Marketing 362 – Week 2
Know Thyself, Questions, Objections and
the Gatekeeper
with Duane Weaver
Outline
Know Thyself (to be covered in seminar)
True Colours Overview
Working with other colours
Open and Closed-Ended Questioning
Managing the Gatekeeper
Handling Objections
Open and Closed Ended-
Questioning
Closed Ended Questions:
Encourages Yes or No answers
Can you think of a few?
Open Ended Questions:
Usually uses the “5 Ws” and sometimes How:
Who? Where?
What? Why?
When? HOW?
Open and Closed Ended-
Questioning
Quick Exercise
1. Think of a product or service you would like to
sell and…
Take 2 minutes to write an open ended question
you could use when greeting a customer for the
first time to learn more about their needs…
2. Next, turn to a person next to you and ask each
other your question (observe the response)…
provide feedback regarding the question used
(Is it effective? Why/why not?)
Managing the Gatekeeper
(Getting to know VITO)
What is a VITO?
Very Important Top Officer
Titles?
CEO
President
Founder
Chairman of the Board
Managing the Gatekeeper
(Getting to know VITO)
Why Vito:
“…salespeople spend a lot of time worrying
about how to get our foot in the door.
[sic] Usually we’re pretty good at it, [sic]
but sometimes we need to stop and ask
ourselves whether or not the doorway
we’re sticking our foot into is the right
one!”
Managing the Gatekeeper
(Getting to know VITO)
Three Groups of VITOs:
Brand New Accounts (key focus and
workload) – VITO shortens cycle
In-process Opportunities (grid-lock
sets in to a long process – VITO unlocks
the secret information bottle)
Existing Customers – solidifying your
relationship by knowing the “highest up”
Managing the Gatekeeper
(Add value to VITOs Day)
VITO pays attention to things that
add value to VITO’s day
FIND some way that you can convey
the important message that YOU CAN
ADD VALUE
LOOK absolutely, utterly different
(not your wardrobe, your personal
commitment!)
Managing the Gatekeeper
(Add value to VITOs Day)
Change Your Focus:
STOP BEING a “salesperson”
START THINKING like a
“businessperson”
BE a “problem solver”
THINK LIKE A VITO - Focus on issues
that affect VITO’s bottom line (the gold)
Managing the Gatekeeper
(Add value to VITOs Day)
The GOLD – CEO SPEAK:
1. increase market share %
2. earnings per share increase by 1-2%+
3. employee morale issues resolved
4. profit increase in $1millions
5. beat the competition
6. cost containment/reduction in % improvement or
raw dollars (profit gains).
ALL in ALL you should be able to demonstrate
leverage within a short period of time by taking the
risk of spending precious time with you. YOU MUST
do this in less than 3 minutes. THEN DELIVER on
it and LISTEN intently.
Managing the Gatekeeper
(How to get to VITO - GATEKEEPERS)
Two types of GATEKEEPERS:
RECEPTIONIST or FRONTLINE person:
All calls to VITO’s organization
VITO’s own personal secretary
DO NOT CONFUSE with standard secretary
OFTEN THEE 2nd MOST IMPORTANT person
in the company
It is a tactical mistake to confuse VITO’s
personal secretary with the standard
secretary: Why?
Managing the Gatekeeper
(How to get to VITO - GATEKEEPERS)
Dealing with the STANDARD
gatekeeper:
Do not talk down (put yourself in their
situation)
They are keeping track of all the company’s
phone traffic and that is hard work
Time is short (precious)
Some do’s and don’ts in the book (next
slide)
Managing the Gatekeeper
(How to get to VITO - GATEKEEPERS)
Never ask for VITO directly (looking for
personal secretary)
When pressed do not get flustered
Don’t Lie
Using a Global Hook
Don’t Identify your product or service
Avoid sending information (always go in
person)
Avoid leaving messages (get VITOs fax
number)
Managing the Gatekeeper
Connecting with the Executive Suite
Deal with VITO’s secretary as if they
were VITO themselves
Ask them what “They think of it…” not
what VITO thought.
RECOVERY:
Fax – send a “WHILE YOU WERE OUT”
memo (the little pink slip)
Letter – copy of VITO letter attached to
Fax
HANDLING OBJECTIONS
Now that you have VITO, how do you
handle objections?
Let’s see
Next week’s seminar we will practice
THANK YOU!
