Does anyone ever like cold calling? Or do you need to have a skin as thick as hide not to feel the rejection of a slammed phone? Maybe it's not the kind of fear that would be classified under the head of 'paranoia' but it is definitely very much a part of every salesman's life. Unfortunately, it is not supposed to be, so either people do not own up to it or laugh at others when they do.



Equally unfortunate is the fact that people tend to give you advice if they know you have a horror of making that first call to a stranger. Each one is worse than the other. How can you not feel the trepidation of intruding into a person's space when you don't know him from Adam? You would never have done it if you weren't getting paid for it. Then, there's always the underlying criticism, especially from your superiors that it is your fault. The success is because of what they taught you, the failure is always yours and yours alone. Then the admonition about just accepting it and not being bothered by it. How on earth does one handle a slap in the face? This might just be a figurative thing, but the rejection is loud and clear.

The strange thing is that it is not just the newcomers who are beset by these fears. Scratch the surface and you'll find veteran salesmen also break out in a cold sweat if they find they are being rejected rudely. Just making more calls is no salve to a bruised ego. The hurt just gets pushed in - it doesn't disappear. Unfortunately, traditional sales programs are built for rejection. They teach you to push your way through any little gap and you get pushed right out again. Customers don't like pushy people. Wouldn't they listen to you if you asked ever so nicely instead of launching off on to a sales pitch even before he has time to say Hello? Wouldn't you rather he asked you what your product was all about for a change before you gave him your prepared sales pitch? Could it just be that you don't have the right tools or means to get you this kind of reaction?

So, instead of feeling guilty, tell yourself that the rejection of cold calling is not your fault. It is the fault of the way it is being done. Maybe it needs a subtle approach, a certain savoir faire for it to work. Maybe selling techniques in today's world are outdated and need to be relooked at and reformulated so to speak to make them relevant and successful. So, once again, say "It's not me - it's not my fault." Deep down inside of you, you know that it isn't. That you are not to blame for people saying No or Sorry. You might continue to do it, to follow the same old approach but you'll be doing it as a job, without feeling you are not performing to some standard that you have to reach.