Understanding the Sales Force

MARCH 31, 2025

Switchboards and personal gatekeepers have mostly gone away so you can access decision makers much more easily than in the old days. Or, if those conditions do not apply, prospecting continues into perpetuity. CRM applications have replaced 3×5 cards for easy organization and documentation. And that’s the problem.

Pipeline 188

Pipeline How To Cold Calling Inbound 188

Sales 2.0

MARCH 31, 2025

It can seem like completing an activity such as prospecting is not critical in the frenzy of our busy day, but each action skipped at this stage can mean a reduction in closed deals in the months to come. The economic buyer The users The gatekeepers If you dont know the people that play the roles above, you are taking a risk with your sale.

Follow-up 195

Follow-up Gatekeeper Call-back Up-Sell 195

The Sales Hunter

AUGUST 20, 2019

You make the call and boom, you’re blocked by the gatekeeper. First off, remember that the gatekeeper is only doing their joy by guarding the gate. Video: How Do I Get Past the Gatekeeper: You handle each one totally different, but it’s determined quickly which category they fall into. We’ve all been there.

Gatekeeper 176

Gatekeeper Decision Maker How To eBook 176

Mr. Inside Sales

MAY 12, 2024

Who do you think knows why your prospect buys? Who do you think knows when your prospect is going to buy? The answer, of course, is your prospect! The problem for many sales reps, is that they prefer to pitch and talk at prospects more than they actually ask questions and listen. Or who they like to buy from?

Prospecting 212

Prospecting Face-to-face Gatekeeper Decision Maker 212

Mr. Inside Sales

MARCH 6, 2021

This may sound elemental, but I rarely hear sales reps use it when speaking with gatekeepers. Try it this week and watch yourself get further with gatekeepers than you ever have. When a gatekeep puts you through, say thank you. And watch how much further you get with gatekeepers! The second word is, “thank you.”.

Gatekeeper 316

Gatekeeper Closing Face-to-face Decision Maker 316

Mr. Inside Sales

JULY 30, 2021

Wouldn’t it be convenient to have a list of 5 questions you could use to get your prospect talking, to get them to open up about how they’re feeling and what you might need to concentrate on? You could do two: one for prospecting and one for the close. Ever feel stalled during a close?

Closing 334

Closing Gatekeeper Face-to-face Decision Maker 334

Zoominfo

FEBRUARY 17, 2021

Be upfront and transparent with your prospects. Consider these following tips to get more success in your cold calls — before, during, and afterward: Do: Research your prospect (Who are they? Anticipate gatekeepers (the jaded call operators). Back in 2007, it took 3-4 cold call attempts to reach a prospect. Conclusion.

Cold Calling 264

Cold Calling Guidelines Prospecting Face-to-face 264

Mr. Inside Sales

JULY 20, 2021

This powerful CD (or MP3 Download) will instantly improve your ability to: • Get past gatekeepers. Qualify prospects better and learn their buying motives. Click Here to read about the program. Click this special link to make a purchase. Connect with decision makers easier. Give better demos and presentations.

Gatekeeper 315

Gatekeeper Decision Maker Face-to-face Licensing 315

No More Cold Calling

JULY 29, 2021

Unless you address the broken links in your prospecting system, your sales reps will continue to struggle with closing the deal. Other reasons why salespeople fail to close sales include: The initial prospects were unqualified. This is not how you wow buyers, build relationships, and convert prospects into clients.

Closing 409

Closing Sales Qualified Lead Lead Scoring Lead Rank 409

Hubspot Sales

OCTOBER 5, 2021

Sales development representatives and gatekeepers. only to get stopped by a gatekeeper. Gatekeepers — who are typically executive assistants, receptionists, or office managers — are the people who stand between you and the decision-maker with whom you're hoping to make a sale. How to Get Past the Gatekeeper When Cold Calling.

Gatekeeper 133

Gatekeeper Decision Maker How To Cold Calling 133

Mr. Inside Sales

APRIL 23, 2021

First, remember: Most objections are smokescreens hiding the real reason a prospect isn’t moving forward. Here’s one way I have successfully dealt with this and gotten the prospect to reveal what was really holding them back. And then hit MUTE and listen to what your prospect reveals. They like a different solution.

Face-to-face 334

Face-to-face Gatekeeper Decision Maker Licensing 334

Mr. Inside Sales

MARCH 12, 2022

Congrats to those companies & individuals who sent in their prospecting scripts for review. Usually, they asked it this way: Gatekeeper: “Thank you for calling the Johnson company.”. The problem with this is you’re A) Identifying yourself as a sales rep, and B) You’re now inviting the gatekeeper to qualify you out.

Gatekeeper 156

Gatekeeper Prospecting Decision Maker Face-to-face 156

Janek Performance Group

FEBRUARY 16, 2022

Without question, gatekeeper is the most intimidating designation in sales. Often, if the gatekeeper doesn’t like you, you’re not meeting the VIP you need, let alone presenting a pitch. Here are five keys to advance past a gatekeeper: No Funny Business. Remember, to the gatekeeper, you are no better than the mail carrier.

