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Let’s Get Real about the Cure for Sales Call Reluctance

Overpreparer

A veteran salesperson who is highly respected in his industry called last week and admitted to experiencing Sales Call Reluctance.  He knows that despite his sales success, his bank account could be much more exciting if he overcame his Sales Call Reluctance.  Because he is motivated and goal oriented and he knows his industry inside and out, we were able to get down to the nitty gritty in short order.

Sales Call Reluctance is the emotional hesitation to initiate contact with prospective buyers on a consistent basis.  Prospecting is not an intellectual exercise. It is an emotional exercise and Sales Call Reluctance is an emotional interference.

My question to him was: “When you are in your office and you reach for the phone and you stop, what is it that is causing you to stop?”  He replied slowly, “what do you mean, what causes me to stop?”  That is a normal reply of most people who experience call reluctance. They are so trapped in their fear, that they do not stop to consider what their thoughts are at that very moment.

My question to you my dear reader is:  When you reach for the phone to prospect and you stop and swing around to check email one more time, or check the stock market — in essence when you avoid prospecting — what is the thought that is causing you to stop?  Until you identify the thought or “negative intruder” you will not be able to address your call reluctance.  All the tricks, such as “think positive,” “remember your past achievements,” “relax” will not be sustainable over time.

With a little coaxing, the veteran salesman, said “I don’t know what to say.”  Yeah! Victory!  He has identified at least one negative intruder that is causing him to NOT prospect.  This is the first step in overcoming Sales Call Reluctance.

To overcome Sales Call Reluctance you have to be a realist and attack your negative intruders headon.

Write down your negative intruders.  Your freedom is in capturing them on paper.  Then you can do something about them.

My goal as a coach/trainer for salespeople is NOT to have you LOVE prospecting.  The goal is to get you neutral about prospecting.  When you get neutral, not hating it or loving it — you are well on your way to consistent prospecting that will produce sales results.

Overpreparer

A veteran salesperson who is highly respected in his industry called last week and admitted to experiencing Sales Call Reluctance.  He knows that despite his sales success, his bank account could be much more exciting if he overcame his Sales Call Reluctance.  Because he is motivated and goal oriented and he knows his industry inside and out, we were able to get down to the nitty gritty in short order.

Sales Call Reluctance is the emotional hesitation to initiate contact with prospective buyers on a consistent basis.  Prospecting is not an intellectual exercise. It is an emotional exercise and Sales Call Reluctance is an emotional interference.

My question to him was: “When you are in your office and you reach for the phone and you stop, what is it that is causing you to stop?”  He replied slowly, “what do you mean, what causes me to stop?”  That is a normal reply of most people who experience call reluctance. They are so trapped in their fear, that they do not stop to consider what their thoughts are at that very moment.

My question to you my dear reader is:  When you reach for the phone to prospect and you stop and swing around to check email one more time, or check the stock market — in essence when you avoid prospecting — what is the thought that is causing you to stop?  Until you identify the thought or “negative intruder” you will not be able to address your call reluctance.  All the tricks, such as “think positive,” “remember your past achievements,” “relax” will not be sustainable over time.

With a little coaxing, the veteran salesman, said “I don’t know what to say.”  Yeah! Victory!  He has identified at least one negative intruder that is causing him to NOT prospect.  This is the first step in overcoming Sales Call Reluctance.

To overcome Sales Call Reluctance you have to be a realist and attack your negative intruders headon.

Write down your negative intruders.  Your freedom is in capturing them on paper.  Then you can do something about them.

My goal as a coach/trainer for salespeople is NOT to have you LOVE prospecting.  The goal is to get you neutral about prospecting.  When you get neutral, not hating it or loving it — you are well on your way to consistent prospecting that will produce sales results.