e. Okay, number one!”

The successful cold caller has scripted his approach, but he’s not thinking about rushing to a close. He focuses on his first words and tones with the initial person he’s likely to encounter.

In business to business phoning this generally means a receptionist or a secretary o

Having been in telephone selling, telemarketing, tele-selling, telephone soliciting, inside sales, call center management, or whatever else you want to name it, for decades, I’m always returning to the foundational question: Why do people freak-out about cold-calling?

It’s not that it comes automatically to me, that I simply can’t wait to hop on the line 24/7.

I need to psych myself up for the game, but I’m not at all paralyzed by the idea of reaching out to sell strangers. In fact, overall, I find it exhilarating and rewarding and always surprising.

What makes the difference between the soldier who has customary battle jitters but who still does his duty and even engages in occasional heroics, and his pal, next to him, who can’t catch his breath, and who freezes when combat calls?

I believe part of the answer is FOCUS.

The utterly nervous, unraveling trooper is focusing inordinately on himself.

He monitors every jagged, shallow breath, notes his heart pounding through his chest, constantly wringing off his clammy hands.

His mate, by contrast is thinking about the task at hand: “First I’ll leap up, then I’ll run as fast as I can to that barrier, then I’ll flatten out like a pancake. Okay, number one!”

The successful cold caller has scripted his approach, but he’s not thinking about rushing to a close. He focuses on his first words and tones with the initial person he’s likely to encounter.

In business to business phoning this generally means a receptionist or a secretary or

y to me, that I simply can’t wait to hop on the line 24/7.

I need to psych myself up for the game, but I’m not at all paralyzed by the idea of reaching out to sell strangers. In fact, overall, I find it exhilarating and rewarding and always surprising.

What makes the difference between the soldier who has customary battle jitters but who still does his duty and even engages in occasional heroics, and his pal, next to him, who can’t catch his breath, and who freezes when combat calls?

I believe part of the answer is FOCUS.

The utterly nervous, unraveling trooper is focusing inordinately on himself.

He monitors every jagged, shallow breath, notes his heart pounding through his chest, constantly wringing off his clammy hands.

His mate, by contrast is thinking about the task at hand: “First I’ll leap up, then I’ll run as fast as I can to that barrier, then I’ll flatten out like a pancake. Okay, number one!”

The successful cold caller has scripted his approach, but he’s not thinking about rushing to a close. He focuses on his first words and tones with the initial person he’s likely to encounter.

In business to business phoning this generally means a receptionist or a secretary o

who has customary battle jitters but who still does his duty and even engages in occasional heroics, and his pal, next to him, who can’t catch his breath, and who freezes when combat calls?

I believe part of the answer is FOCUS.

The utterly nervous, unraveling trooper is focusing inordinately on himself.

He monitors every jagged, shallow breath, notes his heart pounding through his chest, constantly wringing off his clammy hands.

His mate, by contrast is thinking about the task at hand: “First I’ll leap up, then I’ll run as fast as I can to that barrier, then I’ll flatten out like a pancake. Okay, number one!”

The successful cold caller has scripted his approach, but he’s not thinking about rushing to a close. He focuses on his first words and tones with the initial person he’s likely to encounter.

In business to business phoning this generally means a receptionist or a secretary o

imself.

He monitors every jagged, shallow breath, notes his heart pounding through his chest, constantly wringing off his clammy hands.

His mate, by contrast is thinking about the task at hand: “First I’ll leap up, then I’ll run as fast as I can to that barrier, then I’ll flatten out like a pancake. Okay, number one!”

The successful cold caller has scripted his approach, but he’s not thinking about rushing to a close. He focuses on his first words and tones with the initial person he’s likely to encounter.

In business to business phoning this generally means a receptionist or a secretary o

e. Okay, number one!”

The successful cold caller has scripted his approach, but he’s not thinking about rushing to a close. He focuses on his first words and tones with the initial person he’s likely to encounter.

In business to business phoning this generally means a receptionist or a secretary or administrative type. The successful caller aims his first line at that person, not at his ultimate target.

Especially if he is using a new script, he privately rehearses his message, reading it aloud to himself or in role plays with others, over and again, until it feels and sounds natural. Like those battlers that can dissemble their rifles and reassemble them blindfolded, the cold caller seeks the same kind of mastery with his tool, his message.

By the time he’s under “live fire” he’s poised, feeling confident, and definitely able to improvise as the cut and thrust of selling and buying proceeds.

If you freeze at the mention of cold calling, forget about yourself right then and there.

Concentrate on mastering your message. It can make the difference between shivers and chivalry, and of course, failure and success.