No, Cold Calling Isn't Diving Into a Snake Pit!

For some people, it’s snakes. Others, spiders.

Heights are up there. Even dogs, believe it or not.

And, of course, let’s not forget public speaking (although Paul Neuberger never had much of a problem there).

If you haven’t figured it out, these are among the most common fears. Some might be rational; others, not. This isn’t a psychology forum, after all.

But guess what isn’t among the top 100 fears? Cold calling!

To listen to some salespeople, though, you’d be sure it is. Cold calling offers unlimited opportunity, and tremendous benefits as a sales approach, yet many sales reps approach it with the enthusiasm of a root canal.

So let’s be frank: Is getting hung up on, or rejected by someone you don’t even know, really your greatest fear?

If so, you might have panophobia – the fear of EVERYTHING.

Seriously, though - why the fear, the anxiety, the utter dread of cold calling? If you’re in sales, the practice falls into “Job Description 101.”

There’s a cure, of course. It’s summed up in one word: PREPARATION (and no, fear of preparation is not on the “Top 100” list).

First, figure out who your ideal client is, and target them. Be strategic. Do your research. Don’t just do it halfway, either, which could be evidence of gamophobia – the fear of commitment, or sticking with something to the end.

Second, grasp the opening basics of a cold call. You want to pique curiosity, generate interest and buy time. Hint: If you sound like a salesperson, you’re dead on arrival. If that just scared you witless, you might suffer from thanatophobia – fear of death.

Third, understand that what you’re really selling is yourself – not a product, or a service, or a company. If you cope with allodoxaphobia – the fear of opinions, or hearing what others think of you – then this might just be the cure. On a cold call, you completely control your introduction to a complete stranger ... which controls how they perceive you.

There’s more, of course. Coaching helps. You’ll learn that smart cold calling can lead to tremendous success. It can even help you get over an irrational fear or two.

Unless, of course, it’s achievemephobia – the fear of success. In that case, just keep doing what you’ve been doing.