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Social selling and sales enablement are two of the biggest buzzwords to emerge out of the Sales industry in 2018.
But as you’ve probably guessed, most of us have used versions of these in B2B sales for years.
Today, there are countless ads touting the ultimate facilitation of the Sales process.
Hell, in some cases – we don’t even have to show up!
Some are pretty effective time-management and productivity tools but the amount of redundancies being created are getting harder to keep track of.
Don’t Hate the Gatekeeper
It struck me in 2018 that I wasn’t as hindered by gatekeepers as years past.
Sure, they’re have been cordial conversations with admins and assistants while trying to reach decision makers.
But, they’ve been few and far between.
Gatekeepers, historically, have always been given a bad name.
Since way back in the annals of the sales game, they’ve been lauded as tight-lipped speed bumps on the road to commission checks.
But, if you’ve ever sat through any sort of Sales 101 training, you’ve been taught one thing.
And that’s to treat them with respect.
Gatekeepers are Gateways
Gatekeepers in Fortune 500 companies have championed my sale on countless occasions.
Whether it’s been to:
- Facilitate a conversation with the point of contact by giving me the best window to call
- Verifying that my phone messages or emails reached their superiors
- Coordinating cross-functional conference calls and making sure all stakeholders were informed
- Hounding signatories to make sure executed contracts were received by a deadline
These are all key components of reaching a successful sale that were made possible by gatekeepers.
And to that effect, we should recognize that having an insider who always picks up, is eager to help and stays true to their word is paramount over a 90 to 180 day sales cycle.
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Today, we have an abundance of mechanisms to connect with decision makers.
The ability for a gatekeeper to put the kibosh on our access to stakeholders has vanished.
So really, we have no excuses for not being able to reach decision makers anymore.
This level of access is addicting but lest we forget, “with great power comes great responsibility”.
We’ve got Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin living in our CRM’s and inboxes.
Not to mention access to fully-integrated platforms like Salesforce, Close IO, Nimble and Infusionsoft at our disposal.
We literally have all of our prospects information at our fingertips.
Yet, we’re still not closing at a level comparable to the robust tools in our possession.
We need to be more accountable and responsible as salespeople.
Changing of the Guard
Power has clearly shifted from salespeople to buyers.
Adding to this phenomenon is the fact that by the time buyers reach Sales, they’re already super-informed and not looking to be sold.
They seek consultation and high-level guidance.
- Only 29% of people want to talk to a salesperson to learn more about a product, while 62% will consult a search engine. (HubSpot, 2016) (Source: https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics)
- 40% of salespeople say getting a response from prospects is getting harder. (HubSpot, 2018) (Source: https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics)
- 30% of salespeople say closing deals is getting harder. (HubSpot, 2018) (Source: https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics)
Being able to pull up Zoominfo or Datanyze and having direct dial access into our targets is bomb.
But, we have to maximize these opportunities and do our jobs better than before because competition is fierce.
Sales enablement tools may be helping you better understand your prospect but are you closing more business?
Keep Calling Gatekeepers to Collect Clues and Connect
When approaching accounts the ‘old-fashioned way’, let’s consider the fact that a gatekeeper is still a gateway.
With a gatekeeper, you’re able to make a warm human connection through actual conversation.
They can give a level of insight that’s unparalleled.
And yes, gatekeepers serve and protect their assets.
But they’re also a wealth of intimate knowledge on the dynamics of the organizations we call into.
Keeping the Gate Open
Maybe sooner than we think, all Sales communication will pass through AI-driven administrators and assistants.
Until that day, let’s continue to dial-in, email, snail mail, geo-target, proximity market, follow, dm, vid, text and tweet until we connect.
Let’s keep building relationships with gatekeepers while they’re alive and kicking.
And in doing so, remember:
You can’t charm the pants off an Artificial Intelligence Virtual Assistant.
At least – not yet.