The fear of making sales calls seems simple enough, but chances are it goes deeper than you think. It consists of all the internal thoughts, feelings, and “avoidance” behaviors that conspire to keep otherwise talented and motivated sales professionals from earning what they are worth. Numerous BSRP studies based on large samples of salespeople reveal that lack of prospecting as the primary reason for underperformance in sales. Nothing else even comes close—not the fear of rejection, inadequate training, low self-esteem, lack of product knowledge, low self-discipline, ambiguous goals, the fear of success, or the fear of failure.

Does a fear of making sales calls really matter?

Fearing sales call activity is not a theoretical abstraction and is accompanied by real costs. Individuals with this behavior tend to avoid opportunities to engage with potential customers and offer solutions that meet their needs. Our research indicates that the average call reluctant salesperson misses out on 15.25 pieces of new business opportunities each month. Multiply that number by your average sale and you can start to see the potential damage.

Again, does fearing sales calls really matter? That is for you to decide, but here are two statistics to consider:

1. Up to 80% of all new salespeople fail within their first year. Why? Because they do not have enough prospective buyers. For them, prospecting is emotionally uncomfortable so they can’t, don’t, or won’t initiate contact with prospective buyers on a consistent basis;

2. 40% of all veteran sales professionals readily admit to one or more episodes of sales call fear severe enough to threaten their continuation in sales. That means that just under half of all the salespeople may be at risk.

For many organizations around the world, we’ve shown that it does. They know that intentionally and consistently adding to their client base is critical. We are honored that they trust BSRP applications to help.

We invite you to find out more about BSRP’s thought-leading practices and procedures for managing troublesome sales activity, and to consider whether or not these applications are appropriate for your organization. You can explore our range of assessments, and stay informed about our latest research through our articles and other news. Furthermore, if you are curious about any underlying technical considerations, we encourage you to browse our archive of scientific titles.

How many sales are you or your team losing today?

Sign up now for our Power Up Your Sales Workshop today and you’ll learn how to:

• Eliminate excuses and maximize prospecting and/or engagement activity.

• Eradicate negative sales-defeating behaviors.

• Clear “head trash” that is more dangerous than the current market conditions.