text: Cold Calling Problem.Help! | Warrior Forum - The #1 Digital Marketing Forum & Marketplace
  I have just started my first cold calling by phone today.I have a business online but my strategy is to offer web design services to offline businesses so i started using cold caling.
  I am finding it really tough to get past the gate keepers on the phone. Any advice you can give.I am also putting ads up on craigs list so i get other telemarketers doing this in the future. My goal is to set appointments from the cold call, not sell and then visit the business owner and close the deal.
  Just wondering if anyone has experience in this area and what tips you can give.Also does anyone have a good cold call script i can use?Trying to do this on the fly is not the best strategy i feel.
  #calling #cold #problemhelp
  Here is a thread that will help, http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...ml#post5922258
  The search button here will lead you to your answers. Good Luck today !!!
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7060679].message }}
  Get Jason Kanigan's WSO. It contains everything you'll need.
  On the gatekeeper...try calling small businesses. Most businesses with fewer than 5-10 employees don't have a gatekeeper. I almost always get the business owner, or they get him/her on the phone.
  But Kanigan's system is cheap and will save you weeks of frustration.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7061805].message }}
  Hey quick questions.... May help the warriors give you advice
  Who are you calling? What target market or industry?
  Are you doing any research..... Or just name/number dialing
  What current script or language are you using?
  You say the goal is not to sell, but to book appointments..... For what tho? What is the goal of the appointment? Web design, SEO? General meeting to just "talk"?..... Does the business hang up and even know why you called?
  Are u leaving yourself any room for a follow up contact "would you mind if I sent you something that better describes, etc etc"...... GET THE EMAIL!!! You already have the address and phone number.
  NEVER WASTE A PROSPECT OR LEAD!!!!! that's how you increase your effectiveness.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7062131].message }}
  #1: Try calling after hours; Some companies main phone numbers transfer all calls to a voicemail afterhours, but... a company with multiple lines willl likely have the fist available number in a "rollover sequence". For example the main number of a company is 555-5500 try 555-5501. Once your through calling about 10-15 min after close it is more likely the "GateKeeper" has gone home and the person to answer the phone doesn't think twice to patch you over to the decision maker or the a minimum give you information on who and where to contact them. People after hours aren't trained to handle gatekeeper duties and are likely not to screen the call.
  #2:When calling a company with a receptionist ask to be conected to accounts recievalbe. These employees are more likely to have a long run with the company and being friendly and upfront with them will likely get you pointed into the right path to the decision maker. Don't bother with the account payable people for they are not in the best of moods.
  #3. In this modern age of Information Technology; Voicemails have become the ultimate gatekeeper. With voicemails or "The Grand Gatekeepers" Leave messages that provide humor and value. For example my name is Fernando Fernandez, my last name is my first names evil twin brother. Not halariousely funny but memorable for your contact also give away a free E-book on a capture page or your own website. Giving them a valuable product on "How a Modern Website can Grow Revenue" will promote yourself as an author not a salesman and an opportunity to gain autority as well as a sell.
  Not everyone enjoys Cold Calling, In fact never met someone who has. But its done because its affective and profitable. Have some fun with cold calling. I always see it as a spy mission. Learning as much as I can about my suspect before makeing them into a prospect. And when I get Rejected I use the Jerry Hocutt strategy and say like the Fonze from happy days...."H-E-Y-Y!"
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7061992].message }}
  Use the technique in this post:
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7062001].message }}
  you asked. this is really the only thing I can give you or any other warrior
  1 inch is the distance between your mind and the earpiece you use...and I know you can do it. that 1 inch, that "1 more call"
  and since I'm not a content writer.And I will never meet you, talk to you, or see you
  like an old adage that stands the test of time.
  so can a movie dialogue.....
  [I]Evey: Can I ask about what you said on the telly?
  four hundred years later an idea can still change the world. I've witnessed firsthand the power of ideas. I've seen people kill in the name of them; and die defending them.
  I shall die here. Every inch of me will perish. Every inch but one. An inch...