Gatekeeper 116

Gatekeeper Decision Maker Influencer ACT 116

Mr. Inside Sales

JUNE 6, 2020

What’s the biggest mistake sales reps make with prospecting or cold calling? Your prospecting will go a lot better if you do! Cold calling mistake #1: Don’t pitch the gatekeeper. To start with, the gatekeeper doesn’t want to hear your pitch. If you need more specific advice on this, see these gatekeeper scripts here.

Prospecting 161

Prospecting Gatekeeper Cold Calling Face-to-face 161

Mr. Inside Sales

AUGUST 7, 2020

This week, I listened to a closing call from one of their reps, and here is how the prospect opened the call: Prospect: “Let me just tell you upfront that we’re looking at a lot of different options right now of which yours is just one…”. Here’s what I teach: Prospects have all the answers. Take what a prospect gives you.

Prospecting 199

Prospecting Decision Maker Face-to-face Gatekeeper 199

No More Cold Calling

DECEMBER 6, 2019

Message to cold callers: Pestering strangers is NOT the way to prospect. You might think you’ve been able to avoid sounding like a telemarketer, but that is exactly what you’re doing, and your prospect knows it. To gain access, sales professionals must abide by the new rules of prospecting.”. STOP Cold Calling.

Cold Calling 365

Cold Calling Social Media Telemarketing Referrals 365

Mr. Inside Sales

NOVEMBER 16, 2020

Question for you: How often do you take notes while you’re on Mute and your prospect is revealing their buying motives? Make a much better connection with your prospect or client because they will feel listened to and heard. You don’t take notes? How about using your Mute button? Are you actively doing that? (If

Motivation 332

Motivation Face-to-face Gatekeeper Decision Maker 332

No More Cold Calling

APRIL 15, 2021

Every sales leader says their #1 prospecting challenge is getting leads in the pipe. None of us stands out during prospecting. When they get introductions from people their prospects know and trust, they walk straight into meetings with your ideal clients. Not getting the ROI you expected from your lead-gen tactics?

Lead Gen 397

Lead Gen Sales Qualified Lead Leads Marketing Qualified Lead 397

Mr. Inside Sales

JUNE 11, 2021

And when your ears are closed, you learn nothing about your prospect’s buying motives, their possible objections, or whether or not they are buying into your pitch. Ask questions frequently of your prospect. Intersperse it with tons of questions and tie-downs and opportunities to engage and learn more about your prospects.

Face-to-face 317

Face-to-face Gatekeeper Decision Maker Licensing 317

Mr. Inside Sales

JUNE 30, 2024

Imagine: for less than $18 you can suddenly fly past gatekeepers, overcome initial resistance statements from prospects, and qualify leads so you’ll know exactly how to close them! And all it takes is a little bit of effort, time, and a tiny amount of money.

Gatekeeper 255

Gatekeeper Face-to-face Sales Qualified Lead Decision Maker 255

No More Cold Calling

JULY 13, 2021

You get an introduction to your prospect, and you get a meeting with the decision maker. They believe a call isn’t cold because it’s a marketing-qualified lead, because the prospect downloaded a whitepaper, or because they have a mutual connection on LinkedIn. Referrals help you ace Part One and set you up for success in Part Two.

Decision Maker 401

Decision Maker Referrals Sales Qualified Lead Marketing Qualified Lead 401

Mr. Inside Sales

JULY 6, 2021

Rookie mistake: You’ve got several products or services you can offer a prospect, and you start by offering the first, or main one, then hear an opening for another one so pivot to that one, and describe another—and then another. Not only will the prospect be confused, but you will be, too. Stalled sale. Sound familiar? Happy selling!

Face-to-face 317

Face-to-face How To Pivotal Call-back 317

No More Cold Calling

AUGUST 9, 2018

Reps say they’re challenged finding the right prospects. No wonder it can take a dozen touches to reach prospects. If you’re teaching your reps how to prospect, is that how you want them spending their time? They’ve forgotten that their most powerful prospecting tool is referral sales. Those leads are not qualified.

Lead Generation 197

Lead Generation Sales Qualified Lead Lead Scoring Lead Rank 197

The Sales Hunter

JUNE 25, 2019

This doesn’t just apply to prospecting but everything you do. Prospecting is already a tough task; it’s only made tougher when you fail to prepare. Below are 10 steps you need to follow to ensure you’re prepared to prospect. Focus on prospecting with the people who align closest to your perfect customer.

Prospecting 192

Prospecting VanillaSoft Gatekeeper Decision Maker 192

Mr. Inside Sales

SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

We’ve all been there – you call your prospect back at the appointed time for your presentation and they tell you any of the following: This isn’t a good time, OR. Rather than set another time to get back with them—thus letting the prospect off the hook—try the following: Response #1: “Sure, I can take as long or little as you need.

