Cold Calling: Getting Past Gatekeepers

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Capital

Accumulation.
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Whether you're trying to get small biz owners on the line to sell them leads or web design/SEO, we all know you're going to inevitably run into gatekeepers.

They're usually secretaries, CS floors, receptionists, etc.

My question is: how do you guys convince gatekeepers to schedule appointments with owners/marketing directors? Most are trained to automatically dismiss solicitation calls.

I have very limited experience cold calling businesses, although I do know how to mine semi-qualified leads.

Any tips, tricks, warnings, or stories would be greatly appreciated.
 
Bare....

Faced....

Cheek...

I'm not going to tell any stories from me, because I'm not a shining example of cold calling... (advertising --> funnel --> warmish d00d to call makes you lazy) but here are a couple from a guy who was amazing back in my banking days:

1 - calls a guy up and claims to have met him at some industry dinner. guy doesn't remember, he continues to insist "yeah and you said you were having a busy year last year, remember?"... just the usual 'cold reading' stuff that psychics do - say stuff that they probably said to someone... sometime... at some place they might have been... eventually gets the meeting.

2 - goes to industrial estates. goes into first target. fails. leaves. next door goes in, tells the secretary he is from the bank and just met the guy next door and forgot to ask to use the rest room... can he just pop in now. she says yes, he already has the name of the director, finds his door, walks in and blames the secretary - "just spoke to claire she sent me down".

3 - just call up and say 'i'm x from "the bank" can you pop me through to y..." now not a lie... just not THEIR bank.

So yeah. Absolute cheek and confidence. I know not all gatekeeper related, but I thought his antics were pretty amazing at the time and he got a LOT of deals done, so might help with your 'creativity...'.
 
On Friday night (or night before) write a sticky note on your desk stating to "call Mr. Smith about a website Design/SEO quote".

Monday morning comes along call up the office and tell the secretary "Hi. Can I speak to Mr. Smith, I've got a sticky note on my desk telling me to call him regarding a website design/seo quote."

Secretary: "Did he contact you?"

You: "I'm not sure I just walked into the office and saw on my desk a sticky note saying to return his call."

As you can imagine we got a bit creative in our sales department, LOL

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^ Child's play.

Go park at a hospital before making the call, put 15 minutes on the meter, wait until there's about 3 minutes left.

"Good afternoon, you've reached the office of Bob Loblaw's Law Blog, how may I help you?"

"HEY, YEAH, IT'S CAPITAL CALLING. I'M AT THE HOSPITAL... THERE ISN'T MUCH TIME LEFT. WHERE IS HE? I NEED TO SPEAK TO BOB LOBLAW RIGHT NOW. IF HE'S NOT ON HIS WAY HERE YET - PUT HIM ON THE PHONE IMMEDIATELY."
 
Oh, men and women of all nations,
who set gatekeepers to spare yourself
cold callers disturbance:

read the answers above
and despair
 
Haha thanks for the answers.

It's apparent I'mma have to be smooth as shit and sound very casual.

I especially like the sticky note technique.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I gain enough info on my leads to leverage the knowledge of the services they're already using to incorporate that into my "introduction."
I'm not talking about impersonation or outright lying, but rather, subtly IMPLYING I'm associated with the services.

Anyway, thanks for the responses. I've got my work cut out for me.

If anyone else has any stories or tips, feel free to share.

(Once I've successfully made it past a few gatekeepers, I'll share my strategy).
 
Does anyone have experience cold calling doctors offices / family practices / medical offices? I'm about to try my hand at it tomorrow. I'm sure a front desk worker will answer... what should I ask first? Most offices also have an office manager, correct? Unless its a small office owned by 1 doctor. I'm thinking: be warm and cheery with front desk lady, tell her I'm calling to follow up on the envelope I sent out about increasing new patients and boosting practice profits, ask if their practice has an office manager, if so ask if I can speak with him/her, if not ask if I can speak (or leave a message) for whoever is in charge?
 
Find out the name of the person you are trying to contact, ideally the first name.

This separates you from some random cold caller and gives the impression that you know or have dealt with the person before. If you can't find the name of the person you need to talk to within 2 minutes of scanning the website/online profiles, call anyway and ask for the most relevant person you need to talk to (office manager, owner, marketing manager etc)

It is common that they will ask you what the call is regarding. Prepare for this.

In the past, I usually have sent an email to the business in question before calling. When the receptionist asks what the call about, I usually say I'm just following up on an some information/email I had sent through to them.

If you don't want to send an email out, come up with something else.

Here is the biggest lesson I learnt. Just call. Get in action. You will quickly learn about any road bumps you might face and can deal with it then instead of wasting time on rhetorical situations.

You won't know what resistance you will get (if any) unless you call.
 
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