5 Responses

1. Which skill?

   This sounds an interesting project.  Which particular skill are you referring to? Call centre skills are many and varied – just let us know which one(s) you are focussing on and we may be able to help.

   Jenny

2. Sorry, just spotted the answer is in your heading

   Sorry, I have just realised that you put the particular skill in your posting's heading! I am sure people will be along to help.

   Jenny

3. What skill?

   Yes, as Jenny mentioned it's in the post title.  I'm looking engagement activities to practice "Getting Past the Gatekeeper."  I train at a call-center so our agents have a lot of cold-calling to tackle.

    

4. the problem is in the title!

   The entire raison d'etre of the 'gatekeeper' is to stop you! So setting up a module entitled "Getting past the gatekeeper" makes it a combat which is more likely to make things more difficult.

   The objective should be to get the gatekeeper on your side, rather than to overcome, or bypass the gatekeeper.

   Have a brainstorm of ways to get the gatekeeper on your side by engaging the gatekeeper (most gatekeepers got the job because they are intelligent and sensible people who take their job and career seriously).  Then you have numerous options including live research to identify specific gatekeepers and what is likely to appeal to them, or role playing live practice between delegates, or case study challenges.

    

   I hope that helps

   Rus

   http://www.coach-and-courses.com

    

5. Make them part of your sales team

   Hi

   Many years ago, more than I care to mention, I was starting out on my sales career and attended a session on "getting past the gatekeeper".     I agree with Rus in a previous answer – this is the wrong energy.

   I tried the techiques taught, and they simply didn't work.

   So, I thought about their perspective.    Why would someone in an organisation not put you through to the person you were calling?   What is their job at that point of taking the call.

   The answer is to filter.   Their job is not to stop you, it is to make sure their colleague or boss is going to want to talk to you.

   Now, a filter is a very different thing to a gatekeeper.

   I'm currently training a new intake of sales grads, and we run a workshop on how to get selected!     It's a highly interactive session, based on getting the grads to think rather than learn specific tehniques.

   Two days later, live on the phones the new salespeople were having fun, making contacts and getting through to decision makers.   They even had e-mail responses from their 'gatekeepers'.

   So I would suggest you do some interactive training around seeing the other persons perspective, and what they would need to know to pass you through.

   Good luck with the programme!

   Tony