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Posted by u/twj26 5 years ago 

How to overcome the fear of cold calling?
Hi everyone, I just graduated with a Business degree and landed myself with a sales job within the bank. This will
be my 3rd full month with the bank.

I have no issue with talking/prospecting with new clients that visit the bank etc. However I am facing a really tough
time cold calling.

We worked in an open environment in the bank and I am very mindful of what my colleagues are gonna think
about me and I am always thinking about what to say to my clients over the phone.

I hate myself for having the fear to cold call and I know cold calling is an important aspect in sales. So what can I
do so that I can pick up the phone and dial without any fear?

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Cyndershade 5 years ago

This is my favorite method, it's pretty well tested and guaranteed to work long term. You'll have to work
at it though, every call you make will have to be slightly better than the last, incidentally your results are
easy to notice.

As for your colleagues and whatnot, fuckem, their opinions of you don't matter when you're driving a
spaceyachterati to work because you've mastered cold calling. Seriously unless it's advice that adds to
your paycheck, ignore these people.

As promised, the tried and tested cold calling method shown here: http://i.imgur.com/hwhgIat.jpg

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Comment deleted by user 5 years ago 1 child

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abnmfr 5 years agoSearch Free
Pick up the phone and dial. No bullshit.

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Mazzpal 5 years ago

Ha I love this.

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love_of_hockey 5 years ago

Stop thinking, stop caring and dial. After a few hundred or thousand it will feel totally natural!

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OneLessDead 5 years ago

This. If you catch yourself procrastinating on picking up that phone, telling yourself you're just
rehearsing what you'll say, just pick up that receiver and dial. You'll figure it out when the client picks
up.

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SnowBuddy 5 years ago

The best sales advice I was told was that with cold calling, your job is not to close every call. Your job is
to close every qualified call as quickly as possible. People telling you no are just making your job easy.

What really helped me also was telling myself every time I dialed out was "the worst they can say is no".
Even if someone starts yelling at you, just hang up the phone and move on. The habit of constantly
dialing is much more valuable then the person who doesn't give up when someone says no. No just
means "not right now". Save them for later and call them back in 3 months or so.

Seriously. Just keep dialing. You'll grow thick skin in no time.

Source: currently working in a company that sells search engine marketing. I get told no 200 times
before I get a yes.

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UtopianDisaster 5 years ago

There's nothing in this world more satisfying that facing your fears. Think of this feedback loop every
time you dial a cold call: I made the call, therefore I faced my fears, facing my fears means i'm out of my
comfort-zone, being out of my comfort-zone means I'm growing, I'm growing means I'm getting closer to
my goals, every time I make a call I get closer to my goals.

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Cyndershade 5 years ago

There's nothing in this world more satisfying that facing your fears.

Um, have you seen a spider up close? No thanks.

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 UtopianDisaster 5 years ago 3
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This isn't you? http://giphy.com/gifs/pics-fBsJ94IU3vaj6

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Cyndershade 5 years ago

There's no image? Just has the shitty giphy XML bug.

Edit: Fuck you.

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DatPiff916 5 years ago · edited 5 years ago

Some advice I gave in a previous thread; draw out a flowchart of potential ways the conversation could
go, when you hear a new objection, add it to the flowchart, when they give you a problem/issue that they
are having, add it to the flowchart. Make notes of what works and what doesn't. Not sure if you are
familiar with the book series but turn every call into a "choose your own adventure" situation, or if you
are into video games but the Deus Ex and Mass Effect series follow the same format, just imagine the
customers as the reader/player and you are the NPC that controls their destiny based on what they
say/how they react. Pretty soon you will notice that your mind is better trained to hold a natural
conversation on what product/service you offer.

To drown out the noise and environment from the rest of the office I recommend getting a doubled
eared headset if your phone system allows it, and close your eyes when you talk, only opening to
reference the flow chart if you are still using it.

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twj26  5 years ago

Thanks for the advice guys but i am just wondering is it normal for someone new to the sales industry to
be feeling this way?

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cyberrico Mod - Tech Sales 5 years ago

It is absolutely normal. And for some people it never goes away completely. But you do it anyway. For
me I view it like I do golf. I'm a pretty mediocre golfer. 18 holes for me is a day of getting the ball down
there and eventually getting it into the cup. Along the way I might even run into a few horrible
situations (a slice into the water, shank into the woods, etc) but before those 18 holes are done, I will
probably have at least one shot that stands out above the rest. It might be a great 300 yard drive right
down the middle or a shot from 150 yards out that lands inside of 4 feet of the cup or some amazing 40
foot curvy putt on a fast green.

Cold calling is the same way for me. Pretty much every day I will have that one great call that is so
incredibly satisfying it completely counters all of the negative aspects of cold calling.

You should have a really solid script. That script should be very variable though because if you really
want to be successful you will have a specific message for each prospect you are calling. Put a lot of
effort into making that script sound natural.

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OneLessDead 5 years ago

 Yes, it's normal and not unexpected. Zig Zigkar and Tom Hopkins both address3call anxiety for even
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experienced sales professionals.