  It is small, and fragile, and it is the only thing in the world worth having. We must never lose it or give it away. We must never let them take it from us. I hope that, whoever you are, you escape this place.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7062197].message }}
  [GATEKEEPER]: "You want the copywriting department. Hold on, I'll connect you."
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7068800].message }}
  These guys always want to "know who is this?" business owners are busy and don't have time for games. You should respect that.
  Also, this "tip" did nothing to help getting past the gate keeper.
  To get past a gatekeeper you are going to need to befriend them and set yourself apart from the rest of the people calling using "this tip" trying to be anonymous. Or all the other "tips" online saying all of the canned answers most salespeople use.
  Be a real person, and take pride in what you do. Also most people respond in kind.
  So if you sound nice, happy and pleasant, they usually (not always) respond with a similar attitude.
  One thing to know is the gate keeper probably knows so much about the business herself/himself, s/he could help answer some/most of the questions for you to find out if it's good to speak with the big guy.
  And if s/he likes you, not only can s/he get you to him. Their reference could give you some credibility in the sales call.
  Bottom line: Talk with the gate keeper. Be nice and respect them ask her/him questions and do fact finding.
  Cold calling is hard. Don't let anyone tell you differently. Just know that each "no" gets you one step closer to a yes.
  You will also need to do a lot of chasing and follow up calling.
  "Tricks" don't work, hard work works.
  A good short and cheap book I would suggest is
  Here By Steve Schiffman.
  http://www.steveschiffman.com/about-me.php This is his personal site too.
  A good way to go into the conversation would be:
  Them - ABC how can I help you?
  You - Yeah this is x, with XYZ I was wondering who handles the advertising over there.
  Them - that would be X but they're busy right now, do you want to leave a message?
  (Side note - I always leave a MSG some people don't but I do after fact finding)
  You - Sure I'll leave a message but before I do I have a quick question...
  (Get some information:
  is a message the best thing to leave or would email be better,
  what they are already doing for advertising -,
  who is the receptionist is,
  the bigs guys name if you don't know
  Then use this is the information the message/email and follow up calls.)
  Then you could leave a message like-
  This is Thomas with XYZ. I just spoke with Amber, she said you guys are using ABC for advertising and that's great! I would love the opportunity to show you how our service compliments theirs and how we helped ZZZ dental increase their business 14% last month.
  Call me @ 555.555.5555.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7067792].message }}
  Interesting how after you attempt to discredit my suggestion you say pretty much the same thing.
  I provided live examples of me using the technique. It works. Also, I gave complete instructions on what else to do, and advised that you need a good 30-second commercial. If the gatekeeper questions you, treat them as the decision maker and give your 30-second commercial. What is not honest about this method? There's no game playing here. You are asking who's best to talk to, and they help you.
  I don't think I have anything to prove about my expert status, given the feedback. There are lots of posts from people on the forum who have used this technique and it worked well for them.
  There are stages or steps here that people go through. First they have a difficult time getting past the gatekeeper. If they work at it, they overcome this and suddenly it quits being a problem for them. Then they have trouble talking to the decision maker: they get all tongue-tied and nervous. If they work at this, it suddenly stops being a problem for them, and they have relaxed conversations and make sales.
  I've helped a lot of people, and many for free, so I don't appreciate your canned training tips comment (how else are you supposed to help people other than by providing an example?).
  http://www.amazon.com/Cold-Calling-Techniques-That-Really/dp/1598691481/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348845682&sr=8-1&keywords=cold+calling+techniques+that+really+wor k Here By Steve Schiffman.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7067966].message }}
  People will have a lot of success with this!!!!
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7068620].message }}
  I was in no way attempting to discredit you.
  I clicked on the link and it brought me to a youtube video with you talking about the business owner answering the call.
  He asked about the gatekeeper.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7067984].message }}
  I linked to post #5 in that thread, in which I link to the Little Unsure technique which is for gatekeepers. Check that out and let me know your reaction.
