Why Your Sales Team’s Struggles Might Not Be What You Think!
Many sales leaders believe that underperformance is due to their team's inability to follow a sales methodology or hit activity targets. The solution? They push for more activity. The result, more emails, more InMails, no real shift in meetings or deals closed!
The reality is, call reluctance is a major factor that goes unnoticed or is poorly understood. Salespeople often push back on making calls with explanations and excuses, but the underlying issue runs much deeper. Understanding why your team isn’t making calls can be a game-changer.
?? Studies show that up to 80% of new sales reps experience some form of call reluctance. And hiring a rep with high call reluctance can lead to lost opportunities and high turnover rates. Identifying these tendencies before hiring can save your team from long-term frustration. Identifying them in your existing team offers you coaching opportunities to turn an individuals results around quickly.
In this article, I want to share some common types of call reluctance, how it shows up outside the sales job (aka 'real life') and how social media has and continues to impact the generations entering the workforce. I have avoided the psychological explanations for these because although they are interesting and useful, you can google them and it would make this article too long.
Some types of Call Reluctance include:
1?? Fear of Rejection – The anxiety of hearing “no”.
What it looks like in sales: Sales reps with a fear of rejection hesitate to make calls because they are afraid of being turned down or criticised. They might procrastinate, overprepare, or avoid outreach altogether, preferring passive communication channels like email.
Impact beyond sales:
How to overcome it: Building resilience through cognitive reframing (e.g., seeing rejection as a learning opportunity), exposure therapy (gradual desensitisation), and focusing on what can be controlled (preparation, attitude, etc.).
2?? Perfectionism – The Need to Be Fully Prepared Before Acting.
What it looks like in sales: Salespeople with perfectionist tendencies often delay making calls until they feel they have all the right information. They may spend excessive time researching prospects, crafting the perfect pitch, or scripting responses - leading to analysis paralysis and missed opportunities.
Impact beyond sales:
How to overcome it: Using a “progress over perfection” mindset, setting realistic goals, and practicing self-compassion. Sales leaders can help by encouraging action-based learning and celebrating small wins.
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3?? Social Self-Consciousness – Worrying Too Much About How They Are Perceived
What it looks like in sales: Reps struggling with social self-consciousness may feel overly concerned about how they come across on calls. They fear sounding unprofessional, being judged, or embarrassing themselves. This often leads to avoidance or sticking to scripted, impersonal conversations.
Impact beyond sales:
How to overcome it: Practicing mindfulness to reduce self-judgment, role-playing to build confidence, and focusing on the value they bring to the conversation rather than how they are perceived.
How Social Media Fuels Perfectionism and Self-Comparison in Sales
1?? The "Highlight Reel" Effect: Social media presents a polished, curated version of reality where success appears effortless and failure is hidden. This leads to a distorted view of what "good enough" looks like, making younger sales professionals feel they need to be perfect before they take action. They fear making mistakes in real-time calls, unlike in digital spaces where they can revise and edit.
Psychological Insight: Studies show that excessive exposure to idealised content on social media platforms increases perfectionistic tendencies and fear of judgment (Fardouly et al., 2020).
2?? Self-Comparison Spiral: Scrolling through LinkedIn, Instagram, or even TikTok, younger reps are constantly bombarded with success stories—top-performing salespeople, six-figure closers, and high-achievers boasting their wins. This breeds feelings of inadequacy and leads to "comparison paralysis," where reps hesitate to take action out of fear that they won’t measure up.
Impact: Instead of making calls, they may focus on internal doubts and procrastinate by consuming more "inspiration" online, thinking they need to be better prepared before acting.
3?? Increased Social Self-Consciousness: Platforms like TikTok and Instagram reward appearance and presentation, making younger generations hyper-aware of how they are perceived. This carries over into professional life, where making a cold call feels like stepping into a public stage with an invisible audience. They fear being judged, rejected, or "canceled" for saying the wrong thing.
Research Insight: Social media use has been linked to higher levels of social anxiety, with Gen Z showing the highest rates of avoidance behaviors in real-world interactions (Twenge, 2019).
These are just a few examples and explanations of Call Reluctance and there are many more reasons why your team may hesitate to pick up the phone.
?? What other types of call reluctance have you encountered in your experience? Let’s discuss in the comments.
If you’re interested in learning more about identifying and overcoming call reluctance, feel free to reach out.
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