What if one of your core assumptions about prospecting is the very thing holding you back from unparalleled success? Imagine the impact if that assumption —one you’ve held onto for years—was proven wrong. How much could your results improve? How much could your career transform, leading to a future of unprecedented success and achievement?
Think back to a time when you discovered you were completely wrong about a prospect or a sales situation. Remember the shock, the recalibration, and the breakthrough that followed? Now, imagine experiencing that level of clarity daily. What if you could erase your deepest fears and doubts about proactive prospecting, clearing the path to extraordinary performance?
I invite you to explore a concept that could revolutionize your approach to prospecting: the limiting and untrue assumptions lurking in your mind. Picture your mind as a garden. Every thought you cultivate is a seed that determines the quality of your harvest. Now, consider this: some seeds are weeds—limiting and untrue assumptions that choke out your potential.
These are the assumptions that whisper: “I’m bothering people if I call them.””They won’t buy from me.””They’re happy with their current vendor.” These aren’t just pesky distractions; they’re powerful barriers that keep you from thriving in your new business development journey. But what if you could challenge these assumptions and uproot them for good?
Let’s break it down:
“I’m bothering people if I call them.” Is this true, or could your call be the exact solution they’ve been searching for or they know someone who needs your solution right now?
“They won’t buy from me.” Are you certain? Or is this an unfounded fear that’s stopping you from building valuable connections and learning from every interaction?
“They love their current provider.” Do you really know that? Or is this assumption keeping you from discovering the one thing that could make them switch and finding new solutions?
Here’s the liberating truth: challenging these false assumptions makes room for new, empowering beliefs. Imagine replacing “I’m bothering people” with “I’m offering them an opportunity to solve a problem they might not even know they have.” Or swapping “They won’t buy” with “Every conversation is a chance to learn and grow.”
When you clear these mental weeds, you free yourself to prospect with confidence and purpose. Top producers know that success isn’t just about skill—it’s about mindset. It’s about thinking clearly, creatively, and without constraint.
So, here’s my challenge to you: identify one limiting belief that’s holding you back. Ask yourself, “Is this really true?” If it’s not, consider how shifting your perspective could turn prospecting into a game of curiosity and discovery. Are you ready to break free from fears sabotaging your new business development success?
Imagine a life where your prospecting isn’t weighed down by doubts, fears, and limiting beliefs—where every call and meeting is an opportunity for growth and success. I’m offering an impactful one-hour thinking session designed specifically for sales professionals like you who are struggling with Sales Call Reluctance.
For just $150, you’ll step into a safe, confidential space where you can confront the assumptions that are costing you big bucks, draining your energy, and causing those dreaded Monday morning blues.
Why This Session is Worth Far More Than $150 Sales Call Reluctance is more than a fear—it’s a career-ending barrier if left unaddressed.
This session will help you uncover and challenge the assumptions holding you back, freeing you to approach prospects confidently.Consider this—how many sales opportunities are you missing because of unaddressed fears? By investing $150 in this session, you could unlock thousands of dollars in lost revenue, making this a small price to pay for a massive return on investment.Imagine walking away from this session with a new, empowering belief that transforms your approach to sales. You’ll see a boost in your performance, energy, and enthusiasm.
What You’ll Get:60 Minutes of Focused Insight: We’ll dive deep into the specific assumption that is most holding you back.
A Safe, Confidential Space: I create an environment where you can feel safe, vulnerable, and trusting as you explore what’s really going on beneath the surface.
Actionable Takeaways: By the end of our time together, you’ll leave with a liberating new assumption that empowers you to confidently move forward.
Invest in Your Future Success Text me at 602-380-5431 with 1) Your name, 2) A brief note on why the time is right for you to stop letting untrue, limiting assumptions sabotage your career, and 3) Request that I call you to schedule your session. I’m eager to help you take this transformative step.
Ready to challenge your assumptions and discover a new path to success? Let’s get started. Already crushing your prospecting game? Feel free to pass this offer to anyone who could use a boost to overcome their prospecting struggles.