  So your statement that it doesn't help with gatekeepers is fair enough in that context, because the main video in the first post does indeed talk about business owners/decision makers. That vid is not about looking for laydowns, though. It's about getting pain on the table, so you can have a discussion. This is about both qualifying your prospect and beginning to learn about their world.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7068008].message }}
  CAll 1 = was that the right guy? It seemed like you didn't even know.
  Call 2 = You only got an email address, why didn't you set the appointment -who were you suppose to set it with? that person?
  Call 3 = You got an email for the planner was he the right guy?
  Call 4 = You got to the VM is that the best way to contact him or would email be better and was that the right guy?
  Call 5 = He said send me something and he'll get it to the right guy - who is the right guy?
  Asking the gatekeeper for help is cold calling 101, nothing new.
  Also, just getting past the gatekeeper isn't that effective if you don't get to the decision maker.
  I mean, I could call any company and say let me talk to sales and I'll get past the gatekeeper 99% of the time but it does me no good unless I can get them to transfer me to the DM. (that's a whole different strategy though.)
  But whatever, I'm not trying to argue. I was trying to help the OP.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7068192].message }}
  That's because you don't know the system. Thanks for the opportunity to explain it more fully. You're unlikely to get to talk to the decision maker on your first call. Half the people you call won't be in, and half who pick up the phone can't actually talk right now.
  So what we are doing is getting the name and number of the right person to talk to. No, you don't know who to talk to when you start. That's the beauty of this system. You get to work, make progress and don't waste time on BS "research" that's nothing more than a time-waster.
  They call back or you call back and find out if it's the right person. If they answer live from the gatekeeper's transfer of the call, you repeat the same thing. You have your starting point. "Hi, the gatekeeper transferred me to you, so I hope you're the right person for me to be talking to, but I'm not sure...I usually talk to ____; but again, I'm not sure if that's under your umbrella...." and they'll tell you. Or refer you to the right person. Your job is to Get Inside first. Then find the right person.
  You are unlikely to get to talk to the right person on call #1. This is where most people give up.
  You say asking the gatekeeper for help is Cold Calling 101; well, most people don't even know to do that.
  In these cases I got callbacks or called these contacts back and got to the right person. The client wanted me to schedule demos of their software and that's what I did. This is a multi-step process and it consistently gets you where you want to go.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7068267].message }}
  That's the beauty of this system. You get to work, make progress and don't waste time on BS "research" that's nothing more than a time-waster.
  This is where we differ I guess.
  So you are saying you would rather make 200 flat cold calls over 20 well-researched calls to highly qualified and targeted prospects?
  I beg to differ. I think you would be wasting way more time on unqualified prospect.
  It's about smart use of time nowadays. Use a sniper-rifle not a machine gun.
  The same goes for website traffic, you want it "targeted" that's what convert and that's who buys.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7068425].message }}
  So...how do you do your research? Do you find that people tell you about their biggest problems on their website? Or give the name of the person you need to talk to?
  You have to have a conversation with people to find out if they are experiencing any problems or symptoms of problems that you have a solution for. Then you can qualify.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7068446].message }}
  Here are three sources of the many I use before I make a call
  http://www.referenceusa.com/ Here I can see there financial data, how many employees, if the have a website, who registered the business and when among other data like how many pcs, yellow page advertising etc...
  http://www.mergentmddi.com/ Here I find corporate trees of all executives within a business and a buch of other things
  World's Largest Professional Network | LinkedIn here I see who is looking at who what their title is and what the do where they are from what school, past jobs etc etc...
  We are clearly from two different styles of sales
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7068479].message }}
  Problem: they work for you and me. For people new to calling, all they will be is a swamp of time-wasting clicks..."researching"...and then they look up and guess what? The window of time to call is over! Darn, we'll have to try again tomorrow.
  I certainly target niches. But nobody is going to advertise what problems they're having, and I call at the top and get directed down with the seal of approval to the appropriate executive for carrying the plan out. Newbies are simply not going to be able to do that. Confidence, skill and the relaxed sound of your voice come later, not at the beginning.
