Episode 009 How to get information that guarantees you close a cold call   Hello, I’m Will Harris. Welcome to the Power Sales Guru podcast. The title of this episode is How to get information that guarantees you close a cold call.   Anyone with the desire to grow and willingness to prepare must also accept the responsibility to take action. It is an established fact that the largest and most powerful train in the world can be held in place by a one-inch block of wood.   Placed in front of a huge train, a little 1 inch block of wood will hold it completely motionless. However, that same train, when in full speed motion, can crash through a steel-reinforced concrete wall. That shows the power of……..ACTION! ACTION!   Taking action when others over look an opportunity is the biggest differentiator in sales. You know it and I know it. Every day we face a great opportunity but it can go unmissed as we take no ACTION. ON this podcast we are going to discuss the one resource that’s THE most critical source of information before you reach out to prospect.   This source is there every time but is not dressed up like a present under the Christmas tree…yet it is still a gift. WE are going to discuss what this gift is and how to unwrap it and claim your success.   What if you were able to know all your prospect’s business needs? What if you knew their personality before you contacted them? What if you could access EVEN what your prospect’s boss wishes? All of this is available to you with ease…and 95% of other sales people don’t even consider this resource.   The key to GETTING critical information that guarantees you close a cold call is…..   The Receptionist Gatekeeper   In a previous podcast, we talked about from the mid-level gatekeeper, right…the person that has the power to say NO but not the power to say yes.   Well now we come full circle we’re talking about the frontline receptionist gatekeeper. The sales tactics I discuss on this podcast is ideal for cold calling into a company. Let me set the context…..You may have an idea of who to speak with at a midsize company (not too big, not to small…like goldie locks…just right). Maybe you researched them prior to your call. AND Now the phone is ringing   And the first thing you hear is: “Thank you for calling Harris Technologies, how can I direct your call?”   Remember it’s a cold call…so the normal your response would be: “Hi, I would like to speak to the person in charge of purchasing?”   The receptionist will respond: “That will be Jane, please hold and I will transfer you.” She could even transfer you without supplying the decision maker’s name or department.   And that concludes your interaction with the gatekeeper.   Let me share a personal story about my mother. My mother was that gatekeeper at a mid-size company for 15 years. After school, I would ride my bike to my mother’s job. I would stay there doing my homework for two hours until she got off of work.   Once she was off work we would throw my bike in the back of her blue Chevette and we would go home. My mother’s workspace was situated in the middle of the lobby at a traditional desk. I would go around the corner so she could see me doing my homework as she greeted visitors to the company.   I could see the large volume of calls my mother took at the front desk. I also observed people from the back come up and have conversations with my mother. Gatekeepers in this role do not get paid based on the volume of calls they receive or the number of people they talk to. Nor are they paid based on the efficiency in which they transfer a call.   During one ride home after work, I asked my mother if her job was boring. She replied that she had begun playing mental games to keep her mind sharp. It also helped her become more e