Discipline often carries an unfair reputation, perceived as a constraint that stifles creativity and spontaneity. Yet, this perspective misses a crucial truth: discipline is not a set of rigid rules but a powerful tool that creates a structured environment where true freedom can thrive.
Consider discipline as the framework of a house. Without walls and a roof, a house collapses under its own weight and the chaos of the elements. Similarly, without discipline, our prospecting efforts can become scattered and ineffective. Discipline provides the boundaries to safely explore and expand our new business development activity.
As Rick Rubin beautifully puts it in his book The Creative Act: The Way of Being, ‘Discipline is not a lack of freedom; it is a harmonious relationship with time. In sales, time is a precious resource. By dedicating specific times for prospecting, follow-ups, strategy, and reflection, we transform time from a fleeting, uncontrollable force into a resource we can direct and utilize. This is the power of discipline in making sure we have appointments on the calendar for new business weekly.
Discipline and freedom are not opposites but partners. Discipline offers the stability and structure needed to engage deeply with our new business development activities. At the same time, freedom is the state of mind we achieve when our time and efforts are used effectively. When discipline is internalized, it becomes a natural rhythm that supports our productivity, allowing us to work freely within the boundaries we’ve set.
Take the example of a top-performing salesperson who adheres to a daily routine of prospecting activity. This disciplined practice is not a constraint but a gateway to freedom. Through consistent effort, they build the skills and confidence to approach potential clients effortlessly and express their value proposition fully. The discipline of a daily routine creates a foundation upon which their creative problem-solving and relationship-building skills can flourish.
In essence, discipline in sales is about committing to our craft and respecting the time it requires. It’s about creating a balanced partnership between structure and spontaneity, each enhancing the other. By embracing discipline, we are not limiting our freedom; we are cultivating the conditions necessary for true liberation in our sales efforts.
Discipline transforms our relationship with time, making it an ally rather than an adversary. It provides a structured environment for experimentation, innovation, and, ultimately, success. By understanding that discipline and freedom are partners, salespeople can unlock their true potential and achieve lasting success.
What if you choose to experience your prospecting activity as an experiment? If you knew your prospecting would uncover opportunities, how would you think, feel and what would you do?
If you are struggling with filling your pipeline with qualified prospects and setting appointments, You don’t have to face this alone. Enrolling in my 8-day free email course will give you the support and guidance to shift from struggling to finding cadence in your prospecting efforts. This course is designed for you to work independently every day for eight days. You’ll receive an email every morning with a couple of questions to answer.
You will learn what to do to move away from the prospecting struggle.
Here’s what you will learn:
1. The Truth Behind Sales Call Reluctance.
2. The Emotional Drive Behind Prospecting Success.
3. The Imposters that Sabotage Your Prospecting Efforts.
4. Why Fear of Rejection Isn’t the Root Cause
5. Transforming Fear into Confidence.
6. Overcoming Telephobia: The Secret of Sensory Injection
7. A Proven Solution Transform Your Prospecting Approach
You may be wondering where the testimonials are. Well, guess what? This is a grand experiment. I have been training and coaching salespeople in diverse industries for 25+ years and have decided to provide incredible value through a free course. I am inviting you to join me in this scientific experiment on cause and effect.
Ah, the mysterious and often misunderstood world of Sales Call Reluctance, a realm where even the bravest souls find themselves pondering, hesitating, and sometimes, downright evading. But fear not, dear sales pros, for within this tale of procrastination and avoidance lies the seed of inspiration, a call to action if you will. Let’s embark on a journey to understand the signs and more importantly to conquer them:
Your alarm goes off, and instead of bounding out of bed, armed with enthusiasm to conquer the sales world, you find yourself humming the blues, secretly hoping that your sales targets will magically achieve themselves. Consider this your wake-up call—not the one that jolts you from sleep, but the one that ignites a spark to change your approach.
