Every business has a gatekeeper: 8 Psychological ways to get your message past them
- Vivien
- May 21
- 3 min read
Every business has that gatekeeper.
You know the person who likes to say No.
Whether it’s that super-efficient assistant, where every email goes into a folder.
Or that accountant who's great with figures but never has the budget.
Or Claire from Procurement, who’s seen everything and just wants an espresso machine in the office....
The point is: you’re not always talking to the decision-maker first.
In fact, in B2B, the decision maker is often the 6-7 person in line to your communication.
So, how do you get through?
Try a little psychology
1. Use the Fluency Effect: Make It Easy to Read
Our brain prefers information that's easy to process.
When something is easier to read, we judge it as more truthful, more credible, and more valuable.
This is called processing fluency.
Use short words, short sentences, and short paragraphs.
Stick to common, conversational language.
Put your product into their daily lives
Apply the Cognitive Load Principle: Reduce Decision Fatigue
People have limited mental bandwidth.
The more complex your message, the less likely they are to remember it.
This is known as cognitive load theory
Give one idea per sentence.
Break big ideas into bullet points or scannable chunks.
Make it easy for them to see the outcome.
3. Use the Principle of Anchoring: Lead with Value
People rely heavily on the first piece of information they receive when making decisions—this is called anchoring bias.
Set the frame early..
Start with the result, not the process.
Talk about what your customers can do - not what your product does
Lead with a measurable outcome, not a feature.
Put the most important information first
Use the Zeigarnik Effect: Leave a Clear Next Step
People are more likely to remember and act on tasks that are unfinished.
This is known as the Zeigarnik Effect.
Use this to drive action.
End with one clear, active CTA.
Make the next step obvious and easy
Use the Familiarity Heuristic: Speak Their Language, Not Yours
People trust what they recognise.
This is the familiarity heuristic—our brains prefer words, phrases, and structures we’ve seen before.
Mirror your customers' own language.
Use phrases they already say in sales calls or customer interviews.
Use Loss Aversion and the pain of the Status Quo Bias: Frame Change as Safe and Smart
People fear loss more than they desire gain. And they resist change unless it feels safe. So show them how your offer is a smart risk-free improvement, not a disruption
De-risk the decision use guarantees
Position your solution as a low-risk, logical next step, not a gamble.
Use case studies and testimonials that focus on the customers problems.
Use Contrast Effect: The cost of Inaction
We understand things better in contrast. By showing what happens if they do nothing, you activate urgency without being aggressive.
Highlight what they stand to lose if they don’t act.This sharpens urgency without being pushy.
Create tension between the pain of the status quo and the relief you offer
Gatekeepers aren’t your enemy.
They’re just making sure the nonsense doesn’t get through.
Make your message too good to block.
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Human-Designed Strategic Communication isn’t a "nice-to-have". They’re essential tools for modern B2B communication — just like SEO, clear CTAs, or spellcheck.
If you want to get your B2B audience to notice and remember you,.
You have to hack their brain.
Not sure what to focus on? — I train in-house B2B communication teams
