There’s a truth about gatekeepers that you need to be thinking about.
Namely, that you create them.
You read that right. You’re creating your own gatekeepers.
In fact, I’d argue that the concept of gatekeepers is almost entirely inside of our heads.
While I’m not implying that gatekeepers aren’t real and simply a figment of your imagination, I am saying that you may need to think a little more “outside the box” and redefine your perspective on them.
Often, when the concept of gatekeepers is presented, the automatic thinking is a singular contact within an organization who has the power to grant or deny access to “higher powers” within that particular organization.
Herein lies the problem.
Who says that we should ever rely on one singular point on contact within an organization?
The internet is a big place. With a little bit of resourcefulness and research, it’s relatively simple to find multiple contact points within any particular organization.
By reviewing their website, LinkedIn, and other online materials, you can create a “matrix” of contacts within a company to reach out to, rather than relying on one person to give you a yay or nay.
This idea isn’t isolated just to prospecting by the way.
As I’ve discussed in the past, it’s not a good idea to keep one point of contact within organizations that are actively your clients, either.
Why?
Well, what if that contact moves on to another company? What if they are away when you require a time-sensitive response? What if you’d like to grow your presence and expand your opportunities within a company beyond your contact’s immediate purview?
Scenarios like these can create havoc if you haven’t already done the legwork to create the matrix of contacts in a company that I touched on earlier.
Don’t buy into the idea of a gatekeeper. Sure, they’re out there, but to the degree of which we allow them to dictate our success is completely within our control.
So, take control!
On average, how many people do you maintain in contact with in any given organization?
