You carry your phone with you everywhere these days. You can connect anytime, to anyone, anywhere. But have you noticed that the moment you pick up the phone to talk business that certain feelings arise?
Clients have described feeling nervous, anxious, worried; even nauseous. Some have gone so far as to say that the notion of making calls brings on a sweat akin to terror!
With feelings like that, no wonder no one wants to make the calls necessary for the success they desire!
If you need to make calls as part of your job or business, I’d like to offer you a new mindset, along with a few tips, to help you feel good when you pick up that phone.
Step 1, Change Your Mind
How do you think of the person on the other end of the line? Are you afraid of what they might think of you?
What if I told you that a person can feel what you’re thinking, feeling and even seeing in your mind the moment they answer your call?
If that’s true, what are you saying and showing them? Fear? Worry? Doubt?
If you feel scared, the person answering the phone will pick up on it and feel scared too. And what does a frightened person do? They resist, they defend, they avoid.
Here’s a little secret. You can use that knowledge to change how you feel, how you come across, and how your prospect feels.
When you stay present to the fear you feel, the fear a prospect might feel, you can take a few extra moments to get centered. You can reconnect to courage, to a deeper intention to serve. You can, before you even pick up the phone commit to your phone call serving a higher purpose; connection, service, value, even learning.
When a call can mean more than “accept” or “reject” all kinds of magic can happen.
Someone may not be “a sale” but instead proves to be a resource, or someone who refers. You can be a gift to each person you speak to. Each person you speak to can have a gift for you.
Making your calls can become more than “hitting your numbers”. It can become investing in the long term success of your business and community.
Step 2, Connect Your Heart
When you care about others, the product you offer, the service you provide, people feel that. They can get to know, like, and trust someone who cares. And caring starts in the heart, not the head.
This is good news for people who think they “care too much” or “feel too much” to be any good at making calls. It’s not true.
People who care can put themselves in the prospects shoes and help them feel more comfortable. This allows the prospect the space to say “yes”, “no” or “not just yet”. This keeps an avenue open for future possibilities and referrals.
Step 3, Get Your Body Involved
Stand up. Changing your body posture can change your mind, your attitude, even your confidence. Those on the other end of the phone will feel the difference in your voice and in your energy.
Making A Call is A Window Into A World of Relationships
I know we’re often taught making calls is a “numbers game” but I haven’t found that to be true. I find this idea is a set-up to feel bad or insecure about your results.
The best sales people will tell you, sales come by creating and nurturing relationships. Relationships don’t happen through logic and will; through chasing, racing, grinding or toughing it out.
Relationships happen through trust; courtesy, listening, caring, curiosity, doing what you say you’re going to do.
This doesn’t have to take huge blocks of time. It’s an “inside job”. When you feel clear about your intention, connected and confident, and your words and actions are in alignment, making calls can be rewarding and fun!
Still don’t believe me? Willing to take a day and try out something new? I’d love to have you join me, Monday, October 26th for a very unusual day of making calls. Overcome the Terror of Cold Calling, a one day bootcamp includes information, support and three rounds of calls, debriefs, and process tweaks to help you change the way you think, feel and act when making calls.
Want to share? I’d love to hear how you make calls more fun, connecting and rewarding. Simply comment below!