A day for a salesperson experiencing Call Reluctance can be challenging and filled with conflicting emotions as they wrestle with an inner resistance to reaching out to clients and fully performing their job. Here’s how a typical day might look:
Morning: Preparation and Procrastination
- Thoughts on the Day: The day often starts with a feeling of anxiety about sales calls or client meetings scheduled ahead. The salesperson may struggle to focus, with thoughts like “What if the client says no?” or “I’m not ready yet.”
- Procrastination: Instead of jumping straight into calls or processing leads, the salesperson might spend the morning on administrative tasks, like updating the CRM, responding to emails, or organizing documents.
Mid-Morning: Avoidance of Sales Calls
- Procrastination: Instead of jumping straight into calls or processing leads, the salesperson might spend tAvoiding Direct Contact: The salesperson delays making cold calls or reaching out to new prospects, perhaps focusing instead on “safe activities” like research or reviewing product information.
- Avoiding Direct Contact: The salesperson delays making cold calls or reaching out to new prospects, perhaps focusing instead on “safe activities” like research or reviewing product information.
Lunch: Brief Relief
Self-Reward: Lunchtime can provide a temporary break where the salesperson tries to relieve some stress, though a nagging feeling often remains—“I should have done more by now.”
Lowered Expectations for the Afternoon: They might think the afternoon will be different, but often without a concrete plan on how to get started.
Afternoon: Hesitation and Time-Wasting
- Short-Lived Attempts and Avoidance: The salesperson may start the afternoon by trying to make a few calls, but if the first attempts meet with disinterest or rejection, it can lead to avoiding further efforts.
- Decreased Motivation: By the end of the day, the salesperson often feels a mix of failure and frustration, thinking about all the tasks left undone. Evening: Self-Criticism and Plans for the Next Day
Evening: Self-Criticism and Plans for the Next Day
- Reflection and Self-Criticism: At the end of the workday, they reflect on what went wrong, often with self-reproach like “Why couldn’t I just do it?”
- Unrealistic Goals for the Next Day: The salesperson promises that tomorrow will be different, planning to make a certain number of calls, but without changing the strategy or addressing underlying barriers, leading to a repeated pattern.
A salesperson with call reluctance needs support to build confidence, set realistic goals, and manage their inner resistance. Without this, these patterns can become recurring, damaging both their performance and the success of the sales team.
