What is the official definition of Sales Call Reluctance?
Sales Call Reluctance is an emotional hesitation to prospect and promote, despite having the skills, knowledge, and incentives to do so. It’s not laziness or incompetence, it’s psychological self-protection masquerading as avoidance, hesitation, and procrastination.
Why is it a common issue in sales?
Because sales isn’t about what we do, it’s about who we believe we are when we do it. Salespeople are daily public performers, which stirs up all kinds of self-judgment, fear of evaluation, and perceived social risk. Sales asks people to do something profoundly human—initiate. And initiating triggers our evolutionary discomfort, particularly with people they don’t know.
What are the psychological and emotional factors that contribute to call reluctance?
Call Reluctance is fear. Fear is a mental response to a perceived threat. Deep-seated untrue assumptions believed to be true about visibility, or what it means to “sell.” These factors aren’t always conscious, but they run the show.
Sales sit at the intersection of identity and action. When we feel our identity is at stake—“Am I pushy?” “Am I annoying?”—we hesitate. That hesitation is the birthplace of reluctance.
How does Call reluctance impact sales teams other than affecting the bottom line?
It erodes confidence, morale, and cohesion. When prospecting dwindles, blame gets tossed around. The culture turns reactive instead of proactive.
Nothing is more contagious than reluctance. When one person freezes, the team tenses. Over time, that creates a culture of avoidance disguised as “strategy.”
Why do so many new salespeople experience Call Reluctance?
They lack the experience of counteracting their inner critic. Without wins under their belt, they feel exposed, and exposure triggers protective behavior like over-prepping or hiding behind “research.”
What does the SPQ*Gold measure?
It measures 16 distinct types of Sales Call Reluctance, from role rejection to emotional inhibition, yielder reluctance, and hyper-professionalism. It’s not a personality test; it’s a behavioral diagnostic tool designed for action.
The SPQ isn’t your “what’s-your-type” quiz. It’s a prospecting EKG, showing where the friction lives, so you can stop guessing and start changing.
How do companies use the SPQ*Gold in their interviewing process?
Smart companies use it as a predictor of prospecting behavior, not potential. They want to know: Will this person get on the phone, knock on doors, and lean into outreach, or subtly avoid it, day after day?
It’s not about screening people out—it’s about setting them up. You can coach that from day one if you know where someone hesitates.
How does it work as a coaching and development tool?
Once a salesperson sees their profile, the guesswork is gone. Coaching becomes targeted, efficient, and results-oriented.
Awareness creates choice. When a rep sees “Oh wow, I avoid outreach because I don’t want to seem intrusive,” now we’re working with the truth. And truth fuels transformation.
What hidden factors lead to poor prospecting habits and sales performance?
Hidden factors include identity conflict, fear of visibility, low self-acceptance, or even perfectionism disguised as preparation. These aren’t lazy reps—they’re overthinking, overprotecting reps.
We don’t just avoid rejection. We avoid judgment. And we get creative at rewriting lists, polishing emails, and reorganizing pipelines. It looks like work. But it’s stalling in disguise.
So many salespeople say people don’t answer the phone anymore.
They’re right. But that’s not a reason to stop calling—it’s a reason to adapt, get more strategic, and get better.
The phone is still alive. It’s no longer a cold instrument but a warm bridge. If you bring warmth, relevance, and timing, people pick up—or they call back.
What’s the secret to getting a prospect to call you back?
Speak to their value gap—not your product. Curiosity is the magnet.
Leave a message that opens a loop. “Hey Sarah, I noticed something that might be costing you a lot of time—happy to share if it’s helpful.” Now you’re a resource, not a rep.
How do you help salespeople push past Prospecting Reluctance?
Helping them name it, claim it, and face it behaviorally—not just intellectually. Progress is made one outbound action at a time.
We don’t talk people out of reluctance. We walk them through it—with insight, support, and small wins stacked daily.
What is Prospecting Resistance and how is it different from Prospecting Reluctance?
Reluctance is internal—rooted in belief and emotion. Resistance is often situational or systemic: bad scripts, poor training, misaligned incentives. You need to treat the right problem.
One’s about you, the other’s about the environment. And you can’t coach what you misdiagnose.
What’s the mindset that helps a salesperson embrace prospecting as an adventure?
Curiosity, detachment from outcome, and a deep sense of purpose. When you prospect to serve, not just to sell—you break free.
It’s not “I have to.” It’s “I get to explore.” Adventure starts when we turn the dial from fear to discovery.
