the first introduction your customer gets to your company. It is important to put some thought and effort into its production. There are some things that can be done to insure a quality brochure.Brochure printing should be done by a company that is experience in producing high quality products. You can review samples of their previous work and even receive suggestions from the staff at the printers for ideas on color and print font. Remember that the printers are the experts on the physical side of the brochure. However, the content needs to be produced by your own company. It is important to get all information correct, and ask to approve the brochure before the work is done.Remember that color is important in making an effective brochure. Sometimes a certain color is associated with your business, or of the type of product
    your calls. I don’t mean faking it here, make it natural and who you really are.

    2, Statement-suggestion. This is for when you have been asked the reason for your call by a receptionist or colleague. it means telling the gatekeeper the reason concisely, then in the same sentence, without a gap for breath, your suggestion for a next action. then you go quickly. You are trying to avoid them asking for you to leave a message, or telling you “I’m sure if Mr x was interested he will call you”.

    3, Leave a message? Whether you do or don’t is personal preference, I suggest exhausting all avenues to get through before leaving a message. If you just can’t get through, try leaving a message with a little more enticing than just your name and number. Keep it short and ask for what you want with a good reason for your prospect to respond. After leaving a message, leave a day or so and try calling again a few times before leaving another one.

    4, In the office? Far too many times, outbound telemarketers make multiple calls to a prospect when he isn’t even in the office. If you get through to a prospect, check every time, is he/she in the office? If not, then when are they expected back? I find many times that a receptionist or colleague will just keep putting you through to voicemail in the full knowledge that your prospect is out, or even on holiday.

    5, I was just speaking to… If you have been put through from one gatekeeper to the other, this technique involves you giving the impression that the first one thought your call was of interest and was almost recommending it to the second one. This is also good when your original prospect is not the right person and they have put you through to the decision maker, use an implied recommendatio

    The Perfect Fit: Women & Franchising
    An interesting combination of factors at this time in history may be the reason so many women are turning to franchising to fulfill their entrepreneurial desires. Women’s increased financial power, better education, and corporate experience, combined with their desire for more autonomy and desire to connect with others who share their values make franchising a great fit for many women.Women are better educated now than ever. They have accumulated considerable corporate experience. After years in the corporate world they are tired of being locked into super-human schedules which often include brutal hours and travel obligations. They have grown weary of corporate politics, the corporate craziness of power struggles and meaningless competitive games. They are bored with unchallenging positions. They long for greater autonomy, flexibility and control of their schedules. They begin to hear that entrepreneurial voice, saying “You’re smarter and more
    r so and try calling again a few times before leaving another one.

    4, In the office? Far too many times, outbound telemarketers make multiple calls to a prospect when he isn’t even in the office. If you get through to a prospect, check every time, is he/she in the office? If not, then when are they expected back? I find many times that a receptionist or colleague will just keep putting you through to voicemail in the full knowledge that your prospect is out, or even on holiday.

    5, I was just speaking to… If you have been put through from one gatekeeper to the other, this technique involves you giving the impression that the first one thought your call was of interest and was almost recommending it to the second one. This is also good when your original prospect is not the right person and they have put you through to the decision maker, use an implied recommendation so your call appears a little less cold. This should only be used subtly, don’t make a meal of it.

    6, Coming clean. You get to a point sometimes when you are asked a direct question about why you are calling, and you can’t get out quick like in idea 2, and I find that it really does pay just to tell it straight. Just tell the gatekeeper in the simplest terms the reason for the call, that the person won’t be expecting the call, but you are following up information etc… Your honesty and straightforwardness will be valued and you are often put straight through.

    7, Time Variation. Really simple, if you can’t get through and you are tending to call in normal hours, you keep getting through to the same colleague or receptionist and they are not putting you through. Try varying the times you call. Try early, try late, try lunchtime, try very late or very early (depends on your determination). Most of your competition will have just given up, you often find that senior decision makers stay in the office late, and are the first in, in the morning.

    8, Sound purposeful. Part of the positive approach, but this is you concentrating on how you sound. Use an upbeat tone, speak clearly with reasonable pace, avoid the filler words like “er”, “erm”, etc. The fact is, you are ten times more likely to be put through if your voice sounds confident and gives the gatekeeper the impression that there is some existing dialogue between you and the prospect. Sound like it is a foregone conclusion that you will be put straight through, and you often will be, without question!

    9, Manners. Another one that should be a staple for you as a professional, but it really works if you can be polite, thank the gatekeeper, even if you were rejected, even if they were off with you, whatever. Have good manners, always take time to say “bye” before putting the phone down. This alone will separate you from many members of your competition who just don’t get it. You will get through much more often than them.

    10, Knowing when to quit. I remember this guy, calling me time and time again, I shouldn’t have been a target of his, and I could never have needed his product as it was not appropriate for me. I remember telling him again and again, it just didn’t get through. I wondered how much time he was wasting in the no mans land of sales, barking up the wrong tree with me. There comes a time when you have to look at your list and divert your efforts to better hunting grounds. If you have really tried, you have exhausted reasonable efforts to get through to a good prospect, move on, there are plenty more fish as they say!

    Finally, remember however hungry you are for appointments, gatekeepers are people just like you. Think of it like this – If they are diverting most your competition, and you learn the techniques and practise them enough to be put through more often, your prospect will be receptive, less call-weary and in a position to hear what you have to say. The gatekeeper is your friend!

    Make a point of being a professional, respect yourself and think of what you are doing only in positive terms. You will achieve more appointments and sales and increase your income substantially. Apply this philosophy to your work and your whole life and the results will be amazing.

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