Sunday, March 24, 2024
HomeTreatmentHow To Overcome Phone Anxiety

How To Overcome Phone Anxiety

See Yourself As Two Business Owners Working Toward A Common Goal

Five Tips for Overcoming Phone Anxiety

This is important.

Client phone calls are NOT job interviews, so dont treat them that way.

Youre not less of a businessperson than your client.

Youre not trying to become their newest employee.

Youre two business owners who are having a human conversation.

I get that client calls can still be intimidating at first, but keep reminding yourself how awesome you are.

Remember how valuable the service youre offering is.

And YES. it really IS valuable.

Whether you write blog posts, email campaigns, website copy, or something else, you have the power to help clients grow their business and make more money.

Dont forget that.

How Are Anxiety Disorders Treated

An anxiety disorder is like any other health problem that requires treatment. You cant will it away. Its not a matter of self-discipline or attitude. Researchers have made a lot of progress in the last few decades in treating mental health conditions. Your healthcare provider will tailor a treatment plan that works for you. Your plan may combine medication and psychotherapy.

Make Your Interruptions Valuable For Prospects

At the end of the day, we need to realize that when we are prospecting, we’re interrupting people. We hope it’s a value-added interruption, but it’s considered an interruption nonetheless. As a sales professional, your goal is to get the prospect to engage with you, and ultimately, to buy from you. You want to meet their needs and add value to their businesses and to them personally.

So, when sales reps ask, “How do I get more appointments?” I point out that they may be asking the wrong the question. I suggest they ask themselves, “Why would any prospect ever want to meet with me?” If they can find a way to add value for their prospect with insightful information about that prospect’s business, they will succeed.

It all comes down to valuable content: not just information on your product or your company, but how you can help successfully solve your prospect’s business challenge.

Recommended Reading: What To Take For Insomnia And Anxiety

Dedicate A Calendar Block Each Day And Be Persistent

Our research showed that, overall, 54% of initial meetings require more than five touch points to set up — and that 10% require 11 or more touches. The one thing that we know for sure is consistency is key in prospecting. Calendar management and calendar blocking are key to success. So, look at your calendar and block out times for calls and your other outreach, and then stick to it, each day.

Our study also revealed that most people underestimate the number of touches required to get through to a prospect. At the same time, sales reps over-report the number of times they actually reach out, by about 50%. In tandem, this diminished effort will deliver diminished results.

Reasons Why People Have Anxiety About Talking On The Phone

5 Top Tips

Nowadays, people are more hesitant about using cold calling to connect with prospects. This anxiety about phone calls is affecting the productivity of sales professionals.

Therefore, addressing phone anxiety for sales reps should be one of the first things that they should work on. To be able to overcome phone anxiety, you should first identify what causes it.

After you know the common reasons why people have phone anxiety, then you can better counteract it. With that said, there are the reasons why people are more anxious about talking on the phone with people.

For a society that has a mobile phone with them at all times, its quite ironic that a lot of people have telephone phobia. On that note, why do people have phone anxiety in the first place?

According to psychologists, this may be due to several reasons. Here are three of them:

Also Check: Does Smoking Weed Cause Anxiety

Talk Back To Negative Thoughts

These thoughts might be about people or situations, and they may even be automatic. Most of the time, theyâre wrong. But they can cause you to misread things like facial expressions. This could lead you to assume people are thinking things about you that they arenât.

One way to do this is simply to use pen and paper:

  • Think of all the negative thoughts you have in specific situations.
  • Write them down.
  • Tip : Practice Breathing Exercises

    Studies indicate that breathing exercises can reduce pain during vaccinations and help to relax the mind and body. A slow and deep breathing exercise will increase the amount of oxygen in your blood and give your body a signal to relax. Your heart beat will slow down, blood pressure will decrease, and muscle tension will ease.

    Experiment with different breathing patterns until you find one that works for you. Most exercises involve a slow, deep inhale thats followed by a slightly longer exhale. For example, inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds and exhale for 8 seconds. Another possible exercise simply involves inhaling for 7 seconds and exhaling for 11 seconds.

    To help introduce children to breathing exercises, you can incorporate a colorful prop like a pinwheel. As a child breathes out, theyll see the pinwheel begin to spin, adding a playful touch to the exercise. You could similarly use feathers or bubblesanything that responds to slow exhales and entertains your child.

