Getting Past the Gatekeeper

[Iwokeup]

I would be pissed too if it was a 'sales' call.

If it was a 'let me offer you tons of value and solve problems for you' call, I'd be thrilled.

Nope. I would still be pissed off. And would end the appointment posthaste.

Source: am a physician

Edit: pissed if someone booked a doctor's appointment, not a pitch meeting

 

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[Jamesdoesmith]

Find the guy online

show up at a receptionist desk or what not,

say you are there to see Mr.XYZ

I used first names

They ask who are you or blah blah blah

Say, an old friend, old employee, we have an appointment. She will feel small

Play to peoples positions. SHE/HE is just a receptionist.

If you know the person personally, you get in automatically.

make others think you know him personally.

 

[OVOvince]

Nope. I would still be pissed off. And would end the appointment posthaste.

Source: am a physician

Edit: pissed if someone booked a doctor's appointment, not a pitch meeting

what if it was both?

suppose i go to my dentist, he cleans my teeth, and i try to slide in somehow?

 

[OVOvince]

Find the guy online

show up at a receptionist desk or what not,

say you are there to see Mr.XYZ

I used first names

They ask who are you or blah blah blah

Say, an old friend, old employee, we have an appointment. She will feel small

Play to peoples positions. SHE/HE is just a receptionist.

If you know the person personally, you get in automatically.

make others think you know him personally.

this is what got me through on the phone, that's not the issue anymore.

i NEED the letter to be read, because half the time i talked to the doctor last year, he had no clue about what the hell i was talking about.

but i sort of have an idea right now.

 

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[Jamesdoesmith]

this is what got me through on the phone, that's not the issue anymore.

i NEED the letter to be read, because half the time i talked to the doctor last year, he had no clue about what the hell i was talking about.

but i sort of have an idea right now.

stop with letters. I was the brochure guy when I really tore into Aflac and NO ONE LIKES THE BROCHURE guy. You gotta be the one speaking and telling. They want to talk to a person. Jeez that's not even an email....chances are if a letter is not easily recognizable or a check...that business owner has already given the direction to throw it away.

 

[Wal-Mart Vendor]

These guys are seriously the biggest obstacles I have right now.

Doctors and Lawyers are more than half of my prospects.

I send direct mail marketing letters, and then follow up with phone calls, and every single time I get a gatekeeper who

A) Won't let me talk to the doctor, and tells me to leave a message to pass on to the doctor
B) often times has no clue about the direct mail.


I don't know if the mail pieces make it to the doctor or lawyer, but yesterday one of the clerks insinuated that either her or the doctor's assistant opens mails and then gives it to the my target.


I put a 2 dollar bill in the letter as an attention getter, and my copywriter did a great job tying the message in the letter for the 2 dollar bill, so im sure if they open up the letter, they would remember me without a question.


Last year was a bad year in regards to business but good for learning. I made phone calls then too and a couple of things got me to talk to the doctor "hey i sent an envelope to XYZ and i was wondering if i could talk to him and follow up regarding the letter?"

then I would get the doctor and he would either

A) not be interested

or

B) not have a single clue about the letter


This year I am counting on the 2 dollar bill to grab the attention and make me relevant when I call.

I read this article which was helpful http://www.junloayza.com/sales/how-...earned-during-my-first-month-of-cold-calling/

but does anyone else have any other tips?

the issue with that article is that it says you already worked with another company, and im still trying to get my first SALE.

all i need is just to get to the target, and I am fully confident that I would close one way or another.

This might be a little on the stalker side, but it always works for me. Take you time and network on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Do your homework and find out the contacts lifestyles, most times this can be easily done through Google. Sounds crazy, but you have to become almost a P.I. no joke!

 

[OVOvince]

This might be a little on the stalker side, but it always works for me. Take you time and network on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Do your homework and find out the contacts lifestyles, most times this can be easily done through Google. Sounds crazy, but you have to become almost a P.I. no joke!

