Fictional training scenarioCold callManufacturingDifficulty: Medium

    Gatekeeper roleplay: an executive assistant protecting the CFO

    Dana runs the CFO's calendar and screens every vendor call. Get a callback slot or the right contact, honestly, and leave her glad she took the call.

    The buyer

    Dana

    Executive assistant to the CFO at a mid-sized manufacturer

    The situation
    You sell accounts payable automation software and are calling the CFO's office line. Dana answers every call to that line and decides what reaches the CFO.
    Personality
    Professional, friendly and firm. Has heard every trick. Helps people who are straight with her and remembers those who aren't.
    Hidden concern (for whoever plays the buyer)

    The finance team is behind on a supplier invoice backlog that the CFO is unhappy about, and Dana knows the controller owns fixing it. She'll share this only if you're honest and specific.

    Fictional training scenario. Names, companies and products are invented for practice.

    Your goal

    Get a callback slot with the CFO, or a referral to the right person, without misleading Dana.

    Success looks like

    • You gave your real name, company and reason for calling
    • You asked for Dana's help instead of demanding to be put through
    • You learned who owns the problem you solve
    • You left with a callback slot or a named referral, and permission to mention Dana

    The opening line

    "Office of the CFO, this is Dana."

    Dana, executive assistant to the CFO at a mid-sized manufacturer

    How a strong start sounds

    An illustrative script for the first exchange. Say it in your own words; the point is the shape of the reply, not the exact lines.

    1. Dana

      Office of the CFO, this is Dana.

    2. You

      Hi Dana, it's Sam from an accounts payable software company. I'll be straight with you: this is a sales call, and I'm hoping you can point me in the right direction.

    3. Dana

      Okay. What's it regarding?

    4. You

      We help finance teams clear supplier invoice backlogs without adding staff. Is that something the CFO looks after directly, or is there someone on the team who owns it?

    5. Dana

      That would really be our controller. But he's busy too.

    Curveballs to expect

    Dana won't make it easy. Be ready for these.

    1. "Is he expecting your call?"
    2. "What's this regarding?"
    3. "He doesn't take vendor calls. Send something to the general inbox."
    4. "Can I take a message?" and nothing more.

    Scorecard

    What a reviewer, or your own replay, should listen for.

    CriterionWhat good looks like
    HonestyNever implies a relationship or a prior conversation that doesn't exist, and answers 'is he expecting you?' truthfully.
    Reason for callingExplains the reason in one sentence that a busy assistant could repeat to her boss.
    Asking for helpTreats Dana as someone who knows the organization and asks who handles the problem, not just how to reach the CFO.
    Handling the brush-offResponds to 'send it to the inbox' by agreeing and asking one more question, such as who the email should be addressed to.
    OutcomeLeaves with a specific callback time or a named contact, and confirms how to follow up.

    Want to score real calls the same way? Use the free sales call scorecard template.

    To run this exact persona, rebuild it in the scenario builder (Starter plan and up), or run it with a colleague.

    Questions about this scenario

    What's the hardest part of this gatekeeper roleplay?

    Staying honest under pressure. When Dana asks if the CFO is expecting your call, the tempting answer is a vague one. The scenario rewards a straight 'no' followed by a clear reason.

    Is a referral to someone else a good outcome?

    Often, yes. Dana knows who owns the problem. A named referral, plus permission to say she suggested the call, can be worth more than a callback from a CFO who isn't involved.

    Can I practice getting past a receptionist too?

    Yes. A front-desk receptionist routes calls for the whole company and behaves differently. In Vonvo, you can build that persona with the scenario builder on the Starter plan and up, or use the same honest approach here.

    Scripts and methods

    More scenarios to practice

    All 26 scenarios

    Run it until it feels easy

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