First, you have to be able to identify who are the gatekeepers, and who are the people truly in charge, the decision makers. The gatekeepers (GK’s) are people who the powers that be (from here on identified as TPTB) use in order to make their job easier, and to screen out the ineligible, the unqualified and others who would waste TPTB’s time and energy.
Which is why I strongly suggest educating yourself in a certain curriculum to understand how business operates, so that when you get the opportunity to sit in front of TPTB, you can get right to the point of A) what it is you want to accomplish B) how you realistically plan to accomplish it C) that you’re prepared for setbacks, D) you are fully prepared to accomplish it and D) how it benefits them.
You might try being nice to the gatekeepers; they do block the path you need to go down in order to reach your goal. If you can in any way hold your tongue, try to refrain from telling them they are a stepping stone to where you really want to get to. You might touch something off in them that fires them up, and now you’ve got an enemy for life, their best weapon being altering your plans or at least delaying your plans. You never want them to get focused on you, so avoid being a show-off or standout, at least not in front of them. Gatekeepers can be difficult to manage; you never know what their motivation is.
Sometimes I think GK’s are set in front of you to give you a hard time on purpose as at test of your character. This makes me think of something my father said to me when I first started out in business. I had everything together, better than my competition and I would still get rejected. My dad said, “You know why certain people get turned down for loans? Honest to goodness, most people aren’t even really that difficult. It’s just known that most people quit at the first obstacle, and no one wants to lend money to someone who quits in adversity.” But like he said, when dealing with lending money, people need their money back with interest. When it comes to that interest payment feeding their family, they really don’t have time to break down the reasons why they have that perception, right or wrong.
Try not to take GK’s personally, as a matter of fact; try not to get tangled up with them at all. Thank you letters, a thank you text, offering to buy lunch, remembering their children’s birthdays all add up to get you in the door. If they will let you, try to build a working rapport, and let them see you have a human side. Remember, their job is to frustrate you so you quit. If it gets too bad, walking might not be a bad idea, if you are 110% sure your brand is rock solid and it’ll fly somewhere else.
Appearance wise, I feel like being in shape helps. If nothing else, you give off the demeanor that you at least take something seriously. It might lend a little intimidation factor too. I did notice that (and it’s just my personal observation), people were a lot more cooperative when my bench press was maxing at 315 lbs. As soon as I started to slack off some, where life just got busy and I was only getting activity maybe 1-2 times a month, I also noticed it seemed like people started to get a little more aggressive. It took some time, but as I got back in shape, I observed that again, people started speaking to me with respect (a little fear, too) again. People may tend to read a slovenly looking person as one that handles money and business in a slovenly manner too.
Whenever you have to make an appearance at a business function, my rule of thumb is if you have to make an error, be a little overdressed, but there’s a tedious little balance now days. If you have to walk into a business and you’re dressed in a T-shirt, jeans with holes and dirty tennis shoes, the GK will almost surely turn you away. GK’s definitely go back to TPTB with a report on how you’re dressed. With how standards have relaxed, some places or associates consider “appropriately dressed” to be dressed like you’re headed to a nightclub. Once your foot is in the door, you may want to dress down to blend into the environment.
