You Determine Whether a Gatekeeper is a Friend or an Ally

Gatekeepers affect your ability to get to the right person in a variety of situations, such as:

• A hiring manager during a job search.
• A buyer or decision maker who decides who becomes their supplier.
• A key decision-maker who will approve or reject what you want; or
• A trusted assistant to a senior leader

Gatekeepers are Everywhere

Gatekeepers are found in any number of positions in an organization: HR support staff, administrative assistants to managers or executives, aides to a politician or elected official, or even individuals in management roles who are tasked with “managing” the flow of people wanting to speak with their boss. Recognize that gatekeepers are expected to perform their job by restricting access to certain decision makers and following specific protocol for handling people who want to see or speak to the decision maker.

You never know the level of influence a gatekeeper may have with the person you are trying to reach:

• In a job search, a gatekeeper might routinely provide his or her impressions of candidates in order to get a sense of how candidates might interact with staff members.
• In a selling situation, a gatekeeper might complain to his or her boss about a salesperson’s heavy-handed or rude approach.
• An assistant might advise his or her supervisor that your request lacks merit or significance enough to warrant speaking directly to the supervisor.

In any event, it is never a good idea to create a negative impression with someone connected with the person you are trying to reach!

Develop Positive, Professional Relationships with Gatekeepers

We recommend several effective practices for managing your relationships with gatekeepers:

1. Never make an enemy of a gatekeeper. Doing so will have the same outcome as if you had made an enemy of the person the gatekeeper is protecting.
2. Always treat gatekeepers with the utmost respect and courtesy. Stand out among the people with whom they interact by doing this and you will build an advocate. Remember that they are doing their job and are likely getting a degree of “attitude” from many who want to speak with their boss. When you treat them well, they take a positive interest in you.
3. Ask the gatekeeper’s opinion. Most gatekeepers are well trained to respond to requests for help, and you may be surprised how helpful they can be if you’ve treated them well.
4. Get to know others in the decision chain through networking and research on social networks like LinkedIn. Reach out to those contacts and see if they can become an advocate for you.
5. Use the five magic words to which gatekeepers the world over are trained to respond: “Will you please help me?”
6. Once you’ve successfully connected with the right person, make sure you speak positively of your experience with the gatekeeper. Kind words have a habit of getting back to gatekeepers, and when they do, you’ll have a friend the next time you call or visit.
7. Should you get hired, make a sale, or begin some other kind of business association, continue to develop your relationship with the gatekeeper. They can often give you an insider’s perspective, advice, or insights you’d never get anywhere else.

A True Story About Gatekeepers

In 2019 I provided executive coaching services to several leaders in a large multinational marketing company. This client used a particularly cumbersome vendor payment system, so one of my client’s admin assistants helped me to navigate the system in get enrolled. I quicky realized that this admin assistant was exceptional at her job. Over the course of several contacts, she was able to resolve the challenges and make things work smoothly.

In addition to writing her a personal thank you email and copying her boss, I took the time to provide a glowing LinkedIn recommendation that highlighted her well-developed skills and competencies, and how she simply got things done.

Five year later I got an email from her saying that her boss, the global president for a high-tech start-up, was looking for an executive coach, and would I be interested in meeting her? She had shared her perspective of how I was to work with and what the executives I coached had to say about me. Not only did I add a new client but am now coaching several senior leaders in the same organization. All because I took time to recognize splendid work by an exceptional person.

Bottom Line

Whenever you turn a gatekeeper into an ally, you build not only your network but your reputation. Both will pay massive dividends eventually.

This article is based on principles taught in Boyer Management Group’s acclaimed Business-to-Business Sales Essentials™ sales development programs found at B2B and B2C Sales Essentials™