How to Overcome Phone Fear
Phone fear is a common obstacle that most of us face as home business owners, right? You start a home business, and you are confident that you found something GREAT! You feel a mixture of excitement, nerves, uncertainty, maybe you are even a little overwhelmed at first, but still EXCITED to get started. Then, suddenly it’s the moment of truth. It is time to start picking up the phone, and making calls; it’s time to start building a business. But, what happens? You look at the phone- this common device that you use all the time- and suddenly your heart starts to race, your palms are sweaty. The phone weighs a ton and you can’t possibly pick it up. That is phone fear and it has the power to paralyze you if you let it; it can stop you in your tracks.
So, what happens when you let phone fear take over? You start cleaning your office, color coding your files, listening to every training call you can get your hands on. Basically, you do ANYTHING not to pick up the phone. While training can be great, training without action will not equal growth. As a home business owner, the greatest action you can take is talking to prospects.
So, how do you overcome phone fear? I have come up with 7 simple steps to help you do just that!
Step 1: Establish a strong belief in your company. You started your home business with the company you chose for a reason, right? So, get to really know what your company has to offer- get to know its products or services and how your company can help others. Look over your company’s websites and read testimonials. Use your company’s products or services so you have first hand testimonials to share with your prospects. When you really believe in something, it is easier to talk about it and you will want to share it with others!
Step 2: Practice your script. Choose a prospecting script; ask your upline where you can find scripts or choose a script from an industry trainer. You must really get to know the information in that script. Say it over and over again out loud to anyone who will listen- your spouse, friends, children, pets :-)… it really doesn’t matter. The more you practice your script, the more comfortable you will feel talking with your prospects. You will feel prepared and confident!
Step 3: Ask yourself, what is the worst thing that can happen when you pick up the phone and call a prospect. The prospect hangs up? The prospect tells you, No? Is that really so bad? Is that BIG enough to keep you from achieving your goals? Is that really enough to keep you from a lifetime of financial freedom? NO, of course not!! Now ask yourself, what is the BEST thing that could happen if you pick up the phone and make your prospecting calls? The prospect tells you Yes and you sign a new piece of business, right? So, logically the benefits outweigh the risks. In one of my favorite books entitled Your First Year in Network Marketing by Mark Yarnell I learned, among other things, the SW Rule: “Some will, some won’t. So what? Someone else is always waiting.” Of course, you will have people who tell you no, but you will never find those who will say yes unless you pick up the phone and make calls.
Step 4: Take the pressure off yourself. Do not pick up the phone thinking I hope this person signs up. Now, I know this is hard to do. But, I want you to instead pick up the phone and think, how can I help this person. When you make it about the person on the other end of the phone, and not about you, your conversations will get better. You will come across as sincere to your prospects. Zig Zigler said it best, “You can have anything in the world you want, if you just help enough people get what they want.” Really put your heart into helping others and picking up the phone will not only become easier, but it will also become enjoyable!
Step 5: Identify and understand what it is you are really afraid of. A phone call is just a conversation and we all have conversations all the time. So, what you are really afraid of is not the conversation itself, but rather the outcome. Think about it. There would be no fear if we knew that everyone we called would tell us yes, right? But, of course, we know that we will get no’s along the way and that is where the fear comes in.
Step 6: Now that you have clearly identified what it is you are actually afraid of, decide that you are not responsible for the outcome of the calls you make. This will further eliminate pressure and allow you to focus on having good conversations. When you pick up the phone, your job is simply to find out whether or not your prospect is interested in your opportunity or in need of your services or products. With this mindset, you will have good conversations and it will not matter whether your prospect says yes or no. Instead of looking at making phone calls from solely a results standpoint, look at it from a practice standpoint. You are calling people to practice and get better; you are sharpening your skills. Be in charge of getting better at having phone conversations, rather than in charge of results and this will ultimately improve your results.
Step 7: In the words of a famous slogan, Just Do It!! The best way to overcome phone fear is simply by picking up the phone and making calls EVERY DAY you work your business. Like anything else, the more you do it, the easier it will become and the better you will get at it. It will be hard at first, but it will get easier and it will eventually become a habit. It will be a routine part of your work day and no longer something to fear.
The bottom line is, you have to have regular conversations in order to build a successful home business. It will not always be easy to pick up the phone, but it will be worth it. As with anything in life, practice makes perfect. Decide that phone fear will no longer hold you back from realizing your dreams!
