Here is this Tuesday’s Phone Sourcing Tip. It is also listed in the ASK Maureen group on ERE.

I hope you’ll join and contribute to our discussion!

Asking more than one question at a time (or giving out too much information) overwhelms most Gatekeepers.

After you’ve stated your name and repeated hers back to her (if she told you her name when she answered), give her one request only.

“Hi Sheila, this is Maureen Sharib. Can you please transfer me to your Quality department?”

That’s much better received than:

“Hi Sheila, this is Maureen Sharib. I’m working on a project and I need to speak with all your quality engineers. Can you tell me who they all are and then can you transfer me to one of them?” is just way too scary and way too many words for her to hear anything but what sounds like to be a “name raid” to her.

Trust me, she knows what a “name raid” is.

Easy does it.

Subsequent portions will appear weekly.