How to overcome the fear of making a phone-call

We spend almost every waking moment on the phone. We're onthe phone in the car and in the grocery store, sitting inmeetings and standing in line, at ball games and concerts.We cannot tolerate being out of the loop or spending timequietly with ourselves. Yet the cry continues from smallbusiness owners, sales associates, and customer servicerepresentatives that they hate to make calls.

Here are a few of their reasons and a suggestion of how toovercome the fear.

The fear of being rejected- With so many sales gurus outthere, we really believe that the buyer has to say NO sixtimes before they will buy. Their great plan is for us tomake so many calls that we have to average a couple ofYes's a day.

The fear of being interrupted- Nothing has impacted how wetreat sales calls more than the telemarketing industry. Thenumber one complaint I hear is that they want to read theentire script, with appropriate pauses for emphasis,without taking a breath. Interrupting them will only makethem start over.

So don't read to your prospects. You don't get interruptedin a conversation. Get the buyer involved in the dialogueearly. And don't think those cleverly crafted questionsthat can only be answered YES count. Identify the realdecision maker, the need, the timing, and the budget bysharing information. Give your prospect permission to addto the conversation. When you aren't doing all the talking,you may find time to listen. Remember, though, listening ismore than waiting for your turn to talk.

The fear of seeming unorganized- Do you dial a numberwithout having the file open on your computer or on yourdesk? Have you taken a moment to familiarize yourself withthe account, the last purchase, or the last requestedaction? If there was a previous misunderstanding or error,have you verified the outcome and the customer'ssatisfaction?

The person who makes the call controls the call. Don't askprospects to call you back. They may catch you at aninopportune time when your mind is on something else. Youmay not be able to fight back the urge to put them on holdwhile you locate the information that you were callingabout earlier. Or worse, you could confuse them withanother buyer. Organize your thoughts and informationbefore the contact is made.

The fear of not knowing the answer- No one has to knoweverything about everything. Have you ever watched acomputer genius? There is more button pushing and screenhopping and cable repositioning than one can bear to watch.Afterwards, I don't have any idea what he did and I'm notsure that he does, either. But now it works.

You have permission to learn something new every day. Howyou stall for time is what separates the professionals fromthe fearfuls. "That's a good question. Do you have a minuteto hold while I verify that for you?" "I may need toresearch that. Are you able to hold or may I call youback?" "No one has ever asked me that before. Would yougive me the opportunity to look into this on your behalf?"Prospects, customers, patients, and clients would muchrather give you time to check on their questions than haveyou simply hazard a guess. Know It All - not at all.

The fear of taking it personally- Do you think thatproblems go away if you ignore them? Recently, I arrived toview the proofs of our family photographs. The clerkgreeted me with, "They're not in, yet." What do you meanthey are not in? This is my appointed time. "Well, theywere held up yesterday and they're not in, yet. It isn't myfault." When did you know the pictures were going to belate? "Yesterday, but I was still hoping they'd be here.Yours aren't the only ones. Is there a number I can callwhen they get in?" Wouldn't yesterday have been theappropriate time to make the call?

No one wants to be the bearer of bad news. However, lettingthe customer know what is happening and what you're doingabout it before it becomes an inconvenience gets you hugepayback in loyalty.