What Is a Gatekeeper in Business?

What is a gatekeeper in business?

A gatekeeper is an employee who handles administrative responsibilities for executives and members of the C-suite, specifically acting as an intermediate and controlling access between other parties and decision makers.

Gatekeepers are typically the first point of contact for anyone trying to connect with decision makers within the organization. They are most commonly employed in large businesses, businesses with multiple locations or small businesses where the decision makers are often busy or absent.

How gatekeepers in business work

In marketing, sales and other contexts, your goal is to communicate with a decision maker of another business to relay important information or pitch your products or services. Gatekeepers act as a line before decision makers, such as business owners, C-suite members, executives and managers, screening and assessing each party trying to contact the decision makers.

Gatekeepers are responsible for sifting through requests via phone calls, emails, meetings and other forms of communication. They use these responsibilities to determine which should be relayed to the decision maker and which should be rejected to mitigate interruptions or distractions and save time, stress and efficiency for the decision maker.

For instance, personal assistants, receptionists and executive secretaries in the gatekeeper role can either send a visitor to the manager or reject their request. Other gatekeepers, including editors, producers and journalists, can decide whether to spread a message to a wider audience, such as a magazine editor who reads pitches and chooses which articles to publish.

Benefits of gatekeepers

Gatekeepers are technically obstacles but can provide valuable advantages for you whether you’re a decision maker or trying to connect with one.

Benefits include:

Gatekeepers as a resource: If you build personal relationships with gatekeepers, they may give you preferential access to information or decision makers
Support efficiency: If you’re a decision maker, gatekeepers can filter only parties you want to speak to and prevent unnecessary distractions or interruptions
Streamline efforts: Gatekeepers know what their decision maker needs, and preventing your access to them can save you the effort of pitching products or services to a decision maker who doesn’t want them

Types of gatekeeper roles

Your approach to interacting with gatekeepers largely depends on what kind of role they occupy.

Executive assistants

Executive assistants often work closely with decision makers. They sometimes perform tasks on behalf of executive-level employees, even becoming involved in the buying process. Executive assistants as gatekeepers function as an extension of the decision maker and have the authority to connect you with important stakeholders. In this case, you may need to spend more time outlining your purposes to the executive assistant before they agree to connect you with an executive.

B2B gatekeepers

B2B gatekeepers include receptionists, secretaries and other types of administrative assistants. Though not usually involved in the buying or decision process, they are typically responsible for screening phone calls, emails and other communications on behalf of decision makers to determine whether they should advance sales or other pitches.

B2C gatekeepers

Although less common and formal, gatekeepers exist in B2C settings, too. For instance, parents or spouses may be gatekeepers for other family members, answering sales pitches via phone, email or in-person visits and choosing whether to relay the message to the target audience.

New trends in gatekeepers

The gatekeeper roles and functions are continually changing with trends in technology and social media.

Gatekeeper marketing

Businesses using this method of marketing target their messages to gatekeeper roles. Business’ sales and marketing representatives speak to receptionists, assistants and secretaries, establishing relationships and developing rapport they can leverage when they’re ready to pitch or propose their products.

Gatekeeper marketing persuades gatekeepers that your business can support their organization’s success. This method can improve access to decision makers long term but may be less effective for time-sensitive connections.

Search engines

Search engines use algorithms to rank search results from the most to the least relevant when you and your employees make search queries to help you find information more efficiently. This is a type of gatekeeping that you can also take advantage of through search engine optimization (SEO) of your organization’s website to increase rankings in search results, attract more website visitors and generate more leads.

In this instance, the algorithm in the gatekeeper role gives preference to websites that include certain keywords and phrases and answer common search queries. To make this gatekeeper work for you, research which keywords visitors use to find your website and create useful content that targets those keywords.

Social media

All social media users function as gatekeepers by choosing whether to share a post with their audiences, meaning only certain content becomes popular or goes viral. To take advantage of social media audience potential, designate an employee to the gatekeeper role for your organization’s accounts, such as a social media or content manager. They can craft content that attracts and engages content while also strategizing your brand’s social media presence.

Influencers

An influencer is a junior employee who researches options for managers or executives and is often the first person salespeople and potential customers speak to after talking to a receptionist. If a business’ influencer likes your business’ products, work or ideas, they may recommend them to their supervisors.

Your business can also use influencers when you need contractors or new employees. Gatekeeper professionals screen resumes and proposals, choosing which to advance for consideration based on the criteria you set. Some influencers even conduct preliminary phone interviews with candidates or contractors before short-listed options for meetings with you or other decision makers.

Related: How to Read a Resume

Tips for working with gatekeepers

Here are a few strategies and tips for working with gatekeepers:

Be personable and professional: Always behave with respect and courtesy to gatekeepers. Developing good rapport with gatekeepers is key to accessing decision makers
Use connections: A mutual connection within a business can help you bypass gatekeepers and get an introduction to decision makers
Do your research: Get background information about the business and decision maker to learn about their experiences with products or services similar to yours
Be straightforward: Misleading gatekeepers about your intentions can hurt the trust and success of a deal
Know your audience: Understand what kind of gatekeeper you’re speaking to and strategize accordingly. For instance, receptionists may not need the full outline of your proposal before they advance it to decision makers

FAQs about gatekeepers in business

How should you contact a gatekeeper?

When possible, check out the company’s website to find the name of the person you should contact. Call or email after you do some research and tailor your pitch to their personality. You can also attend industry events where you can meet gatekeepers and build a rapport with them to create inroads with company leaders.

What are gatekeeper companies?

A gatekeeper company can decide whether you qualify for a certain product or service. An example is a health insurance provider that only pays for medical services covered by your company’s plan and provided by a doctor who’s part of the provider network.

What are some typical traits gatekeepers should possess?

Because a gatekeeper can act as the public face of an organization, it’s important that they have a welcoming attitude toward customers. They’re the first person visitors speak to, so typically those in the gatekeeper role are cheerful, friendly and helpful. Gatekeepers should have strong listening skills and be knowledgeable about the business they represent.

What Is a Gatekeeper in Business?

Your next read