4 Ways to Overcome Your Fear of Prospecting

April 27, 2015

Have you ever had Fear of Prospecting for your business?

There probably isn’t a home based business owner out there who hasn’t felt some desire to somehow avoid prospecting. Some are flat out so afraid of prospecting – so much so it drives them crazy and some will end up quitting their business.

So F.E.A.R – False Expectations Appearing Real.
Because confidence is preparation’s twin, to overcome any fear, you must:
1) understand the beast, and 2) tame the beast.

Three areas of prospecting:

Hot Market – Close family & friends.
Warm Market – Those you know well.
Cold Market – Those you don’t know at all.

Three kinds of prospectors:

Prospectors who don’t want to call Close Family & Friends, but will call their Warm Market and may reluctantly do Cold Market prospecting.
Prospectors who don’t want to call Close Family & Friends, or their Warm Market, but claim that they want to do Cold Market prospecting.
Prospectors who do only Cold Market prospecting.

Get and use the right tools… Here are the prospecting tools you will need to win the prospecting game: The formula for mastering the prospecting game and effortlessly creating two new prospects everyday is…

1 part mental preparation
2 parts desire & motivation
6 parts meeting-and-greeting-people skills
7 parts concepts, approaches, and activity

Want to Improve your Prospecting Action? Get these Books:

Prospecting 101
New Sales. Simplified.
How To Get Instant Trust, Belief, Influence, and Rapport!

4 Ways to Overcome Your Fear of Prospecting

1. Admitting that you are afraid

The first step to letting go of any Fear of Prospecting is to admit that it’s there. You can’t wish it away and the longer you try to deny the fear, the harder it gets to overcome it.

2. Talk with someone about your fear

Talking with a business colleague, a friend or even a mentor is one of the best ways to begin to change your attitude. Often a fellow representative/business partner will admit to feeling the same way and you can find ways to gently hold each other accountable. And if they tell you things like “you shouldn’t be afraid,” or insist that you’re not really afraid, you’re talking to the wrong person. Move on. Having a mentor is beneficial and the smartest thing to do!

3. Watch what you say… your self-talk

It’s amazing what happens when we begin to change our negative self-talk to mutterings of self-affirmation. When you catch yourself, for example, thinking “I hate this!” try a new phrase like “I choose to prospect.” One of my mentors Cesar L. Rodriguez tried the rubber band trick. He put a thick rubber band around his wrist and when he caught herself with negative self-talk he snapped himself. “It stung,” he reported, “but it worked, and quickly too!” Speak Life not death!

4. Vital statistics of prospecting with someone

Track everything you do! It is a great way to change a habit and follow through with a new behavior, even prospecting. It works like this. Call a supportive friend and tell them you’re going to spend X amount of time prospecting. When the time has elapsed, call them back and report your progress or lack of it. Somehow making yourself accountable seems to make the impossible possible. As they say men lie, women lie but results don’t!

Know that you’re not alone and that many representatives/distributors have found ways to conquer or overcome or let go of their Fear Of Prospecting. Experiment with these four tips, giving yourself enough time – at least a week, and maybe up to three – to let them work. Be gentle with yourself, but be disciplined as well. You can become comfortable with prospecting if you truly want to.