  PS I think we had a good discussion here and this will be useful to others.
  http://www.referenceusa.com/ Here I can see there financial data how many employees if the have a website who registered the business and when among other data like how many pcs, yellow page advertising etc...
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7068531].message }}
  I have only been doing cold calling for the past 2 days so this again is my experince on it. Anytime I mention the word "sales", "marketing", "internet" "advertising". I recieved a huge backlash. I think those are like buzz words. I had a guy start yelling at me for no reason because I asked him about a plr report that I sent him. It's crazy. I guess it's just where I live. (southern part of the US) But nobody is wanting to hear it. Like I litterally have to challenge myself to make these calls because I know the bs that I get is going to be crazy. I only limit myself to calling 4 hours out of the day because by then I feel like I'm so beat up that I can't take anymore.
  I don't know if their is perfect script that someone is holding on to or something but I know a few tips that work for me. That's including knowing the business owners name and sticking to one niche(for the day).If you don't know the business owners name use the "i'm not sure" thing. That really works. I know that sounds really elementry but I feel like it's those simple things that really get people knowing who you are as a person.
  Getting past the gatekeeper is hard and i'm trying to learn how to do it "without white lying". I don't want to go into speifics because I don't want others to do it nor do I want people to get ideas from it but the method I use gets me past the gatekeeper about 60% of the time which isnt bad I'm sure it can be better. What I get caught up on is when the gatekeeper says "who is this?" and they also try to take the real DM out of the equation. Is the word "Maketer" and "advertising" and "Online" and "Internet" always going to be scary terms for the gatekeepers? I really don't know. Like honestly I really would love to try an experment where I get 2 side by side scripts and see which one works better. I think I'm actually going to try that.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7071329].message }}
  I have just hired one telemarketer yesterday and i give him the leads to cold call now which i am finding more effective for me. Having said that i like to learn so am cold calling some of the leads myself just for fun.the goal is to set appointments with local business owners and visit them and close the deal.
  what i have found is never mention your in sales, marketing and don't mention your company right away as this creates a negative trigger words in their mind.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7096245].message }}
  very informative post on cold calling
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7102484].message }}
  Why do you suppose it is that people have associated those words with negativity? Hmm.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7102982].message }}
  this is because every time you mention that word, they react negatively and when you change that word they are receptive
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7258134].message }}
  If you are calling from a database and the DM is not present ask for the person's name, and write that down.
  When you call again ask for the person casually, as if you were a customer or an associate and the gatekeeper will have no reason to suspect you are a salesperson.
  If the gatekeeper wants your name, business or wants to leave a message say you are just stepping out and you're just touching base. Maintain control of the conversation.
  Once you are on the phone with the DM ask if they are interested in handling more business.
  Say you have a great idea and that it will only take ten minutes of their time, you can drop by on the way back to the office and that if they don't like what they see you'll get out of their way.
  Don't try to sell the solution or the product on the first call, sell the appointment.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7102551].message }}
  e-mail market has blasts at this time so it can be a very good option to use them .i think you are talking with receptionist now should say to receptionist to talk with accounts department and man which has authority to ordering and purchasing.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7102869].message }}
  Getting past the gatekeeper can really be tricky. Agree with Claude Whitacre, tried calling small businesses first, they do not have gatekeepers. Once you get the hang of it, go up to medium companies.
  As for gatekeepers, try to be honest as much as you can. Don't be rude to them, remember she will still answer your call no matter how many times you call back. Try to be friend them instead, then slowly build a relationship.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7103004].message }}
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7165272].message }}
  My approach would be different, and also as someone experienced (but I didn't start out that way).
  Call every type of business. You will learn quickly how to deal with each one. Just by dialing whatever number comes next (on your targeted list), you will get past some gatekeepers, you will get some big companies, some small, some medium, you will get some owners, some yes' and some no's. ALL those responses and different calls will have you in front of a variety of people and net you a variety of outcomes.