Your productivity outside of sales is off the charts. Your mom is up to speed on every detail of your life, your hair could be featured in a shampoo commercial, and your dog? Well, he’s starting to think he’s in boot camp with all the walks. Yet, the thought of making a sales call gets a “maybe later.” How about we redirect some of that energy? Your dog could use a break, and your prospects could use a call.
Your call list has morphed into a “creative reasons to delay” list. You find yourself concocting scenarios like, “What if they’re having lunch. . . in another time zone?” or “Is it possible to be allergic to sales calls?” It’s time to challenge those fears with a dose of humor and a strategy to make the first call. After all, laughter is a great icebreaker.
Deep down, you feel like your mind plays hide and seek the moment you need to make a call, diving into anything and everything, from the latest news to yesterday’s sports scores. It’s time to play a new game, one where you seek out connections and conversations with your prospective clients.
You find yourself contemplating existential questions more often than dialing numbers, wondering if you’re really cut out to be a salesperson or if you’ve missed your true calling as a philosopher of Sales Call Reluctance. Here’s a thought: Why not be both? Use your philosophical musings to connect on a deeper level with your prospective clients and yourself.
Sales Call Reluctance is indeed no laughing matter, but tackling it doesn’t have to be a dreary process. Embrace the humor, the quirks, and the human moments. Remember, the journey to overcoming Sales Call Reluctance is not just about making calls; it’s about breaking down barriers, building confidence and discovering your unique voice.
Living with Call Reluctance is a choice, and so is overcoming it. There are paths paved by those who’ve gone before, strategies testing by time, and solutions designed to lift you over the hurdles. So, if you find yourself singing the blues, dodging the calls, and questioning your path, know that it’s within your power to change the tune, pick up the phone and embark on a journey of transformation.
Let this be your moment of inspiration, a nudge to turn reluctance into resilience, hesitation into action. Your future clients are out there, waiting for that call, ready to be inspired by what you have to offer. And who knows? In the process, you just might discover that you are indeed a sales pro poised to shine.
82% of salespeople make fewer than five (5) cold calls per day, according to Zipdo Research 2024.
A Harvard Business Review survey in 2019 indicated that 1 out of 2 salespeople experience Sales Call Anxiety. Do you wonder if that is still true in 2024?
Sales call anxiety remains prevalent among salespeople in 2024. Research indicates that 61.4% of salespeople find prospecting through cold calls the most challenging part of their job. Additionally, a study shows that 48% of B2B salespeople fear making cold calls, negatively impacting their performance and income.
Sales Call Reluctance is the emotional hesitation to prospect and promote proactively. Telephobia is only one type of Call Reluctance, and it is the easiest to overcome.
Where does Call Reluctance come from:
Personality predispositions – people who are relationship-oriented and good at opening the door. However, they are uncomfortable with any push-back or “conflict” by the prospect. This means they are so focused on the relationship and themselves that they lose sight of the problem they are solving for the prospect. They are usually intuitive and intelligent, and they hear the inconsistency in what the prospect may be sharing; however, they don’t know how to unfold the truth or feel like they will anger or irritate the prospect, so they avoid the “sensitive issue” that, if not addressed, will sabotage the sale.
Hereditary: Instincts, inclinations, and reflexes you were born with. These are actions and automatic tendencies you did not learn and were not taught.
Exposure to carriers of Call Reluctance. Sometimes, the sales manager and trainer unintentionally contaminate the reps they are paid to inspire. Salespeople learn to Call Reluctance from: 1) Mimic learning: behaviors observed in others and deciding to mimic. 2) Passive learning: habits and behavioral styles you unintentionally absorb from people you regularly interact with or place a significant value in. 3) Education/Training: Mannerisms, actions, and behaviors you were purposefully taught. 4) Synthesized Learning: Things you think, feel, and do that combine all these influences above. *
Sales leaders must monitor their conversations to inspire, not sabotage, their salespeople. A Regional insurance VP was stunned when he heard himself in the orientation of new sales reps. He said, “People don’t like to be called on the phone.” Eek! The news sales reps just got a heavy dose of Telephobia Call Reluctance. He didn’t know he was contaminating his new reps because he disliked being called on the phone. Thank goodness he modified his behavior and conversations in future orientations.
