So, what is phone phobia? Why do we suddenly find lots of other seemingly important jobs to do when we need to make outgoing sales calls? What causes this fear?
Having worked in sales for more than 20 years now, I still experience this feeling from time to time. I also know that it is surprisingly common and there is no logical reason for it.
We are worrying about something before it happens, which makes no sense whatsoever! How can we second guess how somebody we haven’t spoken to yet will react? And even then, what is the worst reaction we could encounter? Chances are it will just be a `no` or a slightly uncomfortable phone conversation. It won’t be the end of the world.
It’s all down to mindset and the things we tell ourselves. It is the fear of the unknown or as I like to refer to it – False Expectations Appearing Real.
To overcome this I pick up the phone and set myself goals to motivate myself to keep going. Setting small targets help to keep the focus and leads to a sense of achievement that helps spur you on.
Here are some other top tips for overcoming the FEAR or `phone phobia`
1. Power Pose – Sit up straight or stand. Imagine you are opposite the person you are calling. Smile as you talk to help release those happy hormones.
2. Be prepared – Plan any possible objections before and write down how you can overcome these. Use a script and use it to make sure you are not going off track and to avoid the `ummm` and `errr` moments.
3. Learn from experience – if a call doesn’t go according to plan, don’t beat yourself up about it. Look at where it went wrong and learn from it and pick the phone back up.
Nicky Eldridge is a business consultant with over 20 years experience in sales leadership, working for companies including Cisco and Sony.