Summary: A gatekeeper is the person or process that controls access to a decision-maker. The ethical way past one is to be open about who you are, ask the gatekeeper for help, and approach the company through more than one person. In our campaign data, senior executives accepted connection requests less often than other levels but replied at the same rate once they did. When we contacted one person at a company, 4% of companies replied; when we contacted five or more, 27% did.
This guide uses figures from the LinkedIn and email campaigns we ran for clients between March and August 2026, reported in aggregate without naming anyone. We have no measured data on getting past gatekeepers by phone, so the phone section consists of general recommendations.
Who Are Gatekeepers and Why Do They Matter in B2B Sales?
A gatekeeper protects a decision-maker's time: an executive assistant, a switchboard, a purchasing department, or sometimes a manager who reports to the decision-maker. Their job is to filter what reaches the person above them.
Types of Gatekeepers You Will Encounter
On the phone, the gatekeeper is usually a person. In digital channels, it is more often an obstacle: an executive who never accepts connection requests, a filter that sorts incoming email, or an employee who replies "this isn't my area." The ethical approach is the same in every case: reach the right person without hiding who you are, and respect the other side's time.
Is It Really Harder to Reach Senior Executives?
Yes, but less than people assume. In our campaign data, LinkedIn acceptance by seniority looked like this:
| Seniority | Acceptance rate | Reply rate among those who accepted |
|---|---|---|
| C-level and senior leadership | 20.5% | 18.6% |
| Managers | 25% | 20% |
| Individual contributors | 30% | 20% |
Senior executives accept fewer invitations, but once they accept, they reply at almost the same rate as everyone else. Our reading is that the hard part is getting the first touch to them at all; once it lands, they are not less likely to talk. That is why the first touch to a senior executive should be shorter, more specific, and less sales-heavy.
Company size matters too. At companies with 51–500 employees, about 35% of invitations were accepted; at companies with more than 10,000 employees, 19%. Reaching decision-makers at large enterprises takes noticeably more outreach than at small and mid-sized firms.
Should You Bypass Gatekeepers or Partner with Them?
The Case Against Bypassing
Hiding your identity or your purpose may open a door once, but when it comes out, the relationship with that company is over. Gatekeepers talk to decision-makers every day; a bad impression travels upward quickly.
The Case for Partnership
Gatekeepers know who handles which topic, which channel the decision-maker prefers, and when they are available. Asking for that information openly is often the fastest route. The same goes for digital "gatekeepers": the person who replies "I'm not the right contact" can usually tell you who is.
Does Reaching Several People at a Company Help?
In our campaigns, the share of companies that produced at least one reply changed with the number of people we invited at that company:
| People invited at the company | Companies | Companies with at least one reply |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14,555 | 4% |
| 2 | 1,759 | 9% |
| 3–4 | 1,066 | 12% |
| 5 or more | 325 | 27% |
Each additional person works roughly like one more door into the company. One caveat: the companies where we contacted many people tend to be large, so part of the increase may reflect company size. The practical conclusion still holds: instead of depending on one decision-maker, reaching two or three relevant people at the same company raises the chance of starting a conversation with that company.
This approach has one rule: when someone at the company replies, messages to everyone else there must stop. In our campaigns, a reply from one person automatically pauses LinkedIn messages to the other contacts at that company. Two people at the same company receiving a pitch at the same time puts both conversations at risk.
What Are the Most Effective Ways to Reach Decision-Makers?
1. LinkedIn: The Primary Digital Door
LinkedIn lets you contact decision-makers directly, without an assistant in between. In our data, roughly one in four invitations was accepted and 19% of those who accepted and received a message replied. Our LinkedIn B2B Sales Guide covers the details.
2. Direct Email with Personalization
A corporate email address reaches the decision-maker without a switchboard. Reply rates are lower than on LinkedIn (about 2% in our campaigns), but email reaches executives who rarely use LinkedIn. See Why Cold Email Doesn't Work for what makes the difference.
3. Warm Referrals
An introduction from a mutual contact skips the gatekeeper entirely. The "I'm not the right contact" reply is a form of referral too: 16% of replies in our campaigns were of that kind, and each is a chance to ask who the right person is.
