My friend Alison Doyle, author at the Job Search channel at About.com, shared this on Facebook over the weekend:
I love this. I’m don’t always feel this way, but there are some calls that I dread. As I’ve thought about calls for job seekers, and now calls for JibberJobber sales, I’ve wondered if the reason we dread making calls is because of the fear of personal rejection. If they don’t want what we have to offer, we take it personally.
Whatever the reason is, let me suggest a great strategy for working through (rather than getting over) your fear of making phone calls. It is:
Pick up the phone, dial the number, and when they answer, have a conversation and ask your question (or, state why you are calling).
That’s it. Just START.
Years ago I wrote about the “chicken list.” The idea is that you have a list of people you are scared to contact… and they never get scratched off of your list… this nags at you day after day, week after week. I challenged you go just CALL the person on your list and get it over with, so you can scratch them off.
Need some motivation? Check out these posts:
Get Out Your Chicken List And Make A Call
Chicken List Is Out – Now Put Away The Honey-Do List!
The Chicken List Smackdown Video: Just Place The Call
Job Search Chicken List: It’s Monday! Call someone!
I triple-dog dare you to pick up the phone TODAY
And here’s the benefit/bonus post:
Self-Control leads to Self-Confidence
Cross the person off the list… make the call… conquer this fear… and your self confidence will grow. I’ve done it, and I continue to do it, and it works!
Spot on! As someone who works with IT peeps (aka Introvert Central), I constantly recommend the value of TALKING to someone as opposed to blithely applying away online! Followed by relentless follow up, of course.
Keep up the good work!
I few years ago during a job search I took a position in a call center/Customer Service role while pursing an accounting position. I figured it was seasonal (ie temporary) and I will be able to bring a few bucks while looking for something more long term and in my field. A bonus was because I was talking to people on the phone all day – even though over 90% of those calls were inbound, I got better on the phone.
Long story short, I am still with the company only in a different role. Guess what I get to do every day? Call people. And there are some calls, that even after 21/2+ years in this role, I absolutely dread making for one reason or another. (I deal with people who are so upset it isn’t uncommon to get yelled at, cussed at, called names all kinds of stuff)
But I am a fairly introverted person anyway. (INTJ) So in some ways this is a good thing for me. Sure, some calls are still tough and if I can get away with putting it off, well you know. But I am better than I was.