Gatekeepers, otherwise known as receptionists, are the sentries at the castle.  Their otherwise powerless world within the organization encourages them to fiendishly abuse the power in that one area where
they do have power: the power to keep you out.

Who do they let through?

1. People who have been to the castle before.

2. People who can serve the king.

Who will they keep out of the castle?  Those who have fear and uncertainty in their voice.

Don’t ask. Tell.

Don’t ask for the person you are trying to reach.  Tell the receptionist you need to speak to that person.  Don’t ask, “Is John Smith there?”  Instead say, “Scott Love calling for John Smith.”  This
works for two reasons:

1. You don’t sound afraid or fearful or timid or unsure.

2. It sounds like you have been to the castle before.

I’ll never forget the time that a recruiter told me she closed a $35k fee from learning this one little tip from me during  an in-house training session.  About two months after I spent a day in her office, she called me to tell me that this one little tip changed her entire desk
and was able to get her access to hiring managers and high performing
candidates.  Without that knowledge, she wouldn’t have been as far
along.  Most of the quantum changes in your performance stem from small
incremental improvements like this, which is why you need to study your
craft every day.  Most of the improvements in my training and coaching
clients come from little things like this.

NOTE:  Podcast #9 is about getting through gatekeepers. Download this free program and give it to your whole team.