4. Industry Events and Conferences
Trade fairs and conferences allow face-to-face introductions. A short follow-up after the event, referring to the conversation, keeps the contact warm.
5. Content-Led Authority Building
Useful, specific content gives decision-makers a reason to recognize your name before you contact them. It works slowly and does not replace direct outreach.
How Do You Communicate with Gatekeepers Effectively?
Principle 1: Be Direct and Honest
Say your name, your company, and why you are calling in two sentences:
"Hi, this is [Name] from [Company]. We help [sector] companies find buyers in new markets. I'd like to find out who handles this at your company."
Principle 2: Acknowledge Their Role
The gatekeeper is doing their job. Treat them as someone who can help, not someone to get around.
Principle 3: Make Their Job Easy
If they will pass your message on, give them one short, specific sentence they can repeat.
Principle 4: Follow Up Without Pressuring
Ask when a better time would be, and call back then. Do not call three times in one day.
Principle 5: Provide Something of Value
Give the gatekeeper a reason to pass your message on: one concrete result from a similar company, in a sentence they can repeat. Then ask questions they can answer: which department usually handles this topic, whether email or phone is better, and which day suits the decision-maker.
Can Digital Channels Help You Bypass Traditional Gatekeepers?
Social Selling
LinkedIn connects you directly to decision-makers. Keep the connection note short or skip it, and save your actual message for after acceptance.
Intent Data and Trigger Events
A new market entry, a new product, or a new senior hire gives you a specific reason to write. Messages tied to a real event read as relevant rather than generic.
Video Messaging
A short personalized video can stand out, but we have no data on its effect in our campaigns. Test it on a small group before rolling it out.
Multichannel Sequencing
Combining LinkedIn and email reaches people that either channel alone misses. See our Multichannel Outreach Guide.
What Are the Most Common Mistakes When Trying to Reach Decision-Makers?
Hiding your identity. It may open the door once, but when it comes out, the relationship with that company ends.
Pushing the same person. In our data, 99% of LinkedIn replies came after the first two messages. After the third, we recommend moving to another person at the company or another channel instead of writing to the same person again.
Writing to everyone at a company at once. Reaching several people works, but if messages to the others do not stop once someone replies, the company forms the impression that you are writing to everybody.
Calling unprepared. A call from someone who does not know what the company does is the easiest one for a gatekeeper to filter.
Listing features. Instead of "we have twelve modules," state one result that matters to their business.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many times should I follow up before giving up?
On LinkedIn, two messages after acceptance: in our data, 75% of replies came after the first and 24% after the second. On email, three emails: 51% of email replies came after the first, 37% after the second, and 11% after the third. After that, switch to another person at the company or another channel.
Is it appropriate to contact a decision-maker on their personal phone or social media?
Contacting someone through professional channels such as LinkedIn or their corporate email is appropriate. Personal phone numbers and private social media accounts are not, unless the person has shared them for business purposes.
What should I do if the gatekeeper explicitly says the decision-maker is not interested?
Thank them and accept the answer for now. Ask whether another person handles the topic, and note a date to revisit in a few months if circumstances change.
How do I know if a gatekeeper is also an influencer in the buying decision?
Ask. Questions such as "Are you involved in evaluating suppliers for this?" are reasonable. Assistants to senior executives and department managers often shape which suppliers get a meeting.
Can AI tools help me reach decision-makers more effectively?
AI helps find the right people at a company and filter lists by title and company profile. It does not replace a clear message or honest communication. Check AI-built lists before sending: in our campaigns, 7% of replies told us the person had left the company.
What is the best time to contact decision-makers by phone?
We have no phone data of our own. For written outreach, 95% of the replies we received arrived on weekdays, with the busiest window between 10:00 and 12:00 local time in Turkey (UTC+3). Calling at the start of the working day or just before lunch is a reasonable starting point to test.
Reaching decision-makers is less about forcing a door than finding the right one. If you would like to plan how to reach the right people at your target companies, we can work on it together in a free consultation.
Want to learn more about this topic?
Schedule a free discovery meeting with our expert team and let us analyse your needs together.
Get a free consultation →