It’s a hurdle every salesperson has to get over: learning how to cold call fearlessly. For some, it’s easier than others.
According to research, 1 in 2 salespeople are afraid to cold call. That’s why there are so many articles out there about how to beat cold call anxiety. But a lot of the advice isn’t really helpful (or realistic).
“Cut out caffeine” – yeah, we already know this probably isn’t happening. “Go for a walk” would be nice, but there are only so many breaks in a day. “Stay hydrated” is good advice in general, but doesn’t really help with anxiety.
So let’s talk about some tips that will help you get over that cold call anxiety.
1. Start early
You know when you have that one big thing on your to-do list and keep putting it off, and the dread just keeps growing? The longer you procrastinate cold-calling because you feel anxious about it, the worse that anxiety is going to be.
Do the hard part first and make your first call as early as possible in the day. That way, you can keep unnecessary stress from getting out of hand. Plus, the sooner you do it, the sooner you get it over with and can breathe a sigh of relief.
2. Think of it like a chat with a friend
Sometimes the pressure to make sure you sound “professional” can get in the way of feeling comfortable. And while of course you don’t want to be unprofessional, you can probably loosen things up a bit.
When you call up a prospect, try to imagine it like you’re calling a friend. When you treat a cold call as something more casual, it will help you loosen up. As a bonus, your more relaxed tone will probably set the prospect more at ease, too.
3. Know why you’re calling
We know, this sounds like a no-brainer. But think about it – if you feel confident in the reason for your call, then you’re less likely to get rattled. If you go into a call thinking that you’re a nuisance who’s interrupting someone’s day, then that’s going to get to you.
Reframe it for yourself: you’re calling because you have something valuable to offer that could make their job easier. And if you think they couldn’t possibly be interested, then maybe you’re not calling the right person.
4. Build a process
Sometimes when you lack motivation, what you really need is a process. If you rely on hyping yourself up before every call, you’re chasing emotions that might not always come when you need them. Instead, build up some structure around your cold-calling process so that making that call is just another step to cross off the list.
A quick example of what that process could look like:
- Build a list of prospects who are a good fit for your solution.
- Find relevant background information and contact details for prospects..
- Schedule a time to conduct x calls on your prospect list.
- Make your calls.
- Schedule follow-ups or note if no follow-up is necessary.
5. Get in your reps
When you’re building up a muscle, it’s not just the exercise that matters, but the number of reps. The more reps you do over time, the stronger the muscle and the easier it is to lift a certain weight.
Cold-calling is just another muscle. The more you do it, the less weird it feels. “Just do it” might not feel like the best advice, but trust us – the more you do it, the less you worry about it.
6. Listen to calls
The good, the bad, and the ugly – listen to a variety of cold calls to learn the do’s and don’ts. If you can record and listen back to your calls, that’s a good option, but don’t stop there. It’s also helpful to listen to coworkers’ calls or to find examples online.
As you listen to these calls, take good notes. Write down what works and what doesn’t. See if there are new techniques or phrases you can pick up and integrate into your own calls. The more you study, the more you’ll feel confident in your ability to handle it.
7. Gamify it
Another way to shift your mindset about cold-calling is to consider it a game. Ultimately, a cold call is a series of challenges: Are you talking to the right person? Is your pitch relevant to them? Are you able to help them? Can you keep them on the line long enough to figure that out? That’s the game.
That’s not the only way to gamify cold-calling. Are you a fan of RPGs? Consider thinking of yourself as a character with a different set of skills to help you give the pitch without fear of rejection.
You can also get the rest of your team in on it and start a competition. Assign point values to different outcomes (5 points for a gatekeeper conversation, 20 points to reach a decision-maker, 50 points if you get a meeting, -10 points if they hang up). If you need more motivation than just the joy of knowing you win, set up prizes, like the winner gets a free lunch.
8. Get philosophical about cosmic insignificance
This one’s a bit of a wildcard, but it might be helpful if you’re into stoicism. Ever heard of cosmic insignificance therapy? The gist of it is this: in the scheme of the infinite cosmos, our own daily problems (like making cold calls) are insignificant.
Remembering how small we are in the course of the universe isn’t a comforting thought to everyone, but having that context on occasion can be comforting. Ultimately, whether your cold call goes badly or wastes a couple minutes of someone’s day is pretty irrelevant compared to, well, everything else. It’s a bit of perspective-shifting that might help you feel free to make a few mistakes.
Cold call the right way
With so many ways to beat cold call anxiety, at least one is likely to resonate with you. Are you a just-get-it-done type or make-it-fun type?
No matter how you choose to shake off your pre-cold call jitters, you can take comfort in knowing that you’re calling the right person when you use Lusha. Our fresh, dynamic data connects you directly with decision-makers – not switchboards. If you know that you’re going to get through to the right person from the first dial, you can be at least a little less anxious about how your call will go.
The best part? You can start using Lusha for free.
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