How Cold Callers Can Get Past Gatekeepers Without Pitching

In a recent LinkedIn post, Giulio Segantini discusses how cold callers can get past gatekeepers after hearing the familiar request to “record your name and reason for calling.” This article covers Segantini’s advice and examples from that post; it is not written by him.

“Voted 2026’s most hated phrase in cold calling. (By me, people were busy with midterms)”

Use curiosity to earn a conversation

Segantini says cold callers need not give up when asked to state their name and reason for calling. He points to five scripts, which he says were recommended by more than 200 Underdog Sales Academy members. The post does not reproduce those five scripts, but Segantini does identify his preferred approach: one that leaves the gatekeeper curious about the caller’s role.

“My pick is #4: It sparks curiosity. Are you a supplier? Client? Their accountant?”

As Segantini frames it, uncertainty can prompt a gatekeeper to ask for more information or put the call through. The tactic hinges on creating enough interest to invite a response, rather than delivering a pitch before the caller has reached the intended contact.

Why the pitch should wait

Segantini’s central recommendation is to avoid pitching at the gatekeeper stage. “Curiosity gets them to opt in,” he writes, presenting the exchange as a way to secure permission for a conversation rather than make the sale immediately. That distinction matters in his account: the objective is to move past the initial screening, not to persuade the gatekeeper to buy.

A playful example for automated callers

The post also turns to a more unusual kind of gatekeeper: automated phone systems. Asked about the “weirdest go-to script for the robots,” Segantini recalls a caller who claimed a dying wish was to speak with a chief technology officer.

“My dying wish is to speak to a Chief Technical Officer”

Segantini says he would pick up that call, suggesting that an unexpected line might stand out amid routine outreach. The anecdote is humorous, but it also illustrates the post’s broader point: a distinctive opening can invite attention. His example is not offered as one of the five member-recommended scripts, and the post does not claim that unusual phrasing will work in every situation.

A narrow goal for the first exchange

According to Segantini, effective gatekeeper scripts rely on provoking curiosity and delaying the pitch. His advice is aimed at earning an opportunity to continue the conversation. The LinkedIn post offers a glimpse of the approach and one personal favorite, while leaving the remaining scripts to the separate list he references.