Phone fear is a common obstacle that most of us face as home business owners, right? You start a home business, and you are confident that you found something GREAT! You feel a mixture of excitement, nerves, uncertainty, maybe you are even a little overwhelmed at first, but still EXCITED to get started. Then, suddenly it’s the moment of truth. It is time to start picking up the phone, and making calls; it’s time to start building a business. But, what happens? You look at the phone- this common device that you use all the time- and suddenly your heart starts to race, your palms are sweaty. The phone weighs a ton and you can’t possibly pick it up. That is phone fear and it has the power to paralyze you if you let it; it can stop you in your tracks.
So, what happens when you let phone fear take over? You start cleaning your office, color coding your files, listening to every training call you can get your hands on. Basically, you do ANYTHING not to pick up the phone. While training can be great, training without action will not equal growth. As a home business owner, the greatest action you can take is talking to prospects.
So, how do you overcome phone fear? I have come up with 7 simple steps to help you do just that!
Step 1: Establish a strong belief in your company. You started your home business with the company you chose for a reason, right? So, get to really know what your company has to offer- get to know its products or services and how your company can help others. Look over your company’s websites and read testimonials. Use your company’s products or services so you have first hand testimonials to share with your prospects. When you really believe in something, it is easier to talk about it and you will want to share it with others!
Step 2: Practice your script. Choose a prospecting script; ask your upline where you can find scripts or choose a script from an industry trainer. You must really get to know the information in that script. Say it over and over again out loud to anyone who will listen- your spouse, friends, children, pets :-)… it really doesn’t matter. The more you practice your script, the more comfortable you will feel talking with your prospects. You will feel prepared and confident!
Step 3: Ask yourself, what is the worst thing that can happen when you pick up the phone and call a prospect. The prospect hangs up? The prospect tells you, No? Is that really so bad? Is that BIG enough to keep you from achieving your goals? Is that really enough to keep you from a lifetime of financial freedom? NO, of course not!! Now ask yourself, what is the BEST thing that could happen if you pick up the phone and make your prospecting calls? The prospect tells you Yes and you sign a new piece of business, right? So, logically the benefits outweigh the risks. In one of my favorite books entitled Your First Year in Network Marketing by Mark Yarnell I learned, among other things, the SW Rule: “Some will, some won’t. So what? Someone else is always waiting.” Of course, you will have people who tell you no, but you will never find those who will say yes unless you pick up the phone and make calls.
Step 4: Take the pressure off yourself. Do not pick up the phone thinking I hope this person signs up. Now, I know this is hard to do. But, I want you to instead pick up the phone and think, how can I help this person. When you make it about the person on the other end of the phone, and not about you, your conversations will get better. You will come across as sincere to your prospects. Zig Zigler said it best, “You can have anything in the world you want, if you just help enough people get what they want.” Really put your heart into helping others and picking up the phone will not only become easier, but it will also become enjoyable!
Step 5: Identify and understand what it is you are really afraid of. A phone call is just a conversation and we all have conversations all the time. So, what you are really afraid of is not the conversation itself, but rather the outcome. Think about it. There would be no fear if we knew that everyone we called would tell us yes, right? But, of course, we know that we will get no’s along the way and that is where the fear comes in.
Step 6: Now that you have clearly identified what it is you are actually afraid of, decide that you are not responsible for the outcome of the calls you make. This will further eliminate pressure and allow you to focus on having good conversations. When you pick up the phone, your job is simply to find out whether or not your prospect is interested in your opportunity or in need of your services or products. With this mindset, you will have good conversations and it will not matter whether your prospect says yes or no. Instead of looking at making phone calls from solely a results standpoint, look at it from a practice standpoint. You are calling people to practice and get better; you are sharpening your skills. Be in charge of getting better at having phone conversations, rather than in charge of results and this will ultimately improve your results.
Step 7: In the words of a famous slogan, Just Do It!! The best way to overcome phone fear is simply by picking up the phone and making calls EVERY DAY you work your business. Like anything else, the more you do it, the easier it will become and the better you will get at it. It will be hard at first, but it will get easier and it will eventually become a habit. It will be a routine part of your work day and no longer something to fear.
The bottom line is, you have to have regular conversations in order to build a successful home business. It will not always be easy to pick up the phone, but it will be worth it. As with anything in life, practice makes perfect. Decide that phone fear will no longer hold you back from realizing your dreams!
To Your Success,
Jennifer Cunningham
Senior Regional Sales Director
AmeriPlan®
No comments:
Post a Comment