    Read Also: What Oils Help With Anxiety

    Phone Anxiety In The Modern World

    Having so many ways to communicate without actually having to speak to other people means when we do have to speak to them in real life, it can be difficult. Enter phone anxiety: a fear of talking on the phone.

    It may sound like a silly idea, but plenty of people have it and you may even be one of them. Do you let your phone go straight to voicemail and then send a text message, claiming you missed their call?

    Do you avoid making phone calls and prefer to send emails or texts instead, convincing yourself its quicker and easier for yourself to do so? If that sounds like you, you may well have phone anxiety.

    Bonus Tip: Want To Avoid Client Phone Call Anxiety Altogether Specialize In Freelance Blogging

    How to Overcome Phone Anxiety And Speak With Confidence In 3 Simple Steps

    I swear, freelance blogging is my perfect niche and so incredible for socially anxious beginners!

    Not only does freelance blogging allow me to do what Im best at it allows me to avoid doing the things I dislike .

    Sure, I still get some clients who want to talk on the phone.

    And when that happens, Im 100% fine scheduling a call with them .

    But the great thing about freelance bloggingis that you can usually handle everything via email.

    Compare that to website copywriting where you typically need to talk to the client so they can talk to you about their business/target audience.

    Or compare it to case study writing where you typically need to interview at least one person.

    See what I mean?

    But dont let that stop you from specializing in website copywriting or case study writing if thats what you really want to do.

    Do what youre best at.

    Because more often than not, the anticipation of a client call is WAY more stressful than the actual call itself.

    And if you want something you can easily reference every time you have a client call, snag this checklist:

    It breaks down everything you need to do to prepare + includes some tips and encouragement so your phone calls can go as smoothly as possible!

    Tell me in the comments below do client phone calls make you nervous? How do you combat client phone call anxiety as a freelance writer?

    Read Also: How Do I Stop An Anxiety Attack

    Eat Well And Exercise

    In the days leading up to your interview, try to take care of yourself physically so that you do not have to worry about canceling your interview due to illness. Several hours before your interview, consider going for a run, a walk or a bike ride to help release nervous energy. Try to avoid caffeine and other triggers just before your interview. Instead, consider drinking water or green tea to help you relax.

    You Have A Harder Time Figuring Out What The Person On The Other End Is Thinking

    One of the reasons why more people have a fear of talking over the phone is they cant gauge what the person on the other end of the line is thinking.

    When you talk to someone face-to-face, youre receiving information beyond words. You can also observe their body language, facial expressions, and gestures.

    Since you cant see the person youre talking to on the phone, itll be harder for you to read what theyre thinking. In turn, this contributes to the anxiety one may feel about making phone calls.

    Don’t Miss: How To Stop Anxiety After Drinking Alcohol

    How To Overcome Phone Anxiety And Speak With Confidence In 3 Simple Steps

    A few weeks ago, I got an email from a new investor who was having some serious difficulty talking to prospects on the phone.

    The funny thing was, he had actually managed to execute every other step of his process very well. He had done the following:

    The only problem washe was having an incredibly difficult time talking with strangers on the phone. He didnt know what to say and he didnt know what questions to ask. When he didnt have an immediate answer to a callers question, the conversations would get awkward and start to spiral out of control.

    Common Examples Of Problematic Phone Use

  • Infinitely scrolling through Instagram.
  • Playing Call of Duty or PubG for hours and social activities contain little to no honest communication.
  • Excessive display of hurt, loneliness, attention-seeking behavior, hate, jealousy, and disapproval on social media.
  • Social needs are not met and online alternatives are used to compensate for poor social health .
  • Inability to feel pleasure and excitement in the offline world but excessive emotions are tied to online rewards like gambling, likes, shares, followers, sexting, masturbation to porn, etc.
  • FOMO and Nomophobia cause mental and physical discomfort.
  • You frequently experience Ringxiety or Textaphrenia or Phantom notifications the feeling that you received a notification when you actually did not.
  • Recommended Reading: How To Describe Anxiety To Doctor

    Identify Your Worst Fear

    Coming to terms with your worst fear starts with identifying it.

    Common worries may be:

    • Losing your train of thought
    • Worrying that you wonât sound articulate
    • Fear that the person on the other line will misunderstand or reject your request

    The sooner you can pinpoint exactly what it is thatâs causing your anxiety, the sooner you can work to address it.

