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More InformationIn this episode of “Dialing Out”, Dominka sits down with Valentina, BDM at OB2B, to talk about something every B2B salesperson runs into: stubborn decision-makers who are hard to move. Instead of going through standard objection handling, they break down four recurring “stubborn types” – from the know-it-all to the gatekeeper – and what you can actually do in live calls.
You’ll learn how to dose your own persistence: when it pays to keep following up, wait for the next quarter or switch channels – and when it’s smarter to walk away and spend your energy on better opportunities.
9 minutes
Why “stubborn” doesn’t automatically mean “unfriendly”
Stubbornness as resistance vs. stubbornness as endless questions
Type 1 – the Know-it-all: traits and typical call dynamics
How to involve know-it-alls instead of clashing with them
Type 2 – the Ghoster: interested on the phone, then radio silence
Pipeline reality: why ghosting is normal in B2B – not just after cold calls
Type 3 – the Chronic Objector: when too many objections turn into a slow-motion “no”
How to decide when persistence still makes sense – and when it doesn’t
Type 4 – the Gatekeeper in large accounts and their internal rules
Strategies to get past gatekeepers without tricks or aggression
Using tone, humour and friendliness to lower resistance
Typical decision scenarios: stay on it or let go?
Why a clearly worded “no interest” is often your best filter
E-mail follow-ups: how many attempts make sense before you close the file
Late bloomers: when leads resurface months or years later
Mindset: pairing stubbornness with stubbornness – without losing professionalism
Stubborn decision-makers aren’t automatically hostile – they’re mostly tough, critical and slow to move. Sometimes they constantly contradict you, sometimes they ask endless questions, and often they just disappear after a good call. The key is to see the pattern and not take it personally.
Stubbornness shows up as resistance, detail-obsession or never-ending questions.
Many leads stay in the pipeline for months or years and demand patience, especially in DACH.
Your job is to stay professional and deliberately decide where your energy goes.
The know-it-all is convinced they can do everything in-house and that outside help is at best optional. They complete your sentences, put words in your mouth and compare you to past providers who “did exactly the same”.
They insist existing solutions work fine and no extra support is needed.
They try to control the conversation and relativise your arguments.
Appreciation, humour and highlighting small differences work better than confrontation.
Valentina’s approach: friendliness, a smile and a light tone. Instead of arguing, she validates what works and connects it to what she offers.
Acknowledge what they are doing well (e.g. using LinkedIn, established processes).
Gently highlight what you do differently or additionally, rather than “better”.
Use their expertise as a bridge into the conversation, not a battlefield.
The ghoster seems engaged, asks questions and then pushes decisions into the future – “call me again in Q2/Q3/Q4.” They pick up your calls only sometimes and keep postponing concrete next steps, sometimes over years.
Ghosting happens not only after first calls but also after strong meetings and detailed proposals.
Even agreed follow-ups, offers and calendar invites can quietly disappear.
A surprisingly large share of cold-calling contacts falls into this category – it’s part of the job.
Instead of taking it personally, Valentina works with structured follow-ups and realistic spacing. The art is to balance gut feeling with efficiency.
Plan follow-ups in sensible intervals (weeks or months, not daily).
Switch channels when needed: short e-mails, status pings, or asking colleagues to check in.
At some point, draw a line if the effort is no longer in proportion to the opportunity.
The chronic objector has an objection to everything – “yes, but…” appears in every sentence. Even when they are fundamentally interested, they constantly renegotiate, tweak offers and change conditions.
Objections can stretch across several rounds until the deal stalls in details.
Some projects stay blocked for months because the decision-maker is never “ready”.
A verbal “we decided for you” means little if scope, timing or pricing never stabilise.
Here, too, you need persistence – but not at any price. At some point the cost of the relationship is higher than the value of the deal.
Provide clear information, send clean offers and keep revisions limited.
If objections keep circling back and requested conditions clash with your policies, a clear “no” is more professional than a bad compromise.
Be transparent when timing or terms are no longer workable – and consciously let go.
The gatekeeper is usually reception or assistance in large organisations and operates under strict internal rules. Putting you through? Rare. Confirming an e-mail address or extension? Often “not allowed”.
Gatekeepers take their job seriously and block external callers consistently.
Names and responsibilities are shared only selectively, if at all.