  What I'm saying is I wouldn't just focus on the small ones, because when you're done with those, you have no choice but to move up and you may still not be ready because you're scared. Go big or go home and start calling everyone you can on your list.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7185396].message }}
  If you don't want to sell on the phone avoid sounding like a sales person, don't give them a speech, just really talk to them like you're calling a friend. You're choosing to call them for a reason so obviously both of you have common interests: use that to get to their hearts not wallets.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7213541].message }}
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7216997].message }}
  The thing to watch out for is people reporting you for cold calling them on your offer. I recommend speaking to businesses that are more receptive and you may be more likely to talk to the owner.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7217049].message }}
  i agree i have to be careful as recently a guy invoiced a company in india $10 per minute for his time and he recorded the call.It went to court and he won. business leads only
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7258142].message }}
  Just a secret...I've been doing this for years and one of my original trainers taught me this. A gatekeepers job is their job, she has no reason to know WHO you are, or WHY you are calling as she makes no decision. If they ask your name or who you are, you redirect "when do you expect him in the office?" She will say "tomorrow morning" or she will say "he's here, but can I tell him who's calling." You don't answer her questions, she is there to answer yours...it takes some time to learn how to do it without sounding rude, but it works, and it's worth it. I never tell anyone WHO I am, it's none of her business who I am. She's just slowing me down.
  Unless you call a business repeatedly when they've asked you not to call back (which would be a waste of your time), there is no one for them to report you to. It is a business...they can't legally say "we don't want calls" unless it's turned into harassment, and then you should be reported. What are you referring to "people reporting you for cold calling them on your offer"?
  This sounds off, are you referring to someone who called a consumer? Businesses can't take you to court for calling them. You stated in your original post that you were calling businesses...you have nothing to worry about, there is no DNC list for businesses.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7261476].message }}
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7527274].message }}
  thanks for your comment. Yes it helps if the business is receptive, but that is not always the case. Objection handling is key also.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7346508].message }}
  I very rarely have problems with gatekeepers and I'll explain why. Gatekeepers are usually bored underpaid employees. Have fun with them. Make them smile...do a little bit of phone flirting if you need to. Here is a script that works great for me.
  "Hey, yes I was hoping you can help me out who would be the right person to speak with about marketing? I really appreciate your help."
  Does that sound like a magical phrase to you? No? Well it is and let me explain why.
  "Hey I was hoping you can help me out" the human species is psychologically programmed to help each other out. It's true we actually like helping each other out if we can.
  The next part of this phrase that works is "I really appreciate your help" people love to feel appreciated and before they can say anything I am assuming their help. If they don't help me they won't feel appreciated....
  If they say something like you can leave a message and the owner will reach back to you if their interested this is what I say.
  "Great, I would really appreciate that. What is the email address of the owner so I can shoot a quick email? You will almost always get the email address. Then once you get the email address I will ask "who do I make the email out to? Now I've got the owners name.
  Then I will say. Is <Rick> available right now to speak? You would be surprised how many times they will say yes and just transfer the phone. If they don't let you past then simply write down the owners name and next time you call ask for the owner directly.
  Nothing works 100% of the time but with a little bit of persistence and charm getting by the gatekeeper can be a negligible annoyance.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7555361].message }}
  hey i love that script and there is alot of psychology behind it, thanks for the tip.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7679158].message }}
  how about this. true story to break the stereotype of the Gatekeeper
  years ago working in a phone room, a colleague called a prospect, great conversations with secretary, went further ....and further ...
  he flew from LA to Texas to meet her.....
  they hooked up... and got married!!!
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7680075].message }}
  You choose good option for marketing, Telemarketing is effective strategy in marketing, to get success choose targeted marketing list.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7684048].message }}
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7684251].message }}
  It's first and foremost building rapport when telemarketing.
  •Put a smile on your voice- smiles are not only seen but are also felt. A smiling voice is more responsive and sincere.
  •Speak from the heart- this will make rough conversations easier to be dealt with.
  •Call them by their names- it gives the conversation a more personal and lighter tone.
  •Avoid speaking too fast- this will only cause more annoyance to the person on the other line.
  •Do not rebut against a raging prospect- this will only worsen out things and create more damages on both parties.