    Again, if youâre afraid youâll forget what to say, jot your thoughts down prior to the call. Set the stage to make your call as comfortable as possible.

    Reasons Why We Use Our Phone More Than We Need To

    The mobile phone itself, because of all its connectivity and apps, serves 6 psychological functions that keep us hooked. They are similar to having a sort of upgrade in life that has unwanted side effects.

  • A security blanket It makes us feel safe and comforted, especially when our personal needs are not satisfied. These could be a need for personal space, a need for intimacy, a need for belonging, a need for distractions, etc.
  • A sword We use it as an informational weapon in arguments and use its features and tools like gifs, emotes, ghosting, recording, passive aggressive public posting to channel aggression, anger, and dissapointment.
  • A shield We use it as a defense by referencing chat histories, status updates, and photos in interpersonal fights. We also use it as a barrier between ourselves and others to reduce a sense of overwhelm and social discomfort.
  • An external brain We access a network of information to supplement our current brain.
  • A portal We escape into a different reality to seek rewarding experiences and satisfy our psychological needs.
  • A lucky charm The phone creates the opportunity of rewarding notifications and activities at random intervals. Random rewards at random intervals are powerful in keeping us hooked.
  • Also Check: Can Anxiety Cause Nausea And Dizziness

    Whats The Outlook For People With Anxiety Disorders

    Anxiety disorders can often go undiagnosed and untreated. Fortunately, treatment can help. The right treatment can help improve your quality of life, relationships and productivity. It can also support your overall well-being.

    You dont need to live with constant worry and fear. If you notice symptoms of an anxiety disorder, talk to your healthcare provider. Its best to get diagnosed and treated as soon as possible. Doing so can limit the problems that anxiety disorders can cause. Often, a combination of medications and counseling for anxiety can help you feel your best.

    Why Should You Smile Every Time You Answer A Phone Call

    How to Overcome PHONE ANXIETY

    Answer with a Smile The tone of the human voice changes when smiling. It is readily perceivable to the caller and it sets the tone for the rest of the . It’s been proven that a smile puts the caller at ease. Their mood then matches that of the person who answered the phone for the duration of the .

    Read also

    You May Like: Can Caffeine Make Anxiety Worse

    Try Turning On Your Phone’s Grayscale

    One of the most jarring ways to curb the time you spend on your smartphone is to make its screen much less desirable to look at.

    Time Well Spent, a nonprofit focused on changing our relationships to technology, recommends switching your phone to grayscale to remove the “shiny rewards” that colorful icons give you every time you unlock.

    I found this trick incredibly effective for keeping me off apps such as Facebook and Instagram, though I did end up turning it off several times when I needed to use Maps or take photos.

    You can turn on grayscale by digging around in the “Accessibility” category of your phone’s settings. On an iPhone, find “Display Accommodations” and then turn on “Color Filters.” On a Samsung device, find “Vision” and then scroll down to “Grayscale.”

    Phone To My Head Angst And Dread: Why Some People Hate Voice Calls

    Making calls and receiving calls can both trigger phone anxiety. It can adversely affect both personal and business communication. And the anxiety can honestly be debilitating for people who suffer from it. As with any phobia, ones fear of talking on the phone can get stronger the more you avoid doing it. And the fear can be caused by a wide variety of reasons.

    RING RING

    Also Check: How To Calm Body Anxiety

    What Is An Anxiety Disorder

    An anxiety disorder is a type of mental health condition. If you have an anxiety disorder, you may respond to certain things and situations with fear and dread. You may also experience physical signs of anxiety, such as a pounding heart and sweating.

    Its normal to have some anxiety. You may feel anxious or nervous if you have to tackle a problem at work, go to an interview, take a test or make an important decision. And anxiety can even be beneficial. For example, anxiety helps us notice dangerous situations and focuses our attention, so we stay safe.

    But an anxiety disorder goes beyond the regular nervousness and slight fear you may feel from time to time. An anxiety disorder happens when:

    • Anxiety interferes with your ability to function.
    • You often overreact when something triggers your emotions.
    • You cant control your responses to situations.

    Anxiety disorders can make it difficult to get through the day. Fortunately, there are several effective treatments for anxiety disorders.

    RELATED ARTICLES
    - Advertisment -

    Most Popular

    - Advertisment -