Cold calling anxiety is a very real thing.
We see it every day on our training courses, with many delegates lacking not so much the ability to sell as the ability to communicate effectively over the phone.
And because they can’t get their points across well, they are more often met with a rejection. This creates a negative feedback loop:
You make a cold call. You struggle. Your prospect hangs up or gives a flat-out rejection. Your confidence is knocked. Repeat.
With each call, your sales targets seem further and further out of reach. After a while, it’s no surprise that many develop a fear of cold calling.
If this sounds like you, or a member of your team, then read on. We’re going to explain how you can overcome that fear, leaning on our 20+ years of experience delivering cold calling training.
Are We Getting Worse At Phone Calls?
Smartphones have changed human lives forever. They’ve changed the way we capture our experiences with the world – from photos and videos to voice notes and reels.
They’ve changed how we share those experiences with friends, how we eat (Deliveroo, anyone?), how we travel, and even how we pay for things.
But more than anything, smartphones have changed how we communicate with everyone and everything; with friends and family, colleagues, and business contacts.
Instant messaging applications like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger now connect billions of people each day, allowing for lightning-quick, free communication across different timezones and countries. But has this increased reliance on text-based communication stifled our ability, or desire, to hold actual verbal conversations over the phone?
Studies would suggest that the answer is a resounding ‘yes’. Uswitch found that a quarter (23%) of 18 to 34-year-olds say they never answer calls.
It makes sense. If you’re a millennial or Gen-Z, you’ve likely grown up with written communication as standard in your personal life. It’s what you’re used to.
But it means that you may not be as comfortable holding a conversation on the phone. And if you have a role that requires lots of calling, that’s going to have a knock-on effect.
So what can you do about it?
How To Get Over Your Fear Of Cold Calling
Overcoming the fear of cold calling starts with understanding that sales and telephone communications are skills, not innate talents. Just like any skill, they can be improved with preparation, practice, and the right mindset.
So, here are 9 actionable steps to help you gain confidence, reduce anxiety, and overcome your cold calling fears.
Step 1: Meditate & Practice Mindfulness
The thing about fear, and we mean any fear, is that it’s often just your mind running away with anxious thoughts about what could go wrong (if you haven’t seen it already, Inside Out 2 shows this brilliantly).
With the right tools, you can stop fear in its tracks. This is where meditation comes in. Incorporating mindfulness and meditation into your daily routine can significantly reduce stress and help you control your emotions.
Even just five minutes of meditation before starting your cold calls could help you feel more composed.
There are plenty of great meditation guides, apps and videos out there, but here are a few general tips:
- Focus on the present: Instead of worrying about the outcome of a call or ruminating on a past rejection, bring your attention to the present. Concentrate on your breathing or the sensations in your body to ground yourself.
- Use guided meditation apps: Headspace or Calm are the big two. They offer quick meditation sessions designed to alleviate anxiety and build focus.
- Practice gratitude: Before you start calling, take a moment to reflect on three things you’re grateful for. This simple practice can shift your mindset and put you in a positive frame of mind.
- Breathe: Nerves can cause your heart rate to spike, making you feel flustered. So just before dialling, take a moment to focus on your breathing. Slow, deep breaths will help calm your mind.
Step 2: Reframe Your Mindset
It’s natural to fear rejection, but you can reframe how you view it. Instead of seeing a “no” as a failure, see it as a learning opportunity and a step closer to finding the right customer.
Approach each call with the same curiosity and willingness to learn that a scientist would for a laboratory test. In any test, there are certain variables you can control (your script, your tone, the questions you ask, etc), but there are other variables you can’t control (e.g. the prospect’s circumstances).
If a call ends in a “no”, review what happened afterwards:
- Was it down to a variable you can’t control? If so, there’s no point fretting about it.
- Was it down to a variable you can control? If so, you know what to work on.
