Quick question: How many hours have you spent on the phone this week, catching up with your amazing customers or reaching out to someone you connected with at your daughter’s softball game? 

Could your hesitation to shift into “lead-gen” mode be more than just the classic “I got caught up with life?”

Chances are you're dealing with call reluctance.

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According to statistics:
More than 40% of sales professionals say prospecting is the most challenging part of the sales process.

Actively seeking referrals boosts earnings by 4 to 5 times, yet only 11% look to their network for sales.

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The typical issues that cause most sales pros to avoid lead generation are:

• They don't know who to call
• They don’t know what they want from any particular call
• They don’t know what to say
• They’re afraid of being rejected

Sarah Reynolds, CEO of EmpowerHome Team, the #1 Real Estate Business in Keller Williams worldwide, has been cold-calling since she was fourteen. 

“I started cold calling when I was 14. My Mom is a realtor. She took me into another room, handed me a script and a list of names, and told me to start calling. 

I ended up walking out with three listing appointments! And my Mom only gave me 10 dollars. She still owes me!” 

What made this lead-gen session a win for young Sarah?

 She went in prepared with three of the four elements she needed to be successful at cold-calling:

1. Who to call: A contact list.
2. What she wanted: A listing or a referral.
3. What to say: A script.

Sarah hardly gave a second thought to the biggest hurdle of cold calling: Fear of rejection. (Listen to Empire Building Podcast Ep 45. Discover 4 expert tips for mastering cold-calls and turning leads into gold. Boost your success in prospecting with these sizzling strategies!)

(And even if she did, those concerns quickly vanished when she booked the first listing appointment.)

Here are 4 tips for you to 4x your earnings and say goodbye to call reluctance:

Know what you want

Ask for a referral or a chat.

Know what to say: 

Use the 3 Golden Questions to take the place of any script.

1. How are you doing with (an area of the caller's life closely connected to your product or services)?
   
2. Do you want to talk over (the problem you unearthed because you were listening) at a convenient time (give a date and time or a range)?
   
3. Do you know someone who's looking to (something that aligns with what you offer)?

Know who to call: 

Here’s where your CRM becomes invaluable – but only if you input and update information about the people you meet. Every week, keep a running list of lists in these 3 categories.

Follow-ups: Schedule regular follow-up calls with clients at least once a quarter or based on agreed-upon milestones (e.g., "after school starts").

Life changes: Contact people experiencing significant life events that trigger a problem you can help them solve. In real estate, people often make a move if there's a new baby, a relationship change, a newly empty nest, or if they have become a caregiver.

Gratitude: Thank those who have referred business to you and ask if they have any additional referrals to send your way.

Gamify the Fear of Rejection (this is our favorite!): 

Compete with yourself or a colleague! The winner is the one who gets the most "No!"s during a lead generation session. The prize is up to you!

Now, go get on the phone; success is waiting!

P.S. More than 80% of newcomers to sales will fail during the first year – because they never develop critical lead-generation skills.

We recommend The Psychology of Sales Call Reluctance. Co-written by Shannon Goodson and George Dudley if you want to learn more about conquering sales call reluctance for yourself or a team member.

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