One of the biggest challenges we face in sales and account management is gatekeepers – those people who want to block our access and our strategy. When we are blocked by a gatekeeper, many of us react by stepping back. We don’t want to insult or anger anyone, or worse, get kicked out of an opportunity. The act of stepping back is counter to our nature. We may feel defensive, reactive, and even fearful. 

Consider this scenario: 

Your decision maker is very favorable to you and gives you their business. This is one of your top 10 largest accounts. Sounds great, right? What if you have additional offerings that you could sell to that company that would add value to the customer and double or triple the amount of revenue you get from them? This is great news. 

But what if the Decision Maker did not support you going to the other divisions of their company to sell to them? You have asked them for their support and endorsement, and they are actively blocking your access to others. They have become a gatekeeper and are limiting your opportunity. This is bad news.

Imagine how it would feel to be the rep – you developed and are managing one of the largest customers in the company, and you are getting beat up in every pipeline review because there is so much unrealized opportunity. This is tricky, and there is no obvious answer. Many of us would be afraid to “rock the boat”. After all, there is a lot to lose. 

What should the rep do now? Consider the IMPAX four-step Gatekeeper process. This will allow you to immediately step forward, not retreat backward.

Step 1: Analyze the situation and look at the pros and cons of moving forward.

• What do you stand to gain if you push forward and are successful?
• What do you stand to lose if you push forward and are unsuccessful?

 This step allows you to objectively look at the possible risks and rewards, and to take emotion out of the equation. If the risks outweigh the rewards, you may well accept the status quo. If the upside outweighs the downside, you may choose to push the envelope. In either case, you are stepping forward to make your best business decision, not retreating blindly in an emotional decision.

More to come…