Step 3: Prepare Thoroughly
One of the main reasons for cold calling anxiety is feeling unprepared. To counter this, invest time in understanding who you’re calling and why. Research the company, identify the decision-maker, and tailor your pitch to address their potential pain points.
When you know your audience and the value you bring, you’ll feel much more confident about initiating the conversation. Plus, preparing properly could help you turn a cold call into a warm call, where success rates are much higher.
Step 4: Learn A Script
Well-crafted cold calling scripts give you a structure to keep your conversation on track.
You can learn how to create a successful script with our guide, but here’s the key thing: learn your script well enough so that you’re confident playing around with it. To the point where you could go off on a tangent, but circle back round with ease.
This is key. If you just deliver a set script word–for–word, you’ll sound like a robot. And robotic delivery is a sales killer – at best, your prospect thinks you hate your job, but at worst, they think you’re a spam caller.
Instead, focus on the flow and adapt to the conversation. A strong script acts as a safety net, reducing the pressure of thinking on your feet and allowing you to focus on building rapport with your prospect.
Step 5: Practice Role Plays
Practice makes perfect, remember?
Role-playing with a colleague or mentor is one of the most effective ways to overcome anxiety. Simulate real-life scenarios, such as handling objections or pitching to a sceptical prospect. This helps you prepare for different situations and gain feedback on your tone, delivery, and choice of words. The more you practice, the more natural these conversations will feel.
It may feel a little silly roleplaying a call or you might feel nervous asking a colleague to help, but consider this: if you can’t practice a cold call with someone you know, how can you expect to do the real thing with someone you don’t?
Step 6: Record Yourself
The more practice, the better. And sometimes, the best (and harshest) critic is yourself.
So why not record yourself in private?
Note: Don’t record your actual calls unless you have permission.
Recording yourself is an excellent way to identify areas for improvement. Play the recordings back and think about:
- Tone – Do you sound friendly, trustworthy and confident?
- Pacing – Do you speak too quickly or too slowly? Was it confusing or simple to follow your points?
- Delivery – Is your offer interesting? Would it hook a prospect’s attention or bore them into hanging up? Even the most mundane products or services can capture interest with a little creativity in your delivery.
Unless you’re one of the few people who actually like the sound of their own voice, self-review will be uncomfortable at first. But stick with it, it’s a powerful tool for improvement that you can use for a host of things, like practising a speech.
Step 7: Anticipate & Plan For Objections
Quite often, we find the thing that delegates at our courses fear most about a cold call is having to deal with an objection.
Why?
Because they need to think of a solution on the spot – adding pressure and causing a stress response. Unsurprisingly, that can make you hesitant to pick up the phone in the first place.
But there’s no avoiding objections. They’ll happen on every call. So, instead, anticipate and prepare responses to common objections your prospects may have.
This will largely come down to understanding your prospect, their specific pain points, and how your solution solves a need (see Step 3).
Step 8: Visualize Success
Take a few moments before each call to visualise a positive outcome. Imagine yourself confidently introducing your value proposition and the prospect responding warmly. Visualisation can help reduce anxiety and reinforce a sense of control.
Step 9: Warm Up With Easier Calls
If you’re feeling particularly nervous, start with “warm-up” calls to existing contacts or low-stakes leads. These calls allow you to ease into the process without the same pressure, helping you build momentum and confidence.
Conquering Your Cold Calling Fear
Cold calling may feel daunting, but it’s important to remember that fear is natural.
More importantly, it’s conquerable.
With the cold calling tips and strategies we’ve covered in this article, you can start building the confidence and skills needed to turn every call into an opportunity.
The key takeaway? Preparation and practice are your best allies. By understanding your audience, rehearsing with role plays, learning a solid script, and using mindfulness techniques, you can approach each call with composure and clarity. Each dial becomes less about fear and more about connecting with your prospect.
But if you feel you need further help, then attend one of our training courses. With over 20 years of experience, we’ve helped countless professionals just like you overcome their anxieties and unlock their true potential. Let us help you transform fear into confidence and cold calls into conversions!
