The Admin-First cold call playbook: Why gatekeepers are key to booking meetings

The fastest path to a VP meeting rarely starts with the VP. In fact, cold calling VPs directly results in the lowest average connect rate of any seniority level. The State of Cold Calling reveals that calls to below-the-line employees yield more pickups and clearer paths to senior decision-makers.

TL;DR - Treat Admin and IC as the front door, not a detour.

What your data proves

• Admin connects are high and underused. Administrative managers (receptionists and office managers) connect at a 7.8% rate, but they account for a small share of total dials. Admin Director sits near 6.6% and Admin C-suite (Executive Assistants) near 6.0%. In fact, Admins only receive 1% of total dials despite having high connect and conversation rates.
• Sales IC and Sales Manager are reliable launch points. Sales IC connects about 7.5% and Sales Manager about 6.8%.
• Leadership tiers often get over-dialed for lower yield. IT leadership, for example, receives a large dial share while connecting around 2.6 to 2.7%.
• Rebalancing pays quickly. If a team shifts 1,000 dials from IT Director at 2.7% to Admin Manager at 7.8%, that is roughly +51 additional connects without increasing volume.

The takeaway is simple. Start where people answer, then climb.

The route that works

Default ladder: Admin or IC → Admin Manager or Director → Target VP

• Admin teams know calendars and priorities.
• ICs and Managers can validate value and sponsor a pass-up.
• Senior admins and chiefs of staff have the authority to route to the right executive.

Talk tracks that earn pass-ups

Admin openers

• “I am trying to reach [VP Name] regarding a quick revenue operations problem I can solve this quarter. You likely know where this should live. Who would you route this to first, so I do not waste anyone’s time?”
• “We help teams reduce no-show risk on executive calls. If this is not with [VP Name], who owns this in your org so I can share a 3-bullet outline?”

Admin pass-up ask

• “Would you be open to forwarding a two-line note to [VP Name] that frames the problem and suggested next step? If there is a better path, I will follow your lead.”

IC or Manager openers

• “You do this work every day. I want to sanity check a quick idea that has saved teams time on [specific process]. If it sounds useful, would you mind sharing who else should see it internally?”
• “We are seeing [peer company] win back hours per week by changing how they approach [specific moment]. If this is not your lane, who typically champions this so I can share the short version?”

IC pass-up ask

• “If this feels like a fit, would you introduce me to the right exec so we can keep it to ten minutes? I will send you the outline first.”

Two-line follow-up email templateSubject: Fast route for [Outcome]

Body: “Thanks again. Per our chat, here is the two-line summary and the ten-minute ask for [VP Name]. If you prefer, I can draft a forwardable note.”

Sequencing that respects time

1. Down-thread first. Start with Admin, Sales IC, and Sales Manager on day one.
2. Senior Admin second. If you have not secured a sponsor, consider moving to Admin Director or Chief of Staff.
3. Executive last. Bring a sponsor, a problem statement, and a requested next step.
4. Mode rules. Use Parallel to surface IC and Manager conversations fast. Switch to Power for senior Admin and executive targets once a sponsor is in play.
5. Number quality. Always dial hot numbers first to maximize connects per call.

How to schedule the day

• Block A for high-answer tiers. Hit Admin and Sales IC in the morning window when your team sees pickup.
• Block B for senior Admin and execs. Reserve late afternoon or early evening for leadership tiers that lift later.
• Outside calling hours. Draft forwardable notes, send pass-up emails, and update sponsor summaries.

For best practices on exactly when to call which prospects, refer to the heat map in the State of Cold Calling report.

What to measure

• Pass-up rate. Percentage of Admin or IC conversations that produce an intro or endorsement.
• Sponsor quality. Share of pass-ups that come from Admin Director, Chief of Staff, or a respected Manager.
• Time to exec meeting. Days from first Admin or IC connect to the first senior meeting.
• Dial mix discipline. Percentage of total dials allocated to Admin and IC until a sponsor exists.

AI Coaching prompts that change behavior

When using Orum’s AI Roleplays, after completing your call with the AI agent, ask these prompts to determine if you’re taking the most optimized approach.

• “Rephrase the problem in one sentence before requesting routing.”
• Ask for the forward. “Did I request permission for a two-line note?”
• Name the trade. “Did I clearly convey the time savings I’m providing the exec?”
• Prove sponsor value. “What from our conversation that you provided  can I reuse in my follow-up thread?”

Common mistakes to avoid

• Asking for a meeting too early. Ask for the route first.
• Over-dialing the VP. Earn a sponsor before you burn more leadership dials.
• Generic forwardables. Write the two-line message for the sponsor in their voice.
• Mode mismatch. Do not run Parallel at the executive step unless your data says that persona lifts on volume.

A simple capacity win

Adopt a guardrail: Until an executive sponsor is established, at least 40% of dials should be directed to Admin and IC routes for that account. Combine this with a Power call block on the executive step, and your calendar fills faster with fewer total dials.

Admin-First is not a workaround. It is the shortest path to senior decisions because it respects how organizations actually operate. Your data backs it up. Start where people answer. Earn the route. Finish with precision.