How do you know if you experience Sales Call Reluctance?
How many new appointments are on your calendar this week?
How much money is in your bank account?
These are the two places where Call Reluctance shows up first.
Are you curious about the intensity of your Call Reluctance? Please take this complimentary online Prospecting EKG.
If you are ready to jump ahead and address your Call Reluctance, please email me about the second step to overcoming Sales Reluctance by investing in an assessment, debrief and coach call the provides proven techniques to eliminate this career-busting fear.
*Page 22 in the Psychology of Sales Call Reluctance,
Decision fatigue is when the quality of a prospect’s decisions diminishes due to mental exhaustion. It is a phenomenon studied in neuroeconomics and decision-making. Think about this:
Mental Drain is like a muscle that gets tired from overuse. The brain does too. Making decisions requires cognitive effort; this mental energy depletes after many decisions.
When suffering from decision fatigue, prospects might either avoid making further decisions, make impulsive choices, or go with the default or status quo option. This is why judges might give harsher rulings later in the day. Who wants to be #5 for dental surgery on a Friday afternoon?
This does not apply to just big decisions. The hundreds of small choices we make every day, from what to wear to what to eat, add up and lead to decision fatigue.
This is Relevant, Sales Pros. Understanding decision fatigue is crucial for 70% of the sale: Engagement and discovering the problem the prospect needs to solve.
Your prospects are humans, just like you:
We all have a Volume of Decisions to make daily, ranging from strategic choices that shape our future to immediate operational decisions.
Prospects have the Weight of Decisions. The decision and the consequence of their choices can significantly impact their employees, stakeholders,and reputation. The weight of the decisions intensifies the mental drain.
The Complexity of decisions has a wide range of factors and potential outcomes.
A Continuous Stream of Information bombards prospects with information, reports, data,and opinions. Processing and filtering this constant influx can be mentally exhausting.
Long workdays, frequent meetings, and after-hour events mean prospects rarely get enough sleep, further contributing to cognitive fatigue.
External pressures can be intense, with expectations, media scrutiny, and market pressures adding another layer of stress and urgency in decision-making.
Reflecting on my childhood, whenever I asked my father a question, he never gave a straightforward “Yes.” Instead, he’d say “We’ll see,” “Maybe,” or if he felt cornered, “Go ask your Mother.” While he was an outstanding foreman for power plant construction and adept at managing his team, his approach differed with us, his children.
How to help prospects with decision fatigue:
1. Most often, our business isn’t one of single-call transactions. A follow-up is almost always needed. Rather than being direct, and risk getting a counterfeit yes, consider asking, “Would you be against setting up our next meeting now?” Remember, a “yes” without a how means nothing.
2. For those times when you require statements, financials, or data from prospects to determine if you can assist them, change your approach. Instead of inquiring, “Would you be willing to gather your statements and send them over?” ask, “Would it be too much to ask for your statements before our next meeting?” Remember, tone matters; ensure you ask with confidence and a reassuring voice – unapologetically.
3. Refrain from pushing prospects for a “yes.” Lean into questions that invite a “no.” As Chris Voss, the former FBI hostage negotiator and author of “Never Split the Difference,” suggests, a “No” can often lead to a more open and fruitful conversation.
4. When dealing with a hesitant prospect, pose questions like, “Are you against sharing what is keeping you from moving forward?” or “Would it be absurd to suggest we meet next time with your business partner (or spouse)?”
A client recently asked me whether these techniques can be devious and manipulative.
My Answer: The ethical use of neuroscience and psychology in sales revolves around sincerity, respect (identifying the prospect’s values and rights), and genuine care for the prospect’s needs and best interests. When these principles guide your actions, not only will you foster trust, but you’ll also ensure long-lasting, positive relationships. Using these techniques manipulatively will fail. You need to have a curious mindset and a presence in your conversation.
