CEO or junior clerk – sooner or later we all have to make phone calls to people that we do not know and have no idea how they will react.

This is cold calling – some of us can do it naturally and some of us freeze at the very thought. In fact, worse than freeze. We find every irrelevant excuse why not to pick up the phone and hold a one minute conversation. A simple everyday act threatens to become a trauma.

Surf the web, and there is no shortage of tips or advice on what to say on the phone. That’s fine, once you have picked up the phone. But what happens when you do not even get that far? What happens when you find yourself doing the ironing or soduko before phoning up for an appointment or to make that clinch sale?

It’s time to ask a few simple question of yourself.

First, just how important is that call? You are looking for a job. You want to start a selling process. You need info for a project. Whatever, but you know you need to speak to Mr Anonymous. All of this has financial value to you. So by not making the call, you are effectively saying:

My fears and concerns are more important to me than receiving money in the bank.

Can you allow that situation to continue?

Now, ask yourself why you should not call. When trying to understand my clients , people have often explained thier actions in the following ways:

• because I do not know what to say
• because I do not know what the other person will ask
• because I do not have enough info
• because they may never talk to me again
• because I may get it wrong

Well, each of those could be true. But, if you don’t make the call, you will never move forward. And you will remain out of pocket, financially!

The question is not what is stopping you making the call, but who?

Once you have worked that out, it will be time to open those links to tips on cold calling.