The daunting task of picking up the phone and actually calling someone can be frightening to some, heck it may even be terrifying. But, why let your nerves get the best of you? Eliminating anxiety is a common problem for salespeople who are faced with budgets, pricing, legal, marketing, and a slew of other things.
How can you conquer your anxiety and become the sales superstar you were born to be?
1. Be the man (or woman) with the plan
Preparation is a key element to creating and developing essential conversations that will enhance your deal flow. The best types of conversations are organized into parts so that the listener can fully comprehend the material being presented. This gives both parties the opportunity to fully take in the material being presented.
How should you start this plan? Make a list of the questions you need to answer. A great way to do this is to have a series of questions which lead into another; a domino effect. One question like “What kind of challenges do you face with your sellers?” may lead into “How often is this challenge faced?”. Soon enough you will have all the answers to the questions you need to know.
2. Breathe!
Well you should already be doing that, but incase you’re convinced otherwise this can have a major impact on your voice tonality while over the phone. Relieving your shoulder muscles and clearing your throat is vital to ensure you get off on the right note.
Hesitation in your voice will lead to hesitation from your prospect. This could lead to early warning signs and red flags to why your prospect may not want to further the conversation with you. Your confidence is vital towards grabbing their attention and closing sales!
3. Make a Case & Point
Identify why you’re contacting them for this sales call. Validating this will help ease awkward introductions and follow-ups. Some questions you may want to ask yourself are: Where are they in my sales pipeline? Am I nurturing them through the sales funnel? How am I building next steps into my call? This will help remind both the prospect and yourself of why this conversation was initially started.
But what is the point you are trying to make? The point is to get your message across, effectively. By asking yourself the questions mentioned earlier, you can identify material, tactics, and strategies for them depending on where they are throughout the sales funnel. Your sales funnel will help identify next step solutions for a prospect.
4. Bring in the Backup
When the going gets tough, it’s time to call in backup. You may want to bring your Sales Manager in or a coworker who would be willing to help you out in a jam, in order to make delicious jelly of the situation. Having a “3rd wheel” to fall back on absolutely makes sense for both parties. A coworker on a call could provide reassurance, and further explain some parts of the product you may not fully understand. From the prospect’s point of view, it shows them you are really interested in their business and encourages mutual engagement towards finding a solution that best fits.
Follow some of these tips and you’ll be sure to conquer your anxiety and get to sales superstar status in no time! How do you eliminate your sales call anxiety? Please leave a comment below!
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