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Since many relate their self-worth to their abilities, they avoid performances that might cause them to be judged - for it might be a negative judgment and then they would feel badly about themselves and their abilities. To perform at all means risking negative evaluation, hence it is thought more prudent to not take that risk, even though there are numerous negative consequences that result from inaction.
The same principle applies to call avoidance: it is a reluctance to self-disclose intentions, wishes and desires that are implicit in the offer to a prospect. There are many fears associated with call avoidance (see George Dudley and Shannon Goodson, Earning What You're Worth, 1992). It may be fear of negative evaluation; fear of giving unintended offense as a result of interrupting the prospect; or it may be fear of appearing stupid or inept because the caller feels the prospect is more competent.
Disproving The False Fears
The fear of negative evaluation, or other fears, is mostly false Fortunately, it can be disproved tbrough a program of gradually increased cold calling, which will work to build up confidence. This incremental exposure to the threatening stimulus is a well- established principle in psychology for overcoming various phobias. There is nothing like direct experience to prove the rule. The difficulty is in getting yourself to undergo the pain of disproving it. Motivating yourself to do a discomforting activity is not easy: it requires diverse perspectives that help build the case in favor of gaining the benefits. The formula I have worked out after years of study and firsthand experience is summed up with the acronym GIRDA. It stands for:
1. Set a goal for your daily call quota. Daily goals are more empowering than long-term goals, as the psychologist Albert Bandura at Stanford University has proven so well.
2. Incrementally increase the daily quotient so you learn that either the negative things you believe might happen don't or, if they do, that you can handle them.
3. Keep a careful daily record of all dials, contacts and agreements for a next step (i.e., appointments, send literature, sale, etc.) so you come to an understanding of the ebbs and flows of calling activity, and learn that results are a function of the amount of calling. One of the killers in call reluctance is the conviction that you can never advance because you will continually be rejected. Good records disprove this demoralizing way of thinking.
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