Whats the Worst Think That Can Happen when Prospecting?

Prospecting can feel awful. You make the list, do the research, block out the time—and then suddenly almost anything seems more appealing than picking up the phone. But what are we actually afraid of? What is the worst thing that can happen when we reach out to someone who may not want to hear from us?

In this episode of Purpose Under Pressure, host Bryan Lefelhoc, founder of Bryan Media Strategies, takes a different approach to prospecting. Forget the pep talk and the “you can do it” speech. Instead, Bryan looks at his own struggles with prospecting and asks a much simpler question: What’s the worst thing that can happen?

Someone might say no. They might hang up. They might sound irritated. You might stumble over your words or call someone by the wrong name. None of that is fun, but none of it carries much of a consequence either. The bigger problem is that we often treat discomfort as if it were a consequence. It isn’t. And once you separate those two things, prospecting starts to look a lot less intimidating.

Purpose Under Pressure is brought to you in partnership with Sandler by the Ruby Group, serving sales professionals and sales organizations nationwide from their locations in Akron and Columbus, Ohio, in Capital Region, New York, and in Jacksonville, Florida

7 Takeaways

— Fear loves anticipation. The prospecting call we imagine in our heads is often much worse than what actually happens.

— “No” doesn’t cost much. Someone can decline, hang up or be irritated, but a bad call usually ends the moment you move on to the next one.

— Discomfort isn’t a consequence. Feeling awkward, nervous or embarrassed is uncomfortable, but that doesn’t mean something harmful has happened.

— Avoidance has real consequences. Consistently skipping prospecting can shrink your pipeline, limit opportunities and eventually affect your career or business.

— You don’t have to love prospecting. Waiting until you enjoy it or feel completely confident gives fear too much control over your behavior.

— The upside is worth considering. One conversation can lead to a customer, referral or opportunity that changes your month, your year or even your business.

— Change the question. Instead of focusing on everything that could go wrong, compare the actual downside of making the call with what could happen if you never make it.

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Helpful Links:

Sandler by the Ruby Group: https://go.sandler.com/therubygroup/

Bryan Lefelhoc, Owner, Bryan Media Strategies: https://www.bryanmediastrategies.com/