All scenarios
The gatekeeper
An executive assistant decides whether the rep reaches the revenue leader at all.
What is this regarding?
Skill testedEarning a route without treating anyone as an obstacle
Two briefs. Hand each sheet to one person only.
The gatekeeperquotain.com/scenarios/gatekeeper-cold-call
Rep brief
Everything the seller may know before the call.
- Buyer
- Executive assistant supporting a revenue leader at an enterprise company. No public trigger.
- Objective
- Explain the reason for calling without treating the gatekeeper as an obstacle.
- Ask for guidance if the target person may not be the right contact.
The gatekeeperquotain.com/scenarios/gatekeeper-cold-call
Buyer brief Private
For the person playing the buyer. Keep the difficulty at guarded for the first attempt and the retry.
- Open with
- “What is this regarding?”
- Context
- You protect the executive's time. You will not transfer a caller who cannot explain the relevance of the conversation.
- Hidden belief
- A caller who cannot explain the relevance clearly should not reach the executive.
- Exit condition
- Give guidance, or end the call if you decline the transfer.
- How to react
- Clear relevance earns direction or a transfer.
- Name-dropping or manufactured familiarity reduces trust.
- A vague "business opportunity" goes nowhere.
- If you have been told to screen out sales calls, you may say no before the rep finishes the first sentence.
The gatekeeperquotain.com/scenarios/gatekeeper-cold-call
Score the attempt. One row per pass criterion.
| Pass criterion | Met | Partly | Missed | Evidence (quote or timestamp) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stays respectful. | Met | Partly | Missed | Evidence |
| Gives the reason for calling in one concise sentence. | Met | Partly | Missed | Evidence |
| Learns the correct route, even without reaching the executive. | Met | Partly | Missed | Evidence |
Also counts as a pass
- A transfer
- A name or direct line
- A better time to call
Listen for
- Pitching the product to someone who cannot buy it.
Debrief
- Did the rep make the gatekeeper's decision easier?
- What useful next step was available besides a transfer?
Retry
One retry goal
Live call to check it on
Next scenarios. Same skill area, a different buyer.
From the guide Cold Calling Roleplay: 8 Scenarios, Scorecard, and Practice Plan, which covers how to run, score and retry these scenarios.
Practice this buyer with AI.
Quotain plays the buyer from this brief, holds the difficulty and scores every retry.