In a recent LinkedIn post, Ryan 🏋️☎️ Reisert discusses a common hurdle in sales: the gatekeeper. Rather than viewing gatekeepers as roadblocks, Reisert highlights how top-performing sales representatives leverage these interactions to gather valuable intelligence.
Reisert contrasts the typical reaction to gatekeepers with the strategy employed by elite performers. He notes the tendency for many sales professionals to “panic” when faced with a gatekeeper. However, Reisert emphasizes that for those at the top of their field, encountering a gatekeeper is an opportunity to “collect data.”
“Most reps hear a gatekeeper and panic. Top performers hear a gatekeeper and collect data.”
Transforming ‘Failed’ Calls into Intelligence Gathering Opportunities
Reisert illustrates his point with an example from a live coaching session involving a sales representative named Charles. According to Reisert, Charles successfully navigated a gatekeeper interaction and emerged with several key pieces of information, even though the call did not result in a direct transfer to the prospect.
As Ryan 🏋️☎️ Reisert points out, Charles’s “failed” call yielded significant intel:
- A direct phone number
- The prospect’s schedule
- Confirmation that the prospect is still with the company
Reisert frames these outcomes as crucial data points, demonstrating that no interaction with a gatekeeper should be considered a complete loss. He argues that even if a direct connection isn’t made, the conversation can still be highly productive from an intelligence-gathering perspective.
The ‘Intel’ Imperative in Every Gatekeeper Interaction
The core message from Reisert’s post is that every interaction with a gatekeeper falls into one of three categories: a transfer, a voicemail, or actionable intelligence. He strongly advises against ending such calls without acquiring some form of valuable information.
“Every gatekeeper interaction is either a transfer, a voicemail, or intel. Never hang up empty-handed.”
According to Reisert, this mindset shift is fundamental to elevating sales performance. By reframing gatekeeper interactions not as obstacles but as data collection points, sales professionals can build a more robust understanding of their prospects and their organizational context. This approach not only aids in immediate sales efforts but also contributes to more effective long-term prospecting strategies. Reisert encourages sales professionals to adopt this data-centric approach, suggesting that consistent application can lead to significantly improved outcomes.
Reisert offers further insights and examples of this technique in action, inviting readers to observe live coaching sessions where such strategies are demonstrated weekly.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Ryan 🏋️☎️ Reisert on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on February 17, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →