Are you afraid of the phone?  Are you afraid that you have become a Stalker to your prospects instead of a Service provider?

One of the biggest deterrents to someone joining the direct sales industry is the fear of having to make phone calls.  It has many names like Telephone phobia (telephonophobia, telephobia, phone phobia).  It comes in varying degrees and causes different levels of anxiety but for the most part there are a few simple things you can do the alleviate the discomfort and be proud of the results.

For many, it isn’t the actual phone call that is the problem but:

1. The fear of – Not knowing what to say
2. The fear of – Rejection
3. The fear of – Interrupting or bothering them
4. The fear of – Not knowing the appropriate time to call them back (the difference between Service & Stalker)

So I am sharing my method with you that should alleviate much of the anxiety that occurs.

The first thing is having a reason to call.  If you have a fear of the phone, it is unlikely that you are making cold calls from the phone book so you must have gotten this information from somewhere.  For this example we are going to use the example of someone you met out and about or at an event that is interested in your products or services.  Most people never even make the first call so you are ahead of the game if you make the first one!  Woo Hoo!  (be sure to read The $50,000 Phone Call for some additional inspiration!) Let’s celebrate your bravery and put you on track to set yourself up as a service professional and not a stalker.

If you don’t get a call back and you continue to call them every single day without getting a call back… NEWSFLASH – You are a STALKER 🙂  But don’t worry, we are going to transform you with one easy blog post from Stalker to Savvy Sales Professional!  Your clients will be referring you to their family and friends because of your professionalism!  The secret is being prepared for your calls and the appropriate amount of time between contacts which we will get to in a minute but first, let’s talk DIAMONDS! 

You should be considering each prospect a precious diamond.  They may be in different stages of being a diamond… all the way from being a lump of coal to the dazzling faceted gemstone that brings a hefty price in the market!

When you think of it that way, it is easier to understand that the lump of coal, may not be ready to call you back immediately but that doesn’t mean they aren’t transforming over time due to the pressures they experience in life or at their job, that your product or service is going to solve.  If you give up on the lump of coal before the transformation, you are allowing someone else to come pick up the diamond that you were cultivating!  Don’t let that happen to you!

Now that you have that mental picture and some fabulous quotes to give you the inspiration to get on the phone, I want to give you a little Tongue-in-Cheek expression to help you remember how long you should continue to cultivate your diamonds…

“Until they Buy, Die or Tell You to Go Away”

Now remember, I said Tongue-in-Cheek it is simply a phrase that can remind you to continue cultivating those diamonds until you know you no longer have a product or service to benefit them or they have expressed to you that they are no longer interested.

We need to operate under the assumption that all of our prospects are adults and that they have a voice and can express to you if and when they are no longer interested in your services.  When you believe that the people you are speaking to have a genuine interest in your product or service, you owe it to them and yourself to provide excellent customer service and to follow up in until you know differently.

So here is the formula I have used for 20 years that has produced Top 10 Status in my Direct Sales company for more than 10 years!!  I hope you have a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) program complete with an Auto Responder system because it will make your life so much easier! Check out my Resources Page or send me an email if you need help choosing one that is right for you! Click below to download the:

The Savvy Sales Professional Follow Up Guide

Remember, that follow up schedule is based on you not receiving any return calls or contact.  Once you do receive contact, the cycle starts over again.  If they say, call me back in 3 weeks, the schedule would start again in 3 weeks.  You not only have permission to call, you were invited to call and it is your responsibility as a professional to follow up with your customer until… you know the rest 🙂 In conjunction with that schedule, you should have at least a monthly newsletter going out to your customers to keep them connected and something they can share with their friends and family members which can gain you more referrals, even while you are still cultivating that particular diamond!

There are many people in Direct Sales who jump in, and jump out at the first challenge that arises.  (I call that doing the DSA Hokey Pokey) and I don’t want your fear of the phone or anything else to deter you from living the life of your dreams!  Tune in next week for some tips and tricks to stay focused and away from this detrimental dance move!

Until then, click here to increase your sales and your confidence and we will do a free 20 minute call to optimize your business!  I am cheering for you and your success!

Dream it, Believe it, Achieve it! – Vicki