3 Tips to Overcome Fear in Following up: How to Conquer Your Fears and take Courageous Action

Are you afraid to follow up?

Do you feel like you're being annoying?

You're not alone. Many people struggle with the follow up because they worry they are bothering their prospect and assume they will lose the business. However, if you want to be successful in sales, you need to overcome your fear in following up and be able to take Courageous Action towards re-engaging your prospect.? In this newsletter, we will discuss 3 tips that will help you overcome the fear of following up and become a more successful salesperson!

But first, can I tell you a ghost story?

Last week I was spending time with a mentee discussing his business.? He explained that he had some prospects who had "ghosted" him and he didn't know what to do to re-engage them.?

"I don't want to be a pest or bother them," he stated.? "They are busy and I don't want to push them away from following up too much."

I sat there for a moment, in silence, before I asked him if I could be very blunt.

"If you believe you can help them, and they have told you they need what you do, then you aren't being a bother or a pest.? You have to stop looking at what you are doing as selling, which I know you don't like.? You have to believe that you can truly help them and that by helping them, you can make a massive impact on their company and customers.? Do you believe you can help them?"

"I do.? I really do," he answered.

"Ok then.? Are you ready to take some Courageous Action and do something totally out of the box to re-engage them?" I asked.

You could tell he was a little anxious, but after several years of time spent together, he has learned to trust me and my crazy ideas.

"Let's Go!"

"I have an idea and it's absolutely nuts," I yelled!

"I want you to go and buy some handkerchiefs, cut some eye holes out and put them over something to where they look like a ghost.? Then I want you to mail the handkerchief ghost in a box to your prospect with a handwritten note saying something like this."

"I know you've probably been incredibly busy and that you aren't ghosting me, but I thought I'd send this ghost and maybe spook you into calling me back.? I'd love to see if working together still makes sense."

He smiled and explained how this was completely out of his comfort zone, but he was willing to give it a try.? And guess what..... He has now got two meetings set with the prospects who wouldn't return a call.

So how do you overcome the fear of follow up so that you can sell more?? Well here are 3 tips to help you.

1. Get Uncomfortable:? One of the greatest ways to overcome the fear of follow-up is to start getting comfortable, getting uncomfortable.? The fear of discomfort is always greater than the discomfort itself.? If you start putting yourself in positions, in life and business, that get you out of your comfort zone, you will increase your confidence which will pass through to all areas of your life.
2. Small Victories:? The fear of being a pest or a bother while following up often comes from a false sense of necessity.? Sales people often think they will "lose business" if they don't close the prospect.? The truth?? You don't have their business to begin with, so you aren't really "losing" anything.? The best way to move past this "win/lose" mentality is to start celebrating small victories along the way.? Got a contact name?? Win.? Got a meeting?? Win.? Got a facility tour?? Win.? Celebrating the small wins will decrease your anxiety and help you see the progress you are making.
3. Serve Others:? When everything else fails and the pressure seems too great, find someone to serve.? Sales professionals often approach sales as pushing a product or solution.? Stop.? This mindset causes them to lose focus of the most important aspect of sales..... THE CUSTOMER!!!? If you approach your sales role as an opportunity to help your prospects or customers accomplish their goals, overcome their challenges or alleviate their pains, you are no longer selling.? You're serving.?

It only takes a small spark to create an incredible inferno and it only takes a few small actions to overcome the fear of following up so that you can take Courageous Action.?

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