How do you Overcome the Fear of Cold Calling?

For new salespeople, cold calling is by far the most daunting part of the job. Calling up complete strangers during their work hours to tell them why they should part with their hard earned cash? Sounds terrifying, doesn't it?

Well, we asked members of our very own SDR team here at Prime to give their tips for overcoming the fear of cold calling. Here's what they had to say...

Reframe the way you think about cold calling

As a new salesperson, you might see calling someone up out of the blue as annoying. But, you identified this person through research, saw a problem they might be having and are offering them a solution.

There is also a common idea that decision-makers are swamped with cold calls all day, but nowadays that is far from the truth. In fact, when surveyed, 57% of C-Level buyers said they'd prefer to be contacted over the phone over other mediums.

In an age of passive communication - like emails and messages that can be left on read - it helps to stand out and actively reach out. So, pick up the phone and make the first move.

Lean on your support network

Sales is hard. But, you likely have a team of fellow SDRs who are in the same boat. They understand how hard rejection is and they've had to rewrite their pitch or deal with a difficult objection just like you. So, take advantage of your support network and get through the difficult parts of the job together.

Remember there's nothing to lose

One of the most liberating realisations you can have in sales is that you have nothing to lose but everything to gain. The only way you can guarantee you'll never book a meeting is by not calling someone, so there is no reason not to try.

Prepare as much as possible

82% of decision-makers believe that the sales professionals calling them are unprepared. However, there are more resources out there than ever before to find out about prospects without even picking up the phone. So, use these resources to your advantage and research as much as you can.

Having notes in front of you and a plan for the call can be helpful, even if you don't end up using them. This safety net can help you to perform better on even the most nerve-wracking phone calls.

Just keep calling

Finally, the most important way to overcome your fears and improve your cold calling is to just do it. Sales is all about repetition and practice, especially at the beginning of your career.

The more time you do it, the easier it will become. But, with repetition comes rejection. The more calls you make, the more uninterested people will pick up... that's just statistics. But, every rejection takes you one step closer to a meaningful conversation. It also prepares you, so you know what to say when the right person picks up the phone.

Hopefully this has motivated you to talk that one person on your list that you've been too nervous to call. So... get off LinkedIn and put these tips in action!