If you’re in sales, you might notice a certain reluctance in yourself to pick up the phone and call prospects. Maybe you procrastinate on this to-do list item. Perhaps your perfectionism kicks in and you over-prepare, or maybe you have full-on fear responses. How can you overcome this sales call reluctance and develop an enthusiasm for going after new clients? We spoke with Wally Bressler to find out. He shares how he got past this hurdle and the five-step process he teaches others so they can do the same.
To learn how you can stop feeling sales call reluctant, watch our podcast with Wally Bressler:
Wally Bressler is an energetic life and business coach who specializes in phone sales skills mastery and helping sales people overcome call reluctance. With 26 years of sales experience and 20 years of life and business coaching, he is able to bring a variety of perspectives and strategies to business owners and salespeople to help them improve their enterprises as well as themselves. He specializes in business optimization, lead generation and conversion, phone sales skills mastery, overcoming sales call reluctance, strategic planning, NLP, and direct response copywriting. He is passionate about helping salespeople create the business and life of their dreams by improving their mindsets and skillsets.
We start our conversation with how Wall decided to become a life and business coach, and why he specifically focuses on phone sales skills. He shares his backstory, including the setbacks he faced and the realization that he could achieve more if he changed this one hurdle holding him back.
What is sales call reluctance? Essentially, it’s a fear of contacting prospects. This can manifest as avoidance of it, or at least nervousness when you do have to make the call. Some telltale signs that you are sales call reluctant include the physical stress responses: sweaty palms, jittery hands, butterflies in the stomach, feeling lightheaded. However, over-preparing can be a sign, too. Perhaps you feel compelled to have a script ready, and perfectionism delays making the calls. Alternately, you may block the call out entirely, choosing not to think about it or prepare in advance.
What might cause someone to become sales call reluctant? As Wally describes, it often comes from hidden identities we’ve created over the course of our lives, often dating back to childhood. When you pick up the phone, you might fear what the person on the other end will say. Will they react with rejection of you? Maybe you’ll be embarrassed, maybe they won’t like you, maybe they’ll even become angry and yell at you. These negative beliefs of what could happen may be rooted in traumas you’ve had, like being bullied or abused. We then avoid those things at all cost, not wanting to be hurt. It’s natural to respond with fight or flight, and if you – like Wally – respond with flight, that can result in sales call reluctance.
Perhaps you recognize the signs of sales call reluctance in you. How can you overcome it? Luckily, Wally has a five-step process that can work for you. The first step is awareness, and discovering the source of your sales call reluctance. Wally offers a great tip for how to figure that out. Tune into the podcast to learn the next four steps to take after that first one!
Now, you might wonder: Can anyone overcome sales call reluctance? Can you? Of course you can! Wally shares why on our podcast. We end our discussion with the tangible and intangible skills a salesperson must possess to master the sales process. Even if you don’t have those skills yet, you can develop them and see your sales success grow.
Listen to our podcast with Wally below to find out how you can overcomes sales call reluctance:
To learn more about Wally Bressler, visit his official website here. You can also follow Wally on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Business Owners & Entrepreneurs hire Petite2Queen to ignite winning sales, because most fail to connect, capture, and close their ideal clients. So we help sell with intent for maximum impact, influence, and income.
Bottom line: Sales, love it or hate it, you won’t survive without it.
Comments 1
Overcoming this common fear is an important skill for people in all types of industries, especially now that so much business is conducted virtually rather than face-to-face. Taking the first step means identifying why you’re hesitant to pick up the phone, so self-reflection is important. Being comfortable on sales conversations will greatly improve your results.