# How do I get past a gatekeeper on LinkedIn?
> Treat assistants and chiefs of staff as people with power. Ask how they prefer to route you. Going around them in a rude DM is how you never get the meeting.
- HTML: https://omentir.com/help/how-to-get-past-a-gatekeeper-on-linkedin
- Markdown: https://omentir.com/help/how-to-get-past-a-gatekeeper-on-linkedin.md

On LinkedIn the gatekeeper is often an EA, a chief of staff, or a busy operator who filters the exec's requests. They can kill the deal with one Ignore. They can also book the 15 minutes if you are clear and polite.

If they reply, thank them, state the outcome in one line, and ask who owns it and how they like to schedule. Do not pitch the product at them as if they were a dummy switch.

Do not connect with the exec and the EA on the same morning with the same note. Do not tell the exec their assistant is blocking innovation. That email gets forwarded.

Sometimes the "gatekeeper" is the real buyer. A Head of Ops who said "I'll take a look" may be the champion. Stay with them.

If nobody answers, a short note to a practitioner in the same team can be a better path than a fifth exec InMail.

## Related

- [How do I reach the C-suite on LinkedIn?](https://omentir.com/help/how-to-reach-c-suite-on-linkedin.md)
- [How do I ask for a referral on LinkedIn?](https://omentir.com/help/how-to-ask-for-a-referral-on-linkedin.md)
- [How do I find decision makers on LinkedIn?](https://omentir.com/help/how-to-find-decision-makers-on-linkedin.md)

## Frequently asked questions

**Should I InMail the assistant?**

If they are the person who schedules, a short InMail can work. Make it about routing, not a full sales pitch.

**Can I use their personal email I found?**

If they did not give it to you, that is a bad surprise. Prefer the channel they already used.

**What if the EA asks for a one-pager?**

Send a one-pager. That is their job. See [send me more information](/help/how-to-handle-send-me-more-information).

**Is calling the switchboard better?**

Sometimes, after a LinkedIn touch, if you have a real reason. Cold calling the EA with no context is just another interrupt.

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