The importance of prospecting cannot be overstated. It’s the lifeline to new opportunities, fresh leads, and potential clients. Prospecting requires salespeople to step into unpredictability – the unknown.
Many salespeople need to pay more attention to this pivotal activity. Often, the root cause is an unseen psychological barrier: Anticipatory Anxiety.
What is Anticipatory Anxiety? It is that uneasy feeling of dread or fear about a future event or situation. For salespeople, this often translates into the fear of rejection or embarrassment of reaching out to potential clients. This anxiety can manifest in various ways – from subtle procrastination to more overt avoidance behaviors.
How Does It Impact Prospecting?
When a salesperson experiences Anticipatory Anxiety, their mind is often flooded with negative scenarios:
What if they say ‘no”?
What if I say something stupid?
What if they’re not interested?
What will they think of me?
What if they ask me a question I don’t know the answer to?
These looming questions create a mental block, deterring salespeople from making the call or doing proactive outreach. Over time, this avoidance has a snowball effect. The less frequently you prospect, the more intimidating it becomes, resulting in missed opportunities and stunted sales growth.
Sales Call Reluctance is the emotional hesitation to leverage relationships, proactively prospect and promote. It is fear – which is a mental response to a “perceived” threat. Imagine a salesperson with a sack over their head. The sack serves as a self-protective barrier. What are they attempting to protect?
The Power of Specialized Coaching
There is good news! Like many challenges in sales, Anticipatory Anxiety can be overcome with the right tools and mindset. This is where a Sales Call Reluctance Coach comes into play.
Coaching to Overcome Sales Reluctance focuses on:
Identifying the Root Cause: Before addressing the specific type of reluctance, it’s essential to understand its origins. Is it past rejections? Lack of confidence in the product or service? Fear of the unknown? Pinpointing the type of reluctance tailors the solution. Telephobia is one of the 16 types of Sales Reluctance. It is one of the easiest to overcome. I did it in one morning in my office.
Cultivating Curiosity is a powerful tool: Curiosity diverts attention from internal anxious thoughts to the external world. Curiosity builds confidence to learn. When you are curious about prospects, you’re more likely to have positive and constructive conversations.
Shifting Mindset: Learn to reframe your perspective. Instead of seeing prospecting as a potential threat, it’s an opportunity – a chance to learn scientifically proven techniques on how to initiate contact with potential buyers. The miracle is in changing the mindset from self-centric to value-genic.
Role-playing and practice: Salespeople become comfortable and confident with the process by repeatedly simulating prospecting scenarios. Over time, this diminishes the anxiety associated with the unknown. Chris Voss, former FBI negotiator, famously says, “When under pressure, salespeople do not rise to the occasion; they fall to the highest level of preparation.”
Anticipatory Anxiety silently hinders your performance and potential. With awareness, understanding, and the guidance of a Master Sales Call Reluctance Coach, this invisible barrier can be dismantled. As you break free from this invisible barrier, you can unlock new levels of success, drive, and opportunity in your career.
Prospecting, a key sales aspect, demands tenacity, resilience, and a deep understanding of human psychology. One fundamental concept that holds tremendous power is the “locus of control.” This concept refers to how salespeople perceive their ability to influence the events that impact their lives. Those with an internal locus of control believe they can shape their outcomes through their efforts and actions. Conversely, those with an external locus of control feel their outcomes are influenced more by external factors, such as luck or fate.
The Influence of Locus of Control on Prospecting
Identifying and initiating contact with potential clients is a critical activity that many salespeople find daunting. A salesperson’s attitude towards prospecting can often be traced back to their locus of control.
1. Internal Locus of Control: The ProactiveProspector Salespeople with a strong internal locus of control believe their success directly results from their actions. They are typically proactive prospectors, comfortable in taking consistent action because they feel in control. They perceive prospecting as an adventure they can enter with dedication, skill and perseverance. These salespeople tend not to be discouraged by “rejection” or failure, viewing them as opportunities to learn and improve their techniques. If you find yourself feeling rejected by responses like “not interested” or “we already have a vendor,” take a moment to reflect on the story you tell yourself about the “rejection.” By recognizing that suffering begins with our own narrative, you can choose to let go, move forward, or adopt better strategies to engage prospects effectively.
