like most aging curmudgeons I often wonder and sometimes worry about the younger generation and what will happen when they are "running things" . The cultural phenomenon of "stranger-danger", where parents are terrified to leave their kids alone practically until they are college age combined with Social media and mobile devices turning kids into eye-less, faceless drones (the zombie apocalypse is here and its facilitator is the smart phone) has created a socially toxic environment where even the most basic phone call can seem intrusive or at best, awkward
But I digress: Lets just say, that people are clearly uncomfortable talking to strangers and this is probably getting worse not better. Obviously the selling professional not only needs to talk to strangers often but he or she needs to do so in a manner that conveys confidence and professionalism that inspires both comfort and respect from the prospect. And never is this more true than in cold-calling.
So, how do you overcome the fear of an uncomfortable talk with a stranger while sounding natural, relaxed and confident and deserving of their interest and attention? The, unfortunately unsatisfying, answer is "practice" - You need to get to a place where you have no emotional connection to the outcome of the call but not come across as some kind of cold automaton. You need to be a detective trying to figure out if the call is worth-while and the prospect is qualified while at the same time qualifying yourself to them by sounding credible.....Like I said: Practice!
A few pointers to make this practice go smoother:
1) Start low: If your most uncomfortable talking to the "decision-maker" level start with mid and lower level people. They will probably tell you that the are the wrong person to talk to - assure them that you are ok with this and are really interested in their opinion - You may be surprised at how much good information you can glean about your target company while getting comfortable with the ebb and flow of a low-pressure low level conversation.
2) Stand up: Simple - stand up on your call. You may be surprised how standing and allowing your body to move while talking actually allows you to relax and sound looser and more confident on the phone.
3) Its a game: Try and understand this truth. It may be a high-stakes game but it is still a game none the less. Try and not take yourself or your prospect/stranger too seriously - After tens of thousands of cold calls i can truly say that on the rare occation that someone is nasty or curt with me on the phone I find it more of an amusing break than an uncomfortable confrontation. Remember that it is the grand-total of all of your work over a period of time that will either bring you success or failure, one phone call is meaningless.
4) Don't stop: Set a goal for the amount of calls (dials) or the amount of time you will be making calls and stick to it. Over time your anxiety will shrink and you will be far better able to focus on the conversation and what your prospect is saying.
5) Its a numbers game: This is still as true as it always has been and goes double if you are at all suffering with call anxiety - Make more calls.