The bigger the company, the more gatekeeper handling becomes its own discipline.
Dominka and Valentina rely on persistence, variation and politeness. It’s less about tricks and more about timing, number of attempts and small adjustments.
Call multiple times at different hours to increase your chances of reaching someone else or being put through.
Concrete names usually work better than “just the department”.
If one path is blocked, test alternatives: different contacts, LinkedIn, or another phone number.
In the second half, they play a game: Valentina gets typical situations and decides whether to stay on the lead or close it.
Constant “call me again in Q4”: stay on it for a while, then switch channel (e.g. an e-mail asking openly “Do you really want this or not?”) and close if nothing changes.
Decision-makers who never pass you to the “right person”: classic time wasters – better find someone else.
Leads who read every e-mail but never respond: try a few focused follow-ups, then close the file.
Not every short or negative response is a final no – but some are extremely useful filters.
A one-liner like “no interest” is usually a clear stop signal; at most, one follow-up asking for context makes sense.
CEOs who hang up immediately are rarely great partners for long-term collaboration.
Leads who come back after six months and want to hear everything again are late bloomers – and can still turn into solid projects.
Throughout the episode, both emphasise: persistence, yes – but always on a human, friendly level. Voice, tone and humour often matter more than a perfect script.
Never argue or sound audibly annoyed, even if you are frustrated.
Always close conversations politely, even when it’s clearly not a fit.
Know the difference between “one more try is worth it” and “I’m just burning energy here”.
Stubborn decision-makers are part of everyday B2B sales – the real advantage lies in how quickly you recognise their patterns.
Know-it-alls respond better to appreciation and subtle differentiation than to debate.
Ghosting is part of pipeline management; structured follow-ups help you stay on top without burning out.
With chronic objectors, you protect your team by setting boundaries instead of endlessly tweaking terms.
Gatekeepers are their own playing field – politeness, variation and volume of attempts matter more than tricks.
Not every lead deserves unlimited persistence: gut feeling, deal lifecycle and opportunity cost should guide your focus.
Clear negative signals like “no interest” are useful to free up capacity for real opportunities.
Professional persistence means: keep going without becoming pushy or rude – staying human always comes first.
“Stubborn decision-makers aren’t the problem – the real question is how long you want to invest your energy in them.”
“With gatekeepers, the bigger the company, the more it becomes a game of timing, numbers and friendliness.”
“Answer stubbornness with stubbornness – but stay human and professional while you do it.”
Valentina — BDM, OB2B
Dominka — Host, OB2B
How do I know whether it’s still worth pursuing a stubborn lead?
Look at your gut feeling, the quality of past conversations and the time curve. If there was real interest, the profile fits your ICP and the objections make sense, structured persistence is justified. If excuses, delays and vague promises keep repeating, closing the file is often the smarter move.
What’s the best way to handle gatekeepers in large companies?
Treat gatekeepers with respect – they’re filters, not enemies. Use multiple attempts at different times and work with specific names whenever possible. If one person blocks you for good, don’t fight them endlessly – try alternative contacts or channels like LinkedIn instead.
How many e-mail follow-ups should I send before I let a lead go?
In the episode, Valentina and Dominka work with a small number of clearly defined templates and focused follow-ups. After several well-written e-mails without any reaction, it’s usually more productive to archive the lead and invest your time in fresher opportunities.
What should I do when a lead comes back after months of silence?
Stay open. Late bloomers are normal in B2B. Walk them through the essentials again, update your proposal if needed and check whether scope and capacity still fit. Just because a lead took time to decide doesn’t mean the project is less valuable – as long as it matches your model.
The core message: quantity and quality are not opposites. Without daily calling you never build quality – and without quality conversations, sheer volume does not turn into meetings or deals. In a short game segment, they play through typical call center scenarios and decide live whether more volume or more depth is needed.
Switzerland looks like the perfect B2B market from the outside: strong currency, high purchasing power, long-term customer relationships. But many teams underestimate how different it really is from the rest of DACH – and burn time and budget on an expansion they’re not ready for.
The value of this episode: clear, practical rules for notifications, micro-breaks, daily planning, and setting boundaries — tailor-made for call-heavy roles (BDR/SDR) and useful for all knowledge work.
And the success is guaranteed.
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More InformationYou are currently viewing a placeholder content from YouTube. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More Information