Ditch The Fear

    Let's say that you make 650 well researched and prepared sales calls per month and out of those 650 you receive 455 outright rejections.  How would you rate your performance?
The truth is that if you sustained those numbers for your entire hitting career in major league baseball, you would likely be a candidate for the Hall of Fame.  You see that is a .300 batting average in the big leagues.And in the "big leagues" you are!  Because what you do daily is how you earn a living to support your family just like MOST big league baseball players do!
    Overcoming fear is a part of life.  I remember in my high school playing days facing one of our very own pitchers who was a fast-baller with a wild streak.  He hit me four times in the ribs during that practice last time cracking one. I saw him years later at a reunion and that was the first thing he mentioned after I spoke to him. He was surprised I did!! LOL Was I afraid for a time about stepping in against a lefty who was a little wild? You bet! I loved the game enough to hang in there.
    Sales folks who make their living talking to people on the phone often develop a phobia that causes them not to want to pick up the phone and make that necessary call or as I characterize it that necessary investment on their business which is finding new customers.
    What you need to understand, though, is that you may fear calling because you have probably been exposed to traditional selling approaches, which triggers rejection.  It goes like this: introduce yourself, explain what you do, suggest a benefit to the potential client...and then close your eyes and pray that they won't reply with "Sorry, not interested" or "Sorry, I'm busy." Unfortunately if you use this approach you are likely hearing this many more times than necessary.
  Let go of the traditional and embrace the natural is my advice.  Talk to them in normal language which is precipitated by your thoughts not a scripted litany of boredom.
    How would I do that, Sensei, you say?
    Like this caterpillar:
    Ask your current customers what issues doing business with you has solved for them.  I am betting they are the same issues most of the people shipping and receiving freight have. Now use that as your conversational hub when you are talking to potential customers.  You are now thinking about things from the prospects side of the equation and not your side.  You take the focus off you and put it on who it should be on:  Your potential customer on the other end of the line.
    You change what you think and you change what comes out of your mouth.

GIGO,
Dan