This reminds of something someone called "guerrilla marketing"

find out the prospect's personal address, aim and fire.

 

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[LTL]

IMO, I think the $2 bill strategy is waste of money.

Most people get a ton of mail everyday and really just look out for bills or checks.

That is just my opinion.

The strategy that has worked for me is email them once or twice but always follow up with a call.

Simply state your name, company and be nice to the gatekeeper. Don't sell immediately. Doctor is busy? Ok can I have his voicemail please? Repeat this process until doctor/ or person you are trying to reach calls you back.

When I wanted to reach the VP of a multinational bank I called 4 days in a row. The secretary knew my name by the 3rd day... but guess what, on the 4th day I got a call back.

Persistence pays off.

It's a waste of money - if there's no follow up letter week after week

Sequential mailing always out pulls email (provided it's a good copy)

this

my first thought when i read this:



was...

you've obviously got a high price point to be able to give away $200 in cash + probably another $100+ in expenses(stamps/envelopes/time) per 100 letters you mail out...

confirmed when i see your target prospects:



Their mailboxes are filled with people who know they're worth a lot of money to them. So, you're one of many letters trying to reach them, and the $2 bill helps increase views over non $2 bill letters, but...

why not show up to their office? I guarantee no one else is doing that in your space.

Tough to get an appointment? Book a doctor's appointment. Now you have their undivided attention as you sit in person with them next to a stack of 100 letters.

A crappy conversion rate should skyrocket.

More work? Yes

Less "leads"? Yes

But it's basically a guaranteed way to get the attention of someone you want while proving you're willing to go through hoops everyone of those letters you're sitting next to won't.

I'm all for separating yourself from the pack but doing this would have you facing mammoth
resistance since you'd be "just another sales rep" who cheated his way into an appointment
that a real patient could have had.


.............................More work, More time, More resistance..................


The letter gets more views = better chance of it getting read (once again the copy needs to be solid*)
if they discard it - send a package instead and then another and another until they either become clients
or tell you to stop.

Adding weekly follow up calls also helps


*If you really want to separate yourself -you'll need to use education-based marketing that positions you
as an expert and uncover unseen value in their practice. Nobody does this and it's how I grew a medical billing company quickly with


..................................Less work, Less time, Less resistance..................................

 

[OVOvince]

*If you really want to separate yourself -you'll need to use education-based marketing that positions you
as an expert and uncover unseen value in their practice. Nobody does this and it's how I grew a medical billing company quickly with


..................................Less work, Less time, Less resistance..................................

I was think this exactly.

My mail marketing has been very resistant


from now on, it's strictly referral marketing and what you just said---providing value and showing expertise.

im going to make a booklet of giving orthogonal insight and advice, that's related to my service, and then build trust from there to get a deal going.

 

[Deleted21704]

And if you're feeling adventurous:

I once was often unable to get someone to respond, being protected behind a wall of secretaries schooled in deflection. At some point upon being asked "whom shall I say is calling" or "would you like to leave a message," the answer of "his spouse's divorce attorney" often proved immediately effective. I would guess one in four found some humour in it, "Well what would you say to get through to someone?" which gave me my in.​

Source

Behold, the power of humor:

 

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[PaulRobert]

So today I finally got a phone meeting with a company that is worth ~$500 million. It took me 3 weeks of cold calling almost everyday (sometimes several times a day) and many emails to various individuals.

Persistence, persistence, persistence.

 

[OVOvince]

And if you're feeling adventurous:

I once was often unable to get someone to respond, being protected behind a wall of secretaries schooled in deflection. At some point upon being asked "whom shall I say is calling" or "would you like to leave a message," the answer of "his spouse's divorce attorney" often proved immediately effective. I would guess one in four found some humour in it, "Well what would you say to get through to someone?" which gave me my in.​

Source

Behold, the power of humor:

that reminds me of the first episode of suits in a way lol

congrats on your success