Getting Over Your Fear of Cold Calling Customers

Research shows that 48% of B2B salespeople are afraid of making cold calls. There are typically two central fears: 1) fear of sounding like a sales person; and 2) fear of failure. Overcoming the fear of sounding like a salesperson is a simple matter of accepting that you actually are a sales professional and that that sales is an honorable profession. When you dial someone’s phone number or walk into their office, remember this: You are there to help them improve their lives and businesses. Until you understand this simple concept, you’re going to be anxious and fearful about cold calling. Sometimes the fear of cold-calling comes from a limiting belief that we simply won’t be successful at it, which creates anxiety and leads to a destructive self-fulfilling prophecy. The key to getting better at cold-calling is to simply get more accustomed to it, so your body does not perceive fear. And the best way to do that?  Role playing. You don’t need to have an Oscar-worthy performance – you just need to remind your brain that there’s nothing to be afraid of. The more accustomed you get to cold-calling, the more confident you’ll be, which creates a more productive, positive, self-fulfilling prophecy.