Call Reluctance

Call reluctance refers to the fear or hesitation salespeople feel towards making prospecting calls to initiate new sales conversations. This discomfort is common early in sales careers due to lack of confidence and experience.

Tactics to overcome call reluctance include preparing call scripts and talking points to build confidence, roleplaying, recording calls for self-review, accompanying colleagues on calls, starting slowly with simpler calls, focusing on conveying value for the prospect, and tracking successes.

Mastering the ability to proactively call potential customers is instrumental for success in outbound sales roles. Providing extensive practice, training, and - at first - optional call requirements helps sales reps overcome normal call reluctance.