In the November 2005 Tip of the Month, we used a memorable quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson to reinforce the idea that our actions often speak louder than our words. Now we would like to reference a quote from a legendary athlete, Wayne Gretzky. He is quoted as saying, "I miss 100% of the shots I never take."

This quote can serve as a great reminder as we consider gatekeeper situations we are faced with. It's a fact of life that salespeople and account managers will have many gatekeepers trying to block their access or strategy. So many times our first reaction can be to accept this block. One client shared that their reps accept the block 95% of the time! And it's easy to understand why this is so. They don't want to anger the gatekeeper, they are concerned about the risk they face if they go around them, and/or they feel that they can convince them over time that their solution is right for them...

With the IMPAX Process(r), we are working to gain access to senior level decision makers to position or reinforce the business fit between the two companies - which is tough to do when a gatekeeper is blocking us. Blindly accepting the block can be our "going out of business strategy". Instead, we recommend the following 4 step process to address a gatekeeper situation (you can read much more about this in Beyond Selling Value):


Analyze the opportunity (the upside and downside of accepting the block)
Understand why you are being blocked
Consider alternative scenarios
Select and execute your strategy professionally


Is it a valid strategy to accept the block? Yes (once in a while), as long as it makes business sense to do so. There are many other strategies that might work more effectively, and following this 4 step process will help determine the best strategy in each situation. There is a lot at stake when we are faced with a gatekeeper. Let's not miss our shot because we never take it!