I will happily get up and speak for an hour or more in front of two hundred or more people, facilitate a question and answer session and ensure everyone has a great time and takes away something that they can do to make a change in their life. I have found writing a book a comparatively easy task, so much so that I will be starting on Book 2 as soon as the first book is out.
Now, wouldn’t you think that someone who can speak in front of a large audience would be able to pick up the phone and introduce themselves to someone really easily? Well, I have news for you. Using the telephone – specifically picking up the phone and ‘cold-calling’ someone is my greatest fear. I know I have to address this fear if I am going to run my business successfully, but where do I get help from?
When I was looking to improve my public speaking skills in 2003 I joined Toastmasters International. I get so much more out of that organisation than I ever bargained for, and I know I will remain a member for the rest of my life. When I wanted to improve my physical fitness, I joined the gym around the corner from my home, and I go there for an hour nearly every day, with the result that at nearly 55, I am fitter and healthier than I have ever been. When I decided to quit smoking, I ‘just did it’ – no patches, no pills.
So, my question is: What do I do to overcome my fear of the phone? Is there any help available? I have set myself a target of making some calls this week, and I know I have to – but see, here I am writing a blog post about it instead of getting on with it! Maybe I need to be accountable to someone other than myself. What do you think? How have you conquered fears in the past?
I know what you mean about the fear of the phone. Your mouth goes dry, your heart races and suddenly there’s a whole lot of something much more important to do! I admire salespeople who can do the cold-calling, I could never do it myself. I suppose one way to get over it is before you make each call, tell yourself that this is the one that says ‘yes.’ You could break the task up into chunks. If you have 20 calls to make, do 5, take a break, make a cuppa, have a walk, then make the next 5 and so on. Good luck!
Thank you Vanessa – I will put your advice to use tomorrow, because I have decided that tomorrow is Do-Day! 🙂
Hi Graham, just wondering if your dread is based on your own experience of phone salespeople. I hate phone calls from salespeople trying to persuade me that their product or service is necessary or better. I want time to read about it and think about it, should I be interested. So my automatic reponse is no, even if the caller might possibly have something beneficial. . Send me an email, guide me to a website, send me a glossy brochure, but don’t ring me.
Thank you Karen – that’s very useful. I have come to the conclusion that being pushy doesn’t work for me. People are more likely to hire me after hearing me speak or reading my book, which will be out in a few weeks!
Graham, I think in some cases we are afraid of being rejected. This is easier to have happen with a phone call, than face-to-face. At the risk of being totally facetious I can guarantee from experience that as you get older you are less vulnerable to this fear.(<;.
Thanks Gordon – I will put that theory to the test once I have passed my 55th. birthday next week 🙂