Need Cold Calling Confidence?

As you have probably figured out by now, I don’t know how to read one book at a time.  I’ve been reading Napoleon Hill’s Law of Success (a whopping 600 pages) for a few months because it’s going to take time for that one. In the meantime, I threw in The Well-Fed Writer by Peter Bowerman at the advice of veteran writer Jennifer Brown-Banks (thanks Jen!) and Mr. Adam Jackson’s new release, Speak It, Receive It, Achieve It. The good thing about my madness is that all of the books said something that spoke to me at this time, which I’m going to share with you.

My lesson gained from all three of these good reads: cold calling confidence.

Now, there are things in life you just don’t want to do and calling people you don’t know, for any reason – and you’re not a telemarketer – is one of them. No one wants to be rejected, and that’s a reality with cold calling.

Although rejection is a hard pill to swallow, I’m in a different place right now. I’ve got a goal of selling $99 blogging books in bulk, which puts a different spin on everything. I’m learning that putting a price tag on my time and projects makes me value both differently. And the gains from these sales will far outweigh my discomfort with cold calling.

3 Books to Help Build Your Cold Calling Confidence

Following are lessons from each of the books that planted seeds of confidence and faith that made it much easier to make those phone calls.

On page 21 in Speak It, Receive It, Achieve It, Jackson declares, “You will find success outside of your comfort zone.”

Even though Jackson wasn’t talking about confidence specifically, he was speaking to everyone who aspires to be successful.

I started calling companies to find out if they needed a good freelance writer to help with their marketing and employee communication projects. I called 12 companies; spoke with 2 people who told me to forward my company information; 1 person actually called back; and I left several messages on voice mail. Not bad for a first attempt.

My confidence was really lifted by Peter Bowerman in The Well-Fed Writer. He gave a host of great information on how to find clients, what to say when calling, the types of projects available, and how to price your work. But the reality check on page 121 was the best. “Roughly 80% of those you call won’t be interested in your service….Don’t take it personally….The Law of Averages is etched in stone…Keep calling and you’ll find the business. Absolute guaranteed.”

Armed with this information – that 80% of the people I call won’t be interested – and the script, it was easy to make those calls. Having a targeted list of prospects also helped. I wasn’t calling random companies; I targeted an industry. I am certain that I will have more success next week.

But check out the story on persistence and self-confidence on page 113 in Napoleon Hill’s Law of Success. It will bless your socks off.

There was a timid young man who heard his lecture on self-confidence, which impressed him so much “that he left the lecture hall with a firm determination to pull himself out of the rut into which he had drifted.” He went to the business manager of the paper and asked for a position as solicitor of advertising (salesman) and was put to work on a commission basis. Everyone in the office expected him to fail.

He went after the twelve merchants that the other salesmen could not get. “Before he made a single call he went out to the city park, took out his list of twelve names, read it over a hundred names, saying to himself as he did so, “You will purchase advertising space from me before the end of the month.”

By the end of the first month, he had sold ads to 11 of the 12 prospects. The next month he didn’t make any sales because he was going after the one merchant that continue to say no.

Excerpt from book:

Every morning when the store opened he was on hand to interview this merchant and every morning the merchant said, “No.” The merchant knew he was not going to buy advertising space but this young man didn’t know it. When the merchant said No the young man did not hear it, but kept right on coming. On the last day of the month, after having told this persistent young man No for thirty consecutive days, the merchant said:

“Look here, young man, you have wasted a whole month trying to sell me; now, what I would like to know is this – why have you wasted your time?”

“Wasted my time nothing,” he retorted, “I have been going to school and you have been my teacher. Now I know all the arguments that a merchant can bring up for not buying, and besides that I have been drilling myself in self-confidence.”

Then the merchant said: “I will make a little confession of my own. I, too, have been going to school, and you have been my teacher. You have taught me a lesson in persistence that is worth money to me, and to show you my appreciation I am going to pay my tuition fee by giving you an order for advertising space.”

You can’t tell me you weren’t blessed by that little man that refused to give up and eventually reached his goal!

Anyway, I wanted to share these three books because they really propelled me forward with my cold calling venture and I’m sure they can help you in some aspect of your life.

Now tell us: Have you ever made cold calls for you business, book or other venture? How was your experience? Do you have any tips for us?