# Get past the gatekeeper on cold calls

Respectful scripts for reaching decision makers through receptionists and assistants, plus ways to turn them into allies.

- Topic: Sales
- Framework: Few-Shot
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Sales, Write, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/get-past-the-gatekeeper-on-cold-calls

## Prompt

```text
Help me reach decision makers on cold calls when a receptionist or assistant answers.

**Who I'm trying to reach:** [ROLE, SENIORITY]
**Type of company:** [e.g. hospital, law firm, manufacturer, mid-size SaaS]
**Why I'm calling:** [THE BUSINESS REASON, IN ONE SENTENCE]
**Common responses I get:** [e.g. "What's this regarding?", "Send an email", "They're not available", "We don't take sales calls"]

Write:
1. A confident opening for when the gatekeeper answers: name, company, who I'm calling for, no tricks.
2. Honest answers to "What is this regarding?" that are short and relevant to the executive's priorities.
3. Responses to each common brush-off I listed, plus 3 others that are typical for this company type.
4. How to ask the assistant for help: the best time to call, the right person, or how the executive prefers to be contacted.
5. A voicemail for the executive's line and a note for the assistant to pass on.

Rules:
- No deception: don't pretend to be a customer, imply an existing relationship, or claim the executive is expecting my call.
- Treat the gatekeeper as a person whose job is protecting time, not an obstacle.
- Respect requests not to call again, and any do-not-call rules that apply.
```

## What to fill in

- ROLE, SENIORITY
- e.g. hospital, law firm, manufacturer, mid-size SaaS
- THE BUSINESS REASON, IN ONE SENTENCE

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.