Are you playing with the gatekeepers or gate owners?
Gate owners like to do business with fellow gate owners. A gate owner is a key decision-maker, usually the person who signs on the cheque. You have to be good at identifying gate owners. Most of the time they are not easy to find. In some companies, a person keeping the gate as a receptionist or personal assistant of the top honcho to be a close relative or a significant other. Sometimes you find decisions are taken by someone not physically present at the business. That is why as a shrewd business person, you need to invest in research and market intelligence. Find out who are the key decision-makers and where to find them so as to quickly go past the gatekeepers?
For example, it is easier to find the gate owner at a Rotary fellowship or Golf Club than at their office.
To get to them, first understand their gatekeepers – usually the security guards, their advisors, secretaries and close family relatives. Remember business is done in the sitting room, not at the gate. How do you go past the gate? Keep in mind that no business is done at the gate. To win, spend a lot of time with gate owners. To get more insights, listen to the Podcast, gatekeepers, and gate owners, here. Don’t forget to subscribe.
I remain, Mustapha Bernabas Mugisa, Mr. Strategy.
