Cold calling is a basic requirement in every recruiter’s career. Nevertheless, many recruiters have  deep fears and anxiety surrounding cold calling. Below are a few cold calling fears and some suggested strategies for dealing with them:

1.      The fear of hearing “No.”  Many recruiters are afraid that if they make a cold call they will be rejected. Maybe the potential client will say they are busy or simply refuse to hear the recruiter’s sales pitch. This fear is normal and well founded.  The truth is that if you’re making cold calls, you’re going to experience some rejection – a lot of it.  But for every ten no’s you’re going to get at least one maybe. Remember, selling is a numbers game, focus on making the calls not the rejection.

2.       The fear that a potential client will be mean to you.  This is one of those fears which is hard to combat; but which is also not founded on reality. Seriously, how many times have you made a cold-call and someone yelled at you? Not often right.  The truth of the matter is that most potential clients are too busy and wrapped up in their own issues to expend energy being mean.  Recruiters who suffer from this fear should resolve that they will end any sales calls which become abusive.

3.      Fear that the potential client will ask a question for which the recruiter has no answer.  This may in fact happen.  One way to combat this fear to by preparing and having a willingness to admit that you don’t know something.  If you don’t know the answer to a question, tell the potential client that you will get back to them with an answer.