It's 10 am. Your morning is getting away from you. You've got to get on the phone and start prospecting. You know this...yet you've been busy all morning emptying the trash, washing dishes, tidying up around the house...you know...the important things. With each chore, the battle between you and the 1000 lb phone wages in your head. You know you need to...you know you want to...but you just don't pick up that phone. Why? It's fear, plain and simple. It's the fear of being rejected and of ultimately failing. This fear is not based in reality. These fears are embedded in our brains from influences stemming back into our childhood. We didn't put them there, but we did internalize them and at some point come to believe them. These fears not only prevent us from moving forward, they rob us of our peace of mind and may even cause physical deterioration. It's imperative that we get these feelings in check. You can banish this fear of prospecting by taking steps to move yourself forward. Each time you do this, the fear will be replaced by success, and will eventually be totally eliminated because you will be building upon new feelings of pride and perseverance. You will create a new reality for yourself. Here are a few things that you can do to mentally and physically motivate yourself to move forward an conquer your fear of picking up that phone. Take care of all distractions before you sit down. Make sure that the kids are happy and the dog has been let out. Pour yourself a fresh cup of coffee. Don't make excuses about all of the things you need to do, just do what absolutely has to be finished before you can begin calling. The laundry can wait. The dishes can wait. Checking your email can wait. Visualize success on the phone. See yourself as confident, a leader in your field who is infusing every call with integrity. Imagine yourself in a flowing conversation, involved in a friendly rapport with your prospect. Hear the conversation exactly as you would want it to go. What's the worst that could happen, really? They don't like your business opportunity or product. Okay. They hang up midway through your presentation. No problem. How many ways can a person blow you off? How many ways can they decline your offer? Imagine a few of them...the hang up, the hesitant lead, the downright rude person who you wouldn't want to join your organization anyway. Imagine yourself moving on with grace and tolerance, letting those people who snub you have their opinions without it reflecting on you or your attitude in any way whatsoever. If you believe in your business, these scenarios mean nothing to you. If someone is not ready for what you have to offer, let them go. You are looking for Aces, not Jokers. No amount of mental preparation will move you forward if it is not immediately followed by action. The single most important step you can take is just picking up the phone and dialing the number. Conquer your fear. Take action immediately with no hesitation. You'll find that after you have called a few people, you begin to relax and even make a game out of it. It's like working out. Once you get to the gym, it's easy and relatively fun. It's getting in your car and driving there that's the hard part. Same thing here. Once you get going, your fine. But first you have to lift that 1000 lb telephone as if it weighs an ounce. Reach for that receiver with a smile on your face and a song in your voice. And finally, be sure to mentally congratulate yourself after each number that you dial, at least in the beginning. Remember that no matter how a call turns out, whether or not it results in a sale, each and every call is a success. It is a success because with every number that you dial...with every person you speak to, you are moving closer and closer to your goal. Each 'no' gets you closer to the next 'yes'. Come from a place of integrity and pick up that phone. Copyright 2006 Angie Hewerdine |
