Conquering Call Reluctance
From behavioral scientist
and call reluctance expert
George Dudley.
Acknowledgment is a major step toward recovery, but
it’s not an easy move.
o Denial is the most frequent companion of call
reluctance
o The problem is sometimes hard to identify.
Admit that you o Salespeople “typically know something is wrong, but
have call they may not know what it is,”
o
reluctance.
Many who do know they are experiencing sales call
reluctance don’t feel secure admitting it, because
many sales organizations tend to feature cultlike,
unrealistic emphasis on maintaining a positive
attitude.
Determine your o Clearly and specifically identifying your fears or
negative thoughts.
call reluctance o Tackle them head-on, one at a time.
type o Curbing call reluctance is like breaking a bad habit.
o
o
Adopt
appropriate
countermeasures
o
o
Follow up
o Keep
plugging
Make calls.
o
Token reward
systems may be
useful
Relaxation
techniques may
help
Thought Zapping
Place a rubber band around your
wrist. When a negative thought
intrudes, you snap the rubber
band sharply
o Immediately conjure up a positive
mental image of yourself
o
Taming call reluctance is work
It may take continuous effort.
“Don’t confuse a change in your outlook with a
change in the number of contacts you initiate with
prospective buyers.”
Call reluctance may actually be a sign of commitment
to selling.
“Salespeople who are not motivated or goal-focused
can never be considered call reluctant,” says Dudley.
Salespeople with authentic call reluctance care very
much about meeting prospecting goals.
“You simply cannot be reluctant to get something
you don’t want in the first place.”