I am terrified of cold calling prospects. What mindset do I need to get past my discomfort? I want to succeed.

Question

I am a financial advisor with a really great firm. The name of the game is contunuious prospecting. I think my self-esteem gets in the way....it is low, always has been.

Answer 1

Practice makes perfect.

Practice with someone on a daily basis and youll be good at it in no time!

1] never back -down when some gets rude YOU act calm and do your job, beign polite also. If they cut off it aint your fault.

2] If it helps keep your fingers busy - twist / twiddle something in your hands / with your fingers like a paper clip or pencil or something.

Answer 2

i do this all day long,i know when a telemarketer calls me

and asks for me by my first name its a turn off.

in your field its all in the strength of your convictions,your

voice mannerism must come off in such a way that they

prospective client is made to feel that what your offering

is the best thing since sliced bread, and yes there's a lot

of sliced bread out there,but yours is the best because

of the special ingredients  YOU use, unlike the competitions.

Pretend as your dialing that number that your just going to call a good friend that you want to help. You have to beleive

that what you have is what they really need, but they just don't know it yet, its your job to convince them....You need a sure

attitude...it comes across very loud, when you don't sound

as though you beleive it yourself......You have to make them think they would be totally foolish if they didn't take advantage of what You are offering......GOOD LUCK.

Answer 3

I do this alot for my business. the best tactic i have found is too ask for the person you need to speak too like you know them very well instead of saying is mr. so and so there say can i speak to michael please. "never let on to the fact you are cold calling until you get the person you are trying to reach.

Then right off the bat call them by their first name "more personal" and tell them righ off that you are jane doe and you are cold calling them today. "this takes away from the initial shock of you being a cold-caller and gets you right down to your sales pitch.

I hope these help

Answer 4

You should be nervous. No one likes cold callers as they are nearly always intruding on our time with stuff we don't want or need. You've got a tough job ahead of you and it won't earn you any friends. To get past this you need the mindset that will allow you not to care about annoying other people. You need an attitude that lets you intrude on peoples valuable time with the belief that they should listen to you. In short you need to be inconsiderate and insensitive. If you have low self esteem get ready for a battering as people can be very abusive to cold callers. Perhaps you should do something else. Would that be so bad?

These people that tell you to call them by name or to act as if you know the person or to withhold telling them that is a cold call are leading you down a dangerous path as there are some people who will see this as hard sell tactics designed to con them. This will only make tham react worse to you. I know I wouldn't like it. Would you. These tactics insult the intelligence of the person and they will spot this and be angry.

Answer 5

It's okay to be nervous or shy when calling -- people like genuine people anyway.  The key is to do it anyway.  It might help to remember that you're not pushing something on them (at least, hopefully you're not) but introducing yourself as an option; also, be respectful of the person. -- ask if it's a good time to talk, keep your introduction very brief, allow them to have the option to say no (you want to focus on people who are interested rather than forcing people to listen).  

Some good resources that might help: Salesguy.org publishes lists of prospecting resources and has some good books about prospecting and cold calling that might help; I found the book Pursuit of Happyness motivational -- there isn't a ton of sales advice (some) but is a good reminder that if you stick with it good things can happen.