Table of Contents
Read The Show Notes
In this podcast episode, Dave And Jonathan discuss the cold calling anxiety, how it and why it happens, how they combat it, and much more.
Key Takeaways:
- Dave believes it's more so a general fear of talking to strangers, rather than just a cold calling fear. He believes you are taught from a young age not to talk to strangers and that belief carries over into later stages in life when potentially making calls to hundreds of people per day.
- After 15 years in sales, Dave still deals with occasional cold calling anxiety - it isn't something that only new sales reps deal with.
- Dave believes fear of rejection is one of the prominent reasons for cold calling anxiety.
- There's also the fear of the unknown - prospects may ask tough questions you aren't prepared to answer.
- There's also the fear of judgement - fear of what other people think about you and how you come across.
- Jonathan takes himself into another zone to get himself out of worrying about what other people think of him.
- Dave also puts himself into a "trance" or a zone where there is no one else around him. Just himself and the prospect.
- Not knowing your numbers and your statistics can also lead to anxiety. For example: If it takes you 100 calls to get 10 prospects, and out of the 10 prospects, you close 1 or 2 deals - you know you'll need to make 100 calls to get there. Without knowing your numbers, you'll end up in circles.
- Dave and Jonathan both agree, it's very easy to get out of the "zone" but difficult to get it in. It's important to keep up your momentum.
- Sometimes lack of excitement, lack of energy can lead to cold calling anxiety. It's important to believe fully in your product and stay mentally sharp to combat lack of energy.
Cold calling is one of the most effective methods of reaching new prospects and generating new business, but cold calling anxiety stops salespeople in their tracks before they can even make it work. In fact, cold calling is one of the biggest fears among sales professionals, according to a recent study from Harvard Business Review Analytic Services. What’s worse, this fear affects far more than performance: nearly half the salespeople surveyed said that they had missed quotas because of their fear of cold calling–which ultimately leads to real-life implications far greater than just job security.
I can tell you from first-hand experience, that I too, suffered from cold call anxiety. As a matter of fact, It’s something that never truly really goes away. What do I mean by that? Simple. Think about going on a first date. “Will they like me? Are they going to think I’m funny? Do I smell good?” You get the point. When you’re calling a stranger for the first time, these are entirely normal thoughts and feelings to have. Fortunately, with experience, skill, and practice, these thoughts will be fleeting, and you’ll be able to muster the courage to dive headfirst into the new relationship.
What Is cold calling anxiety & where does it come from?
Cold calling anxiety is best described as a fear, or even dread, of making phone calls to strangers.
Sometimes, the fear is so debilitating that sales reps dealing with this sort of anxiety sometimes quit their job and leave sales altogether to avoid making another cold call again. I’ve seen it happen many times.
So what makes cold calling so scary anyway?
Personally, I was always pretty shy and introverted growing up and I believe some of my anxiety stemmed from that.
But I also believe there are three main factors that contribute to cold calling anxiety and the fear of picking up the phone:
- The fear of rejection.
- The fear of failure.
- The fear of the unknown.
I want to address each of these fears and talk about how we can start overcoming them.
The fear of rejection
Let’s face it. When we feel like our success, and our livelihood depends on making a phone call, picking up the phone can make us feel incredibly vulnerable.
The truth is, if you’ve never met this person before, there are no guarantees that they are going to want to talk with you or meet with you. Whether it means buying your products or services or hiring you as the solution to their problems, there are no guarantees.
The fear of rejection is so pervasive among sales professionals because it’s an immediate negative judgment. If someone doesn’t want to talk with you, they perceive your motives as pushy or unprofessional, which can feel personal.
This isn’t just a fear that affects new salespeople; even highly experienced reps working with big-ticket products still feel this way.
The fear of failure
When we focus too much on the outcome of making a single phone call, it’s easy to see how the fear of failure can arise. You start thinking with a scarcity mindset rather than one of abundance. You begin to believe you NEED to close that deal, rather than the prospect NEEDING you! And listen, it’s not a terrible thing to want the best outcome on every call, but typically what happens is you start to overthink your approach, overanalyze every phone call, and will head straight down the path of paralysis of analysis.
The stress of making an excellent first impression and closing your deal is exceptionally high, and fear of failure is a byproduct.
