It's up to you whether gatekeepers can help or harm you

When I worked in a corporate office—I’ve tried to block out that part of my life—a vendor called my office and thought I was the receptionist. He was rude, condescending and had no trouble showing his true colors. Not surprisingly, I went with his competitor.

What that insensitive jerk did is more common than you think. When you can’t get through to someone, your first inclination may be to push harder. You aggravate the person on the other end of the line and essentially squelch any chance you may have had of seeing or talking with the person they’re protecting. And by the way, yelling, “Don’t you know who I am?” rarely works.

If you don’t know it already, personal assistants and receptionists should be at the top of your list…the “be extra nice” list. They’re the gatekeepers and they can mean the difference between letting your calls go through, answering your e-mails and giving you access to key contacts.

The more you call a company trying to reach a key contact, take the time to get to know the gatekeeper’s name. It’s even better if you can learn more about them. Keep good notes and when you call, ask them how their kids are doing, talk about the weather or ask them about anything else to keep the conversation going.

Gatekeepers can make your business life a bit easier. And a little kindness goes a long way.