Let's assume that you are single and your friends pester you into going out with them, knowing that they are going to try to "set you up" with someone. You reluctantly go and see someone across the way that you would like to approach but you have a lot of self-doubt. Trying to build up the courage to approach the stranger, you make the decision not to go through with it because of a litany of excuses, like "I'm not that attractive" or "I don't want to come across as being too forward".
Now consider that your career is in sales and you have to go through this same scenario everyday, except if you don't follow through, you won't make any money. Sales professionals fight this battle all the time. Some are better at dealing with it than others, but in the end, the ones are work around the doubts are the ones who succeed.
It basically comes down to the fear of rejection. Where does this fear come from? It can come from a wide array of sources. I worked with a sales manager from Nebraska once who said that all living things basically have two common attributes: To move toward pleasure and to avoid pain. That sounds basic enough but it's true. And if one fears the pain of rejection, one avoids it.
Whenever someone tells us "no", we experience a bit of pain. Some would even consider it a failure. "I spent all that time preparing and for nothing!" we exclaim in frustration. And not only is it a failure but another brick in our wall of self-criticism we can use later.
This phenomenon comes in many forms. There are those who refuse to cold call because they have a history of experiencing rejection that will keep recurring. "Why should I go out there and talk to people when it's not going to get me anywhere?" is the mantra.
Calling on someone unannounced can be brutal. But I've also seen people who are reluctant to call "warm" leads. In a previous post I mentioned the "world's worst insurance agent", whom I will call Joe. As I was out cold calling one day I walked into a business that had just opened and needed a liability policy. Since this wasn't in my wheelhouse, I got the nice lady's contact information and said I would look for someone who could help her.
A few hours later I talked to Joe and said that the lady was waiting to be called back. "I'll get to her later. I'm busy," he said as he looked at videos of dogs on YouTube. A few days later I checked in with him again and he said he had been meaning to call her but he hadn't. Luckily for me, I shared her information with someone else who called her immediately.
As someone who is out there beating the bushes for business, I get slightly angry when I hand someone a referral on a silver platter and they can't get off their butt to pick up the phone. This incident was the last straw for me and I never gave Joe any "good" referrals again. I have given him the "cream of the crap".
Someone once told me that referrals are like fish. After a few days they start to stink. And apparently some people have an aversion to calling people who want to talk to them.
With Part 2 of this topic, we'll dig a bit deeper into the issue of call reluctance and how to overcome it. In the meantime, stay healthy and productive!
Chris Castanes is a professional speaker who helps sales people succeed through workshops and humorous presentations. He's also the author of "You're Going To Be Great At This!", a humorous look at sales. For booking information, click here. He's also the president of Surf Financial Brokers selling life and disability insurance in several states.
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