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Many members of Generation Y are pounding the pavement right now--trying to land a deal in that entry-level sales position or trying to get their foot in the door at that dream company (okay, for some any company actually). But, roadblocks are inevitable. The most frequent being the assistant, the gatekeeper, who won’t let you talk to the hiring manger, the decision maker, etc.
So how do you get around the gatekeeper roadblock?
There’s a little secret not everyone knows, but should. It’s common sense really, and it all stems from what your Mom taught you as a child--the golden rule, “Do unto others as you would have done unto you,” and the classic expression, “You’ll attract more bees with honey.“
In other words, don’t discount the gatekeeper.
It’s pretty basic, but not something that comes instinctually to everyone. Think about it. You like to feel important and valued, right? Well, so does she/he. Gatekeepers must get tired of always answering calls, coordinating schedules, accepting gifts, etc. all for someone else, never for them. And, worse still, they usually bear the brunt of anyone’s frustration with their boss or company.
If you keep that in mind, along with respectful acknowledgment of how much power gatekeepers actually possess, you’ll be in the right frame of mind to make him/her your ally.
I’ve worked in sales for years, so I know this. But, I just experienced a stark reminder. I’m networking a lot these days (ok, who isn’t?) and wanted to reach out to a very successful, connected and influential entrepreneur I knew in my college town. After talking with his assistant and trying unsuccessfully to coordinate our schedules, my first inclination was to politely thank her for her time and get off the phone. But, instead, I found myself chatting with the nice woman and explaining WHY I wanted to reconnect. That led to reminiscing about my college town and when I interacted with them back then.
Then next thing I knew, she oh-so-kindly offered to hand deliver an email AND my resume to this incredibly busy man. She said he gets so many emails (sometimes 1500+ a day), especially unsolicited ones, so he doesn’t always look at everything. If something is really important, she has gotten in the habit of having it sent to her email box instead, and then she prints it out and physically hands to him.
Wow!
So, the next thing I did was to genuinely thank her (that’s a step a lot of people tend to forget). She didn’t have to go the extra mile like that, but she did. And, now I know will my message not only be seen by this gentleman, it will be talked about. His gatekeeper will undoubtedly tell him about our conversation as she hands him the papers.
Do you think this would have happened if I had acted superior or had a “she’s only the assistant” mindset? Nope. Not a chance.
The lesson for Millenials (everyone really) is simple. Treat everyone the way you want to be treated, with dignity, kindness and respect. Whether dealing with a gatekeeper or the tired retail associate at the mall, who knows, if you scratch their back, they just might scratch yours.
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Comments
12.22.09
Sharalyn,
as always you make such a fantastic and valid point. We should never discount people who are on the road to where we want to be. Each one of them counts. Plus you really have to remember, that you're the one trying to get in, and despite their "assistant" status, they could exert that influence on the people one needs to meet.
Like you pointed out, not always an innate thing, but certainly worth doing :)
12.22.09
Great post; solid points. No one wants to feel unimportant or like a stepping stone and I'm sure many assistants feel this way. Simply talking to someone can make a large difference for both of you... and raise the small-talk confidence level for the salesperson at the same time.
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