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[deleted] 5 years ago

Ive bee cold calling for about 2 years as part of my job. Sometimes its hard to not procrastinate. So
yeah its normal.

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SmashingLumpkins 5 years ago

I was "lucky" enough to work with an auto dialer when I first started sales. So we didn't have a choice
once you log in you put on the headset you hear a beep it means the person answered and you just
start talking. Being forced to call got me real good at it.

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grinding4mine 5 years ago

Reps are what got me over my fears. Just keep dialing. After thousands of dials making a cold call is as
easy for me as breathing.

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jmgfootball123 5 years ago

Remember that the people on the other line are human, just like you. If you inject some humor, develop
a rhythm, smile and dial - you'll be good. Don't waste time thinking, just do.

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twj26  5 years ago

Thanks for all the advices and encouragement people! Its OVERWHELMING!

I have received a new batch of leads from my boss today and have came up with a plan to try to rid my
fear of calling!

Gonna watch this video every time before I start dialling! https://www.facebook.com/video.php?
v=401030370063532

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Dontmakemechoose2 5 years ago

No one likes cold calling. Any one that tells you otherwise is lying. People fear it for all the reasons you
mentioned. But what if I told you that there was a 98% chance that you weren't going to get ANYWHERE
on your first call to a prospect? Would you still be afraid to call? Would you care what your colleagues
think if you new with 98% certainty that nothing would come from that first cold call? What if I told you
that you weren't likely to get anywhere from the 2nd or 3rd call either? In fact only 10% of sales are made
on the 4th call! Four calls and you still have a 90% chance that you won't move them into your sales
funnel. 80% of sales are made between calls 5 and 12. Here's the good news for you. 48% of sales people
never follow up after that first phone call. Only 10% of sales people make more than 3 calls to a prospect
and yet 80% of sales are made between calls 5 and 12! That leave a lot of money 3on the table simply
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because most salesSearch
people hate cold calling.

So if you know that it takes more than a handful of touches to turn cold leads warm what is there to fear.
It's a process. Prospects are made, not found! Take another look at those numbers I gave you. They're
from the National Sales Executive Association. Where do your colleagues that you're concerned about fall
in these numbers. If you just make the calls that it takes to warm prospects up your numbers will speak
for you. It doesn't matter what they're saying or what they think of what you're saying if they only call
once. Go make the calls and make your prospects.

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Cyndershade 5 years ago

I like cold calling...

Just not hundreds of times a day or week.

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throwaway6o2a1a2 5 years ago

I like cold calling....

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Dontmakemechoose2 5 years ago

You guys are crazy!

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throwaway6o2a1a2 5 years ago

Not really. I enjoy inside sales, love talking to new people, I'm good at what I do, and if done
correctly there's a massive amount of money to be made.

What's not to like?

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Dontmakemechoose2 5 years ago

No reason to down vote this. If he likes it he likes it. He's nuts but still.... ;)

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throwaway6o2a1a2 5 years ago

Ok?

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SamoRonaldo7 Publication 5 years ago

Dial the number, put the phone to your ear and take it from there. Once you make the call then you can't
just shut it off so use that as a motivation to speak.

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sscall 5 years ago

They cant reach through the phone and punch you. Once someone is a real dickhead
3 and hangs up on
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you or reams you out real good, you will be thinking "thats it?"

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ChagSC 5 years ago

It's normal. Best advice I can give you is no one really gives a shit about you. Fact is, you're not important
enough for them to think about you beyond the interaction. People have too much going on in their own
lives.

Reverse the situation and think about how you view random people who call you, interact with you, or
even piss you off. Then think about how quick and completely you forget about them.

You'll hung up on. You'll even get a "fuck off" at times before the click. You'll get plenty of shit in your
career when cold calling. Most importantly, you learn not take it personal. It's just business. Everyone
you call knows that.

Only way to get there is through experience. Trial by fire. You'll be amazed at how quickly it becomes no
big deal.

The only aspect of cold calling I don't like is the time commitment it takes to get results. The call itself I
don't think twice about.

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DukeBraun 5 years ago

These guys are nailing it. Totally normal. The only way you'll start to feel better about it, is by doing it.
You're a human, not a robot. The person on the other end is also human. Just breathe and talk to people.
In no time you'll actually laugh at how nervous you were for no real reason. Just do it! Best of luck!

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lilbittygoddamnman 5 years ago

Cold calling sucks. I can make cold calls in person all day long, but hate calling cold on the phone. Wish I
could say I had an easy way to get it done.

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grinding4mine 5 years ago

If it was easy they wouldn't be paying us top dollar to do it ;)

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lilbittygoddamnman 5 years ago

I don't necessarily get paid top dollar to do it, although I stand to make a lot of money if I land a
legit customer. I can guarantee I won't make anything if I don't pick up the phone though.

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Dontmakemechoose2 5 years ago

Not yet you don't. But keep grinding and getting experience. No job is permanent.

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chrisgjim23 4 years ago
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The best book I have ever read on prospecting was The Game of Numbers by Nick Murray
http://nickmurray.com/gon.htm. Written for financial professional but can be used in any business.

To overcome the fear he starts you slow and works it up to where you are making enough calls to
survive.

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