Don’t let cold call anxiety hold you back. Learn to be more confident, secure, and successful.
Cold call anxiety is no joke. It can stop promising new salespeople before they ever get started. It can bring experienced salespeople to the brink of despair. And it can happen to anyone. All it takes is a string of rejections at the wrong time for anxiety to come barreling down the slope like an unstoppable avalanche of doom.
Cold call anxiety is also understandable, and by understanding it, we can conquer it. Anxiety is the worry about what might happen, and it’s a basic, primal emotion. Anxiety is linked to our fight-or-flight response.
At one point in human evolution, it was essential in keeping us alive. We had to worry about that sabertooth tiger that might be stalking us in the forest so we could be prepared to defend ourselves or run when it pounced.
Anxiety can also be detrimental. It can hold us back from doing the things we need to do. Cold call anxiety is one such situation. Our primal brain doesn’t understand the difference between a sabertooth tiger and a person on the other end of a phone call. It just senses danger and responds accordingly. Logically, of course, we know that a sabertooth tiger is much more dangerous than a person on the phone. That means we have to override our primal brain to conquer our anxiety.
Call Logic’s auto-dialer and call management software offers dozens of helpful tools to increase your success and simplify your daily tasks. Call for your free consultation today to learn more!
Move beyond cold call anxiety and be the successful salesperson you want to be
Sure, it’s nice to know what cold call anxiety is, where it comes from, and that there are no sabertooth tigers on the other end of the call waiting to eat us. But what do we do with this information? How do we conquer this anxiety?
1. Prepare. One of the biggest reasons for cold call anxiety is a lack of preparation. You need to feel confident in your product or service knowledge in order to portray confidence. So take the time to study and learn as much as possible about what you’re selling. That alone will significantly reduce your anxiety.
2. Get it over with. Schedule your cold calls for early in your work day. Just jump in and get them out of the way. Reserve your follow-up calls and other duties for later in the day. The faster you can deal with your anxiety, the less time it has to build.
3. Schedule calls daily. One way to reduce cold call anxiety is to turn it into a habit. Make these calls every day. Yes, it might be challenging at first. Eventually, though, it will be easier and easier to pick up the phone and make calls.
4. Give yourself an advantage. With software like Call Logic, you can get a little pop-out screen that gives you information about the person you’re calling. Obviously, you won’t have a ton of information yet, but you can at least view your research: where they work, their position within a company, and so on.
5. Breathe. When we’re anxious, our breathing becomes shallow, and we lose perspective. Bringing oxygen into our system helps our muscles and brain relax and function more effectively. So before you start making cold calls, take a minute to breathe deeply and slowly. Try it between calls, as well. And if you want to go all out, take a few deep breaths during your calls!
6. Power pose! Yeah, this sounds a bit dorky, but it works. The way we hold our bodies influences the way we talk and sound to prospects. Even though they can’t see you, a power pose can help you project confidence. What does that mean? Sit up straight, hold your head up, relax your shoulder and hold them back to open up your chest. Don’t cross your arms or legs. Opening your posture is one way to tell the world you’re ready and able to handle the tasks in front of you.
7. Stop trying to sell. I know it might sound ridiculous to tell a salesperson to stop trying to make a sale. Here’s the thing: You’ll rarely make a sale on a cold call. Your goal here is to plant the seeds of a relationship. Introduce your product or service to the prospect. Try to set an appointment for a more in-depth call or an in-person meeting. Learn about the prospect’s needs and how you can help them. This will help reduce your cold call anxiety and help you find more success in your sales calls.
Don’t let cold call anxiety be your downfall. Whether you’re new to phone sales or you’ve hit a rough patch, try these tips to conquer your fears and find success.
Make more calls in less time with Call Logic. From automated voicemails to built-in compliance, we’ve got you covered in every aspect of your business. Call for your free consultation today to learn more!