The fear of the unknown
Many salespeople also worry about making cold calls because they simply don’t know what they’re going to say, how it will go, or even how they’re going to say it. Even reps who have been selling for years can feel nervous when calling a stranger because deep down, they feel that it could end badly.
A considerable portion of this fear and cold calling anxiety can be attributed to a lack of experience and lack of preparation.
How to overcome your fear and anxiety of cold calling
Whether you’re a seasoned sales veteran or just getting started with selling, the process is the same. You have to put yourself out there and embrace your fear of cold calling. You can’t let it keep you down. Let’s take a look at some strategies that are surefire ways to overcome your anxiety about making cold calls:
Take action
The reality is, you can’t get better or improve your skills if you don’t take action. You have to get out there and do it. Make a plan and follow through with it. No excuses. If you’re serious about getting better, check out our cold calling masterclass and start learning.
It’s okay to fail. It’s okay to get rejected. It will happen, time and time again, no matter how skilled you are. But you need to start; you need to take action. This is especially true if you are on your own, with no help, no mentors, and have no clue what you need to be doing.
Over time, you’ll be able to finetune your script, your processes, and your communication skills.
Action breeds confidence.
Ask for feedback
Now it’s time to do some reflection! After each phone call, ask for feedback from someone else who has experience in sales or leadership. They’ll be able to give you some valuable insights on how the call went and what you can improve upon.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with admitting you need help. And remember, if someone else were in your shoes, they would ask for help as well. So don’t be afraid or embarrassed; place your pride aside and embrace the opportunity to learn new skills.
When I first started, I asked for help from EVERYONE—even people who weren’t in sales industries. I put my pride aside and figured I could take bits and pieces of knowledge from anyone willing to give me some guidance.
Be grateful
Start and end your day with gratitude. Showing gratitude is a simple act that will make you feel more optimistic about the world around you; more positive about that next phone call.
Start by writing down three things in a journal that you’re grateful for. It could be anything – a loved one, a challenging cold call that tested your confidence, or even your morning coffee.
Then when you get on that call, remember these three things and keep them in your thoughts. Gratitude will help hold you accountable to your goals, help you stay positive throughout the conversation, and give you more confidence in yourself.
Stay disciplined
Taking action is just the first step. Continued effort is what counts. If you’re having trouble staying disciplined with your goals, then it may be time to start tracking your calls and your processes.
For example, if you set a goal that you’ll call five prospects per day, then every time you make a phone call mark it down in your journal or on a spreadsheet. When I first started, I’d carry around a binder filled with daily logs where I’d jot every call, every dial, and every sale.
This way, when the end of the day comes, you can look back and see how productive you were.
If you’re struggling to make your cold calls, or even taking any action at all, then it’s time to ask yourself if this is truly what you want. If the answer is yes, keep pushing forward and remember where success and confidence come from:
Persistence!
Practice
The more you practice, the better you’ll get! You’ll start to understand what works and doesn’t work for you while building your confidence through repetition. When I first started, I would record myself practicing my scripts – and I loathed how I sounded. But, I stuck with it and kept practicing anyway.
I still record myself to this day, and believe it or not – I actually like hearing the sound of my voice now.
Make a plan
Like we mentioned before, when you jump into making a cold call without a plan, you’re setting yourself up for failure. As the saying goes, failing to plan is planning to fail. You don’t know what to say or how to respond and it feels like the world is on the line with every call. The best way to make a plan is by mapping out your product, understanding your buyer personas and identities, and having a list of questions ready to go so you can best serve the customer.
Find a good mentor
Last but not least, find a mentor! When you’re just getting started, it’s incredibly helpful to have someone pointing you in the right direction. It can be challenging to figure everything out by yourself, especially when you’re making high-pressure calls.
A mentor will help guide you through all the difficulties of cold calling and provide expert advice directly from their own experience.
Conclusion
There will always be some element of fear in your life, whether it’s public speaking, starting a new job, or cold calling. The only way to overcome that fear is by doing something you’re afraid of. That’s how you grow.
Now, it’s completely understandable if you’re still feeling nervous about the next time you make a cold call after reading this article. That’s totally fine! The important thing is that you’ve taken action to overcome your fear and cold calling anxiety, and progress forward will come with time. Remember to take it one day at a time and stay positive.
Above all, you’ll truly begin to believe in yourself and build confidence. So I hope you practice your scripts, roll up your sleeves and make some cold calls!
