Have you seen this new movie with Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew McConaughay? It's about a man who isn't motivated to leave the safety and comfort of his parent's home. So they hire Sarah to assist them in getting him to leave. She's a professional "ouster". Obviously by the title, all doesn't go quite as planned.

Their tag line is "To leave the nest, some men just need a little push." Well, in sales, it's often the same. Try as we might, sometimes we just can't seem to reach our decision makers. Even when it's a regular customer. Businesspeople today are failing to follow up well, so we have to use those around THEM to get their attention.. It's up to us, as professional salespeople, to get creative in reaching them--maximizing our opportunities to "launch" or "close".

I regularly use my gatekeeper relationships to reach decision makers. By strategically building these contacts and deepening relationships, I can get an amazing amount of information from them that help me secure sales. When I look over my closing success rate, it's often because I have utilized my gatekeeper relationships well. These are not to be overlooked as marginally helpful. These relationships and the ability to persuade gatekeepers is essential to your sales success!

Gatekeepers are THE most important resource at your disposal for building relationships with your customers, as well. A quality assistant will get the decision maker's attention by creating a sense of urgency for your customer to get back with you. Most sales books today emphasize how to "get around" working with gatekeepers. Our philosophy is that the best salespeople get the gatekeepers to work FOR them!

Here are some hints and tips on this topic that may help you "launch":

1. Adopt the "Golden Rule". Treat the gatekeepers as though you'd like to be treated. Don't attempt to get around them; work with them. Be kind, considerate, and treat them with respect.

2. Share what your purpose is in reaching the decision maker. If you have a time-sensitive project with the customer's deadline; emphasize that. For example, maybe the decision maker has a roll out date of July 1st and it's April 18th. Emphasize to the gatekeeper that this is her boss' time frame and he needs to get the ball rolling in order to meet HIS deadline.

3. Use the "I'm concerned" approach. If you can't get in touch with your customer, and she wanted you to follow up, this technique often gets a call back. Talk with the customer's gatekeeper using this idea and you'll find that getting a returned call is easier than you thought.

4. Do the gatekeeper a favor. Perhaps she needs information from you, such as a favorite website, a restaurant reservation, or you have something more tangible to offer, such as tickets to a show. This isn't a bribe--it's part of your relationship-builder. (You know the expression...(or my variation) "I'll scratch your back and would appreciate your scratching mine."

5. Get creative. If you are failing to launch, maybe you need to bring in the heavy artillery. For example, someone at your company who has higher authority may need to be brought in to establish another level of credibility. Try calling a sales professional at the customer's site and asking him/her for help. Salespeople love to assist other salespeople (it's in our nature.) We can be very persuasive.

(For additional information on this topic, go to: www.sellingtoanyone.com and click onto the left hand portion of the page to read my chapter on "Gatekeepers" from my latest book.)

If all else fails, pick up the "Failure to Launch" DVD, grab a pen and paper, and take some notes. You just may get that sale after all!

(c)Renee Walkup, SalesPEAK, All Rights Reserved, 678 587-9911