Can you give me advice on getting past gatekeepers at business when out doing sales?

Im in outside sales. I do a lot of my sales on the phones, and it's imperative I set appointments to demo my product. I get so many secretaries on the phone, who DO NOT make decisions and wont even pass me to the shipping and receiving department. I am not even asking for names or info. I call and say ';Hi shipping and receiving please.'; And over half say, ';I can help you.'; Then they don't even wait for me to finish before they say, ';We aren't interested, click!'; I want to say- ';Lady you don't make the decisions, and how on earth does your business market your products?';





It's frustrating. Especially when most managers an executives love the savings our product provides!





KCan you give me advice on getting past gatekeepers at business when out doing sales?
It's much easier to get past the gatekeeper if you have the name of the contact. There are lists available in different states that state the name of the person you need to contact.Can you give me advice on getting past gatekeepers at business when out doing sales?
Nick's answer was really good. I do a lot of cold calling (warm. hot calling, etc...) and have the same problem with gatekeepers.


I have found that getting past this key player is the biggest part of the game - and once you get past, you are almost 2/3 to the end!!


Be persistent. If you have not been hung up on, ask ';so and so's'; permission to call again in 90 days to see if their postion has changed. In 90 days, if still rejected, ask to call again in 6 months, then 1 year intervals. 1) she won't be there forever and 2) it really works!! Keep notes on the names and conversations. Pick up on cues like kids names, mention of toothaches, dr's appts, coughs or sneezes, dog's names, etc... whatever it takes to make YOU on HER side! It really is very psychological!...and a good dose of luck ;)
Telemarketers are the bane of all existence.





Nearly always they want to sell you stuff you don't need. We don't have time to waste. Your pitches are always too long and the minimal savings isn't worth the effort of the switch.
Try to put yourself in their position. They have been dismissed or disrespected by sales people not doing their job properly. So naturally they are cynical and not very receptive.





One of the simplest ways to get past the gatekeeper is by befriending the gatekeeper. Give them the respect they deserve. EVERY position within any organization deserves basic courtesies and respect. Do this by simply asking there name and being honest. For example: ';Hi, this is K, who am I speaking with? Hi, Susan, its nice to meet you I appreciate you taking my call. I would appreciate your help. I can provide the opportunity to....(this next statement has to be direct and too the point. What will your product do for the company. Make it short and powerful. It must convey what's in it for their company)





After that it becomes a numbers game. Unfortunately, we can get past all the gatekeepers.





Hope this helps and good luck!
Send them a letter, with your phone number, and ask them to call you for an appointment for a free demonstration.





If they are interested, they will call you, and you won't be wasting time with people who don't want your product. This puts you at an advantage, as you already know they are interested when they call. The game is now in your ball park.





You can send me an email, I might be intererested in your product.
Two thoughts: 1) Ask them for their help and act a little pathetic. It's harder to hang up on someone who is in need. When asking for help, you could say that you really need to find the person responsible for X and that you've called a few times and could really use their help. If that fails, be persistent - learn the gatekeepers' name and call them back until they do help you - the only reason they hang up is because it works.


2) Get out and meet the people at the accounts that you think matter (20 percent of your accounts generate 80 percent of the business, right?). You can't hang up on a live person, and if you brought that same gatekeeper a small gift and a smile, it might work wonders to getting past them.
say i have an appointment with someone in the building. Or say that some robber just got away with a big bag and looked as if it was filled with money.JK!
Try ';I am calling from XYZ company'; and before you tell them who you are looking for, tell them that ';This is a service call';. It will put their guard down when they don't feel that you are trying to sell to them.