2. External Locus of Control: The ReluctantProspector Salespeople with an external locus of control may feel their success depends on external factors beyond their control. This perception can lead to a reluctance to prospect. They see the process as an uphill battle dictated by luck or market conditions, making them hesitant to invest time and energy in prospecting. Consequently, they might passively wait for leads to come their way instead of proactively seeking them out. They hide, deny and suppress their reluctance and stay busy with administrative tasks, attending webinars, watching YouTube videos and scrolling through LinkedIn.
Shifting the Locus of Control for Better Prospecting As an experienced coach specializing in Overcoming Sales Call Reluctance coach, I aim to empower salespeople to harness the power of an internal locus of control, transforming even the most hesitant into confident, proactive sales generators. Sales Call Reluctance extends beyond mere phone call anxiety – it encompasses the barriers that hinder proactive prospecting in any form. It affects asking for referrals, initiating conversations, networking and more.Recognizing the broader impact of Sales Call Reluctance is vital to unlock your true sales growth potential, regardless of the communication medium.
Strategies to encourage a shift towards an internal locus of control:
Take Ownership:Take responsibility for your sales outcomes. View your outcomes as a product of your approach and effort.
Focus on Skill Development: Prospecting is a learned and refined skill. Practice, Practice, Practice. Have you ever attained mastery over anything that did not take practice?
Celebrate Effort, Not Just Results: The Hyper-Achiever salespeople live to hug the trophy, and they don’t stop to enjoy the process. This is a toughie!I know! Remember I’m a salesperson too! As Hyper-Achievers, we limit ourselves because if we can’t be sure we’ll achieve something, we rationalize and discount it and don’t challenge ourselves to step into the unknown.
Measure Your Progress. I have a simple children’s abacus on my desk, and every Monday, I start with a fresh abacus, and with every outreach, everything I do to promote my business, I move a bead. It is motivating, and we cannot manage what we do not measure.
Get Mentally Fit: A negative mind will never give you a positive life. View challenges as gifts or opportunities rather than obstacles. A positive mindset helps you feel empowered. Contrast is the differentiation between what you want and what you currently experience. It is a natural and vital part of our existence. It serves as a powerful catalyst for growth. Embrace obstacles because they help us recognize what we truly want. The clearer we get on what we want, the more we focus our energy and achieve our goals.
Celebrate the small victories along the way. When we focus on the positives and gratitude, we feel good emotionally. The more positive you feel, the more successful you’ll be.
What if you experience prospecting as an adventure and an act of service? When you genuinely believe in the value you offer, it becomes easier to prospect with confidence and conviction.Remember, 80% of the sales is centered around engagement and discovering the prospect’s needs. Embrace the power of locus of control, master your prospecting potential, and unlock new opportunities for success consistently and confidently.
Who can you connect with today to boost your momentum? Success is a momentum game, and progress fuels happiness. When thriving, seize the moment to reflect, amplify success strategies, and aim for further growth. Continual improvement leads to ultimate fulfillment. Don’t wait for setbacks to seek progress; strive daily for betterment. Seek clues daily.
Sales prospecting, like priming a pump, initiates the flow of opportunities. Starting with cold leads or new markets demands building relationships from scratch, akin to an empty pump system. The effort needed in prospecting through calls, networking and social media, mirrors the physical exertion of pump priming. Persistent prospecting creates a lead stream, just as continued pumping initiates water flow.
Sales prospecting requires adaptive strategies and troubleshooting. Patience and persistence are vital, as sustained efforts don’t guarantee immediate results and yield success. Embracing the analogy can motivate salespeople to invest in consistent prospect strategies, generating a robust pipeline.
Sales Call Reluctance is the emotional hesitation to initiate contact with potential buyers. It is a mental habit that was learned and you can unlearn it. Hundreds of salespeople have been through short-term coaching that has changed their worlds.
