How to Make Cold Calls When You Are Anxious

How to Make Cold Calls When You Are Anxious Social Anxiety Disorder Coping Print How to Make Cold Calls When You Are Anxious By Arlin Cuncic Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of Therapy in Focus: What to Expect from CBT for Social Anxiety Disorder and 7 Weeks to Reduce Anxiety. Learn about our editorial policy Arlin Cuncic Updated on July 16, 2019 Social Anxiety Disorder Overview Symptoms & Diagnosis Causes Treatment Living With In Children Getty / Cultura RM / Daniel Allen How do you make cold calls when you are socially anxious? Cold calling anxiety is the fear experienced by salespeople before and during calls to clients with whom they have never spoken. Research shows that 40 percent of salespeople will experience intense anxiety about making cold calls at some point in their careers. How to Make Cold Calls For those with social anxiety disorder (SAD), many aspects of being a salesperson can have the potential to trigger anxietyâ€"and cold calling may be one of the most difficult. The combination of negative self-evaluations with potential negative reactions from clients can cause anxiety. Below are some tips to help you cope with this aspect of sales. Have an Outline Although you may be tempted to read directly from a script, it is better to have a general outline to which you can refer. Reading from a script detaches you from the content of what you are saying and allows your mind to wander. The person on the other end can also usually tell if you are reading from a script, and you may come across as less genuine. Do Your Research   Before you pick up the phone, make sure that you know the name of the person and company that you are calling, and how to pronounce both. Study the needs of the potential customer and how you can meet them. Be clear in your own mind what your goal is before you call. This will allow you to guide the conversation more easily. Be Positive If you are anxious about phone calls in general, try acting as though you arent afraid. Sit straight as you talk, put a smile on your face, and speak as confidently as you can. As long as you have put in the time to properly prepare, there isnt any reason why you cant fake it til you make it. Eventually, your confidence will grow with experience. How Self-Esteem Affects Social Anxiety Disorder Practice Practice what you are going to say, record yourself speaking, listen to the recording, and then make changes based on what you hear. If you dont think you are objective enough, ask someone whom you trust to give you feedback. Doing this exercise will help you to identify aspects of your communication style that may need tweaking, such as how fast you speak or the volume of your voice. 9 Tips to Use Your Best Voice When You Have Social Anxiety Take Notes As much as possible, take notes during your conversation. This will help you to avoid slipping into negative thought patterns and to  focus on what the other person is saying. It will also give you a written record of what was said that you can refer to in future conversations. Research on Cold Calls In a study conducted by the Keller Center at Baylor University, 50 real estate agents from across the United States made 6,264 cold calls. Of those calls, 72 percent were not answered or were wrong numbers. Of the 28 percent of the calls that were answered, on average only 1 out of 59 people agreed to set up an appointment with an agent. Finally, the best time to make phone calls was between 10 am and 2 pm.What do these findings mean for you?Two out of three calls are likely to go unanswered, so think of those dead calls  as chances to catch your breath in between talking to potential clients or customers.If you get a lot of nos in a row, remember that this  is normal and to be expected. You will need to make a large volume of calls to find an interested customerâ€"that is the nature of cold calling and not a reflection on your sales ability. For some inspiration, watch the movie The Pursuit of Happyness with Will Smith and see how much effort he puts into his cold calling.If you hav e a choice of timing, call sometime between mid-morning and mid-afternoon. While it isnt clear why this is the best time to make phone calls, its likely that you are not catching people during their morning catch-up or afternoon crunch. Alternatives to Cold Calls If cold calls just dont seem to be working for you, see if there is a better approach that you can suggest to your supervisor. Many organizations are moving away from cold calls because they are less effective than following up with existing customers and interested leads. 10 Best Jobs for People With Social Anxiety Disorder A Word From Verywell Finally, if your social anxiety is severe to the point that it is hampering your performance at work, and you havent already been assessed for social anxiety disorder, it may be time to seek professional advice. SAD is a treatable condition, and fears of tasks such as making phone calls can be overcome through treatment such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).