Sales Qualified Lead 320

Sales Qualified Lead Face-to-face Scale Call-back 320

Mr. Inside Sales

AUGUST 13, 2021

But when you’ve done a presentation and then don’t hear back from a prospect, it can often mean the kiss of death. While it seems counter intuitive, I’d rather know up front if I’m wasting my time or if this is a real prospect. Speaking about prospects hiding behind emails, etc., Ghosted—just the sound of this is chilling.

Face-to-face 317

Face-to-face Call-back Gatekeeper Decision Maker 317

Mr. Inside Sales

JANUARY 8, 2021

Two weeks into the New Year, and are you already stressed about picking up the phone and making prospecting calls? Think about it: Not everyone you speak with is going to be a prospect or a deal, are they? And regarding fumbling a good lead—my experience is that if a prospect is interested, then they’ll speak with you.

Face-to-face 313

Face-to-face Cold Calling Gatekeeper Decision Maker 313

Sales 2.0

AUGUST 28, 2024

Over the years, I have seen many salespeople and business owners taking big risks with important deals by talking to only one person in the prospect company. The economic buyer The users The gatekeepers The coach 1. Gatekeepers Gatekeepers are people whose job it is to protect the prospect company.

Opportunity 195

Opportunity Gatekeeper Coaching Buyer 195

No More Cold Calling

OCTOBER 1, 2020

It takes roughly eight touches for sales reps to reach cold prospects. The #1 challenge salespeople face is reaching decision-makers quickly, but getting prospects to call you back is deceptively simple with a referral program. Yes, your most predictable and measurable prospecting tool is your very own sales team, asking for referrals.

Referrals 373

Referrals Cold Calling Sales Qualified Lead Call-back 373

MTD Sales Training

OCTOBER 5, 2018

Have you ever had that feeling when you’re talking to a prospect that the person isn’t who they say they are? 3) Use the gatekeeper screen to get further information. Some salespeople dread talking to the gatekeeper (a person whose job is to filter approaches so the decision-makers don’t get hounded by sales calls ).

Decision Maker 242

Decision Maker Gatekeeper Face-to-face Influencer 242

Mr. Inside Sales

APRIL 14, 2023

To follow up on the blog post from two weeks ago (about the one quick fix to get your VMs returned ), here is the second quick fix: Stop trying to trick your prospect! So do your prospects. Your prospects can see through you and your message will be deleted quickly. I ALWAYS delete these messages the moment I hear them.

Face-to-face 254

Face-to-face Gatekeeper Decision Maker Licensing 254

Mr. Inside Sales

MAY 14, 2022

What these approaches have in common is they are passive, and they give the gatekeeper control of the call. Otherwise, listen to your own recordings and see where and when you give control of the conversation to the prospect. When greeted by the receptionist, they’ll ask: “Ah, would it be possible to speak with Dave Anderson?”.

Gatekeeper 235

Gatekeeper Face-to-face Decision Maker Licensing 235

Mr. Inside Sales

SEPTEMBER 25, 2021

Script #1: Make sure and have an email already prepared while you’re prospecting. The point here is whether or not your prospect will: Give you the time to speak further with them. This tells you how cooperative your prospect is, and so how cooperative they will be throughout the sales cycle. Right then!

Sales Qualified Lead 284

Sales Qualified Lead Face-to-face Gatekeeper Decision Maker 284

Mr. Inside Sales

JANUARY 22, 2021

We all know the importance of asking questions of our prospects and clients, yet how many do you ask? And: Your prospects have all the answers about whether they’ll buy from you or not, and what you need to say to sell them. Here’s a list to get you started: For prospects: #1: “What motivated you to reach out to us today?”. [If

Face-to-face 287

Face-to-face Gatekeeper Decision Maker Licensing 287

Mr. Inside Sales

MARCH 17, 2023

So many sales reps are anxious when they speak with a prospect. Plus, they know that most of the “prospects” they speak with don’t turn into a deal anyway, so, why not learn who is a real prospect right from the get go? It seems they are afraid and think things like: “Will they like my product or service?” “Am

Decision Maker 261

Decision Maker Face-to-face Gatekeeper Licensing 261

Mr. Inside Sales

JANUARY 19, 2024

Now ask questions, try to engage, and take your prospect as far as they’ll let you! You see, the value of having a proven response in your back pocket is that it allows you to move past a prospect’s initial resistance. [Now take it down, and then move into qualifying!] That’s what most blow offs are! appeared first on Mr.

Face-to-face 273

Face-to-face Gatekeeper How To Decision Maker 273

Mr. Inside Sales

JUNE 22, 2024

Once I get my prospect on the phone for our chosen closing time, I open with: “Before I get started, I’m sure you’ve looked over things, so, what questions do you have for me?” The important thing is that knowing where my prospect is in the beginning not only tells me which direction to go, but it also saves me a ton of time!

Closing 255

Closing Face-to-face Gatekeeper Sales Qualified Lead 255