So who exactly is this decision maker?
I recently got a call from someone immediately asking me if they could talk to "The Decision Maker." The first irritation was the assumption that I wasn't the Decision Maker. Often people assume that the first person they speak with is the gate-keeper which isn't always the case.
Many times, I've found the gate-keeper IS the Decision Maker masquerading as the gate-keeper to avoid further conversation. Also the first person that answers the phone should be the Decision Maker if you've done research and found a good number. Depending on the business model, you will find that gate-keepers aren't usually the receptionist these days. There's IVR for that. Assume the person you're talking to is the president of the company. Treat them as such and amazing things can open up for you.
The second irritation was that this person did not bother to introduce themselves or even explain why they were calling.I don't take the attitude of "you owe me an explanation" but I'd like to find out if you're calling from the Oval Office or if, perhaps I've won a million dollars.Decision Maker immediately implies that you must be calling to sell me something and I'm instantly going into screening mode. Simply put, I've never heard the IRS ask for the Decision Maker. They've got your name.You should have a name too. I've never seen this not work. It doesn't always mean you'll get the sale but you'll get a listening ear.