  •Be friendly- it is always a must and should be done genuinely. Show interest on your caller's conversation as well as share laughters when the opportunity to do so arises.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7693176].message }}
  thank you OP for initiating this post and also to all those who have since provided some valuable feedback, tips, and techniques.
  I am fairly new in comparison to some of you in cold calling. I actually don't mind it, however I believe my results aren't as good as I would have hoped.
  I am calling on behalf of a business coach (offline business) to drum up business. I have a targeted list with demographics, owners/managers names etc so I can ask directly for the decision maker.
  99.9% of the gatekeepers I come across (which are the people 99.9% answering the calls) do an excellent job for their bosses and screen my calls appropriately. (If I was a manager/owner I would expect them to be doing this too!). I try to engage the gatekeeper as much as I can. I am friendly to them, am not rude nor patronising ... however I need to avoid answering the question that arises 99.9% of the time ... "Can you please tell me what it is all about?", or "What would you like to discuss with him/her?".
  I feel that once I mention the word 'coaching' to them I am immediately given the cold shoulder, so I avoid this as much as I can. Some people have mentioned on here to give the 30 second spiel to the gatekeeper, others have said stay in control and not provide this. I try and reword it so it doesn't sound like coaching, however I feel that coaching has been tainted or over called and businesses get turned off very quickly.
  Does anybody have any suggestions? Has anybody cold called for coaching businesses previously? Sometimes I feel like I'm catagorised as a used car salesman when they get wind my call has coaching overtones. I find that when in the odd occassion I do get to speak to the owner/manager I have a great conversation with them. It doesn't always end up with an appointment (rarely in fact!) but we have left the conversation on good terms and I often get a good insight into their business.
  Anyway, this was longer than I hoped ... but how do I overcome the 'what are you calling for?' question by the gatekeeper? -especially from a business coaching perspective.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7693406].message }}
  Sorry, I would just like to add to the above that I am not hijacking this thread, however Mark may have also stumbled across this problem - so any response may be of benefit to him and any others following this thread.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7693779].message }}
  Perhaps you can send your prospects a personalised email, or better yet a sales letter or postcard through the post.
  Make your offer enticing and tell them you'll be in touch by phone in a few days.
  That way they'll be 'warmed' up a little.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7758803].message }}
  First of all your attitude is "to drum up some business."
  If that's your intention, you won't succeed.
  The point of prospecting is to sort: those who qualify IN to your offer from those who deservedly qualify OUT.
  Your attitude is that you are looking for businesses with problems that your employer can help solve. Anything else is a rip-off.
  You have the typical problem newbies to calling have: the gatekeeper stops you.
  Stick with it and after a couple weeks of consistent effort on your part it WILL go away and not bother you again. You are getting blocked because of the way you sound.
  Also, you probably don't know the reality of calling. Half the people you call will not be in! Right off the bat. And hey--half the people I call won't be in. It's true for everybody no matter how good you are.
  You have a long way to go, this is the beginning of the road for you and prospecting is a skill. Not something that gets fixed with a magic bullet. Yes, you are actually going to have to work. Just like a student chef. Just like a beginner mechanic. Just like any apprentice.
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7759146].message }}
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7990910].message }}
  I use the same message whether cold calling a owner operated cafe or a 65 store chain.
  And it's the same for a cold walk in.
  The "gate keepers" don't block me,
  they get me closer to the decision maker.
  Here it is..."Hi Mary, Ewen here. Just calling to see if I can get you people a better deal on eftpos paper. Who should I be talking to about this please?"
  This has landed the largest hardware store chain, the largest dental chain, the largest hairdressing chain, the largest mobile coffee chain, the largest pub charity, a hotel chain, the largest chain of adult stores plus lots of other smaller operators here in New Zealand.
  They are still existing clients.
  The script answers her three most wanted questions...
  3 who do I direct you to
  Get those questions answered for the receptionist and you are good to go.
  And then when I speak with the decision maker the script is still the same...
  "Hi John, Ewen from About Supplies. Just calling to see if I can you a better deal on your eftpos paper rolls."