Five Ways to Get Over Your Fear of Cold Calling

Without a shadow of a doubt, there are many sales reps that struggle with the fear of rejection. This can make it difficult for them to perform at their best and complete their tasks each day. It is nearly impossible to make B2C or B2B telemarketing calls without feeling awkward, nervous, or judged when you are always scared of getting turned down. It almost seems silly to be a sales rep if you have a fear of cold calling, right? Well, sometimes you have to face your fears in order to grow and succeed. When it comes to breaking out of your shell and shedding your fear of being rejected by prospects, you can use these five simple and life altering words of advice:

Confidence + Knowledge

When talking to potential clients, you obviously want to tell them the facts about your product and explain the benefits to them. So, how can you do this if you don’t know enough about the product you are selling? Think about it through the mind of the consumer. Let’s say you want to buy a car, but you’re not sure which one to get. You’ve decided that you either want a Jeep Wrangler or a Ford F-150. When you visit each dealership, you’ll want determine which one is better and probably ask the salesperson for as much information as possible. What if the salesperson knows little to nothing about the car they are selling? Their lack of knowledge would be very obvious and probably make you lose confidence in them. Even if you love the car, you probably wouldn’t feel comfortable buying one from them. However, if the dealer was confident in their knowledge by explaining all the benefits to you, it would probably be easier to make a decision. Knowledge builds confidence, so be sure to do as much research on your product or service before you pick up the phone to sell it.

Don’t Be Afraid to Try Something New

Sometimes, it’s good to dust yourself off and start off fresh. It might be time to ditch that stale script you’ve been using every time you make cold calls. Unless you’ve won the “Best Actor of the Year Award”, that old script you’re reading could be causing you more harm than good.  Also, by reading off a script (old or new) word for word, you might fall into the pattern of sounding like a drone rather than the human being that you are. No one wants to talk to someone who is trying to sell a product with a monotonous, humdrum of a voice. Rather than forcing yourself to strictly adhere to a script, it might be a good idea to create a set of guidelines to follow instead on each call (get clearance from your boss first, though!). Adjusting your script this way will allow you the freedom to improvise and may even help you become more relatable.

Practice Makes Perfect

Once you’ve drawn out your guidelines, you should rehearse different ways to interact with people when you’re on the phone. Doing this will allow you to build confidence and smooth out any bumps that you have in your selling techniques. First, practice this with yourself in the mirror, when you are in the car, or while you’re in the shower. Once you feel you’ve gotten the hang of your newly developed technique, practice it with your co-workers, friends, and/or family.  Be sure to use different tones in your voice to keep prospects interested in what you’re trying to sell. Don’t forget that it is also essential to sound confident in your product. As mentioned before, confidence is key and this is what will help you generate sales faster.

Create a Schedule

Before you begin to make your B2C or B2B telemarketing calls, creating a schedule for the day will help you organize who you’re going to call and for how long you are going to continue cold calling. Start off first by making a 10 calls in 30 minutes. As you build your endurance, you’ll be able to make more calls without feeling pressured or nervous. Remember, this shouldn’t be a race. Pace yourself and take your time talking to the prospects. Ideally, you’ll want to make your calls in the morning. This is the time most people are energized, so its more likely that they’ll be in a better mood. Be sure to sound polite and friendly. Your positive attitude may have the power to turn a “no” into a “maybe”.  You may even get a “yes” or two more than usual. The better you get at cold calling, the less calls you’ll have to make and the more money you’ll be bringing in!

Manage Your Expectations

When its finally time to start making cold calls, the last important thing for you to remember is that there may be days when you get hundreds of “no’s” to one “yes”. Mentally prepare yourself so that you don’t feel victimized when they hang up on you or reject what you’re trying to sell. You are the one who is interrupting their day, which means that your call may be an unwanted one. Plus, you aren’t the one they’re rejecting, its the product or service you’re trying to sell to them.  Don’t take their actions to heart, its just part of the world of B2C and B2B telemarketing.

Now that you’ve read Five Ways to Get Over Your Fear of Cold Calling, you can apply this to your everyday selling techniques. As time goes on, you’ll notice the difference in your sales and how people respond to what you have to say. Perhaps now they’ll take the time to listen to what you have to say about the beneficial product you’re trying to sell. It’s about time you lived fearlessly and took the time to engage in what will help you excel in your career!

To find the B2C or B2B telemarketing lists that will take your campaign from good to great, contact us today!