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What is Call Reluctance? How Does it Affect Sales?

Making a sales call is a nerve-wracking task. Even the most practiced sales reps experience call reluctance at some point in their careers. But what is call reluctance? Call reluctance is a sense of heightened fear or anxiety when making a sales call, which results in future avoidant behavior and procrastination. But just because you’re experiencing anxiety before a call doesn’t mean you need to live with the effects of call reluctance for the rest of your professional life.

Managing call reluctance starts with recognizing the signs, understanding the root causes, and taking positive steps to boost confidence and streamline your sales techniques. Here are some of our suggestions to overcome your call reluctance. It’s time to take charge of your sales career and take a step towards a productive and successful future.

What are the Symptoms of Call Reluctance?

There are several common ways call reluctance manifests. Once you’ve identified the symptoms of call reluctance, you’ll be empowered to address your anxiety and reevaluate your sales strategies.

Negative Thoughts – Like many forms of anxiety, call reluctance often results in negative thoughts about your sales skills. Going into a call with a negative mindset and expecting the worst-case scenario damages your ability to be buoyant and genuine with your clients.

Negative Emotions – Even if the “worst-case scenario” isn’t playing on repeat in your head, you can still enter into a sales call with a defeatist and negative attitude. Feelings of inferiority, imposter-syndrome, and fear of rejection all contribute to anxiety surrounding sales calls and hinder your ability to connect with a client on the phone.

Call Procrastination – Procrastination is a primary symptom of call reluctance. Procrastination might look like tackling other less-important tasks before your call or continually putting off your call because you “need to do more research.” While it’s important to be prepared before a sales call, it is possible to over-prepare in order to avoid picking up the phone.

What are the Causes of Call Reluctance?

Now that you’ve identified the signs of call reluctance, let’s address some of the underlying causes.

Fear of Rejection – It’s completely normal to fear rejection. After all, almost everyone has experienced some type of disappointing rejection in their lives. But fear of rejection is a huge barrier in the sales world. Anxiety surrounding self-worth, product-worth, and sales capabilities all feed into a larger fear of rejection. This fear links your self-worth to your sales success, which in turn leads to sales procrastination.

Low-Quality Leads –Pursuing low-quality leads often leads to rejection and unsatisfying conversations. Being rejected by low-quality leads also contributes to frustration and a lack of confidence in your product or service.

Lack of Training – If you don’t feel prepared to speak with a client on the phone, you’re more likely to avoid the phone call and engage in negative thoughts about the outcome. Feeling underprepared or lacking information about a product results in low self-esteem and call reluctance.

What to do When Overcoming Call Reluctance

It’s time to think about strategies to overcome call reluctance!

Brush-Up on Product Knowledge – This is not the same as overpreparing for a sales call. Make sure you’re up-to-date with product features, company policies, and upgrades. Take time to chat with other members of your sales team to ensure you understand details about pricing and customer onboarding, so you feel confident and knowledgeable on the phone.

Seek Guidance from Managers – It’s vital to communicate with your sales manager. Let them know what’s going on, and listen to their advice and strategies. Chances are, they’ve experienced the same thing and will have some useful insights to share.

Track Progress – Instead of only focusing on failed calls, start keeping track of your successful calls too. Make a note of which calls turn into in-person meetings and subsequently, which meetings result in a sale. This will boost your confidence, and will help you gain insight into your target customer profile.

Use Qualified Leads – A list of pre-qualified leads makes all the difference in the sales world. Qualified leads have shown previous interest in your product or service and are more inclined to engage with you on the phone. This results in more follow-up meetings and helps boost your sales numbers in the long term.

Invest in Your Sales Team with Acquirent

At Acquirent we’re dedicated to helping you build a strong and cohesive sales team. Our team of experts specialize in recruiting, training, and managing sales teams to create a productive and unified sales environment. We’re dedicated to providing you with the newest in sales technologies, marketing strategies and lead generation. Say goodbye to inefficient sales strategies and step towards a brighter future with Acquirent.