Business Consultant Nevada

Top Three Reasons Cold Calling is Hard

I have spent decades working with sales teams and I have made tens of thousands of cold calls. Throughout these years of experience, I have found that there are several things that stop people from making the cold calls necessary to grow their overall sales numbers. Today I want to share with you my top three reasons that cold calling is hard as well as how you can overcome them.

Reason 1: The Fear of Rejection
“No” is a hard pill to swallow and for 94% of us we stop stop after getting our first no. Whether it’s a “no” from the gatekeeper or even from the decision maker, it can be hard to recover from that feeling of being rejected. What you have to know is that the vast majority of your cold calling efforts are going to end in “no” and that is NOT a bad thing. The key to overcoming this one is to accept the reality that somewhere around 90% of the cold calls you make will go nowhere. Once you accept this fact, you can push through that 90% with confidence in search of that 10%!

Reason 2: Excuses
Over the years I have worked with many people on improving their cold calling and one thing stands out that they all do; they all spend an extraordinary amount of time preparing to make their call. While it is good to know the name of the company or person that you are calling, there is nothing else that you need to prepare! Some of the more common ones I have heard are things like:

  • Let me make sure I have the right notebook and pen ready.
  • I better go to the bathroom and get a cup of coffee because once I start I am not getting up.
  • I better research every page of their website to make sure that this is a qualified lead.
  • I better make sure there aren’t any important emails before I get started.

Don’t let excuses get in your way of making your calls. Just pick up the phone and start dialing!

Reason 3: Mindset
In one sense, your mindset can encompass the first two reasons, but it’s important enough to have its own. Your mind is powerful and can amplify your sentiments so it is important to keep yourself on the right train of thought. Tell yourself things like: “Every no is closer to a yes” and “This next one is going to be a yes”. This process of “failing forward” will keep your head in the right place through all of the noes. Since potential clients can hear and sense your demeanor over the phone, it’s crucial that you believe in yourself and take control or your mindset!

If you are on the lookout for these top three reasons that cold calling is hard, I guarantee you will increase your productivity. Do not wait for the perfect moment because it usually does not exist and there will always be some sort of obstacle standing in your way. Fail forward! The faster you dive into failing in a constructive manner, the better off you will be.

In my next blog I will explain how I use my 10 before 10 method every morning to help move me closer to my weekly goals for cold calling.