Is there anything Al can do to get around the gatekeeper?

Question

Al drove by Dijon Enterprises and was excited to see the Lexus with the personalized license plates parked in the president’s reserved parking spot. Al knew that this car belonged to the president of the company, with whom he had been trying to meet. In fact, Al spent the last three months trying to get an appointment. Al parked his car, confidently approached the secretary’s desk, and introduced himself.

“Hi, I’m Alfred Rodgers from the Kent Company. Is Mr. Bill in?”

The secretary smiled and returned his greeting. “Glad to meet you. I’m Sophie, Mr. Bill’s personal assistant. I’m sorry, but he’s not in today.”

Al started to say “But I saw . . .” and then hesitated while he collected his thoughts and decided how best to respond.

Answer 1

There are several strategies sales representatives can use to get around gatekeepers and contact the buyer. Al could phone the company and ask for the president by a first name—implying that he is a personal friend—and the gatekeeper might put his call through. Another technique for getting around a gatekeeper is calling before or after office hours, or calling during lunch. If the gatekeeper is not there to answer the phone, the president may pick up. Both these tactics are risky however, since more than likely, the sales representative will have to work with the gatekeeper eventually to get an appointment. While these tactics may work in the short run, they may be detrimental long term.

If it looks like the gatekeeper is going to be a problem, Al may want to begin his sales strategy by building a relationship with the gatekeeper. Small gifts or product samples (if appropriate) might be a way to start.