Learn how to Appease the Gatekeeper

The first issue with the gatekeeper – or the person the separates you from a decision-maker and a potential sale – is in the name.

When you say gatekeeper, you conjure up images of brutish ogres protecting an entryway. A change in nomenclature, to the word concierge for example, can make a vast difference.

Once you’ve established this change, there are a few techniques you can use to bypass that concierge. The first is straightforward honesty. Don’t beat around the bush and waste your time and theirs. State your business and see how it’s taken. Another option is humor. As the saying goes, if you can get them to laugh, you can sell them something. And yet another option is to say that you’re phone call is being expected, assuming you sent a preliminary mailing.

In the end, a valuable life lesson still holds true when it comes to concierges: treat others how you want to be treated.