In my opinion, the number one plague that devastates salespeople is call reluctance – fear of rejection. Because we fear rejection – are uptight about how we’ll be accepted by people – we resort to self-destructive actions.

What kind of self-destructive actions? Things like not making enough calls. Not asking for commitments or decisions. Spending our time on tension relieving activities instead of on result producing activities.

Like my friend Jerry Little, an American General Life Insurance Agency manager for 25 years, once said: “Most young life insurance agents soon learn how to deal with fear of rejection!”

“How?” I demanded, wanting to hear the secret of the ages brought out into the open.

“They quit making calls!” he answered.

He’s right! Most salespeople who fail, fail because they quit making calls. They quit making calls because they give in to their fears. They fear rejection.

How well I understand the problem! My experience has shown me that most people do fear rejection.

Most of us care what others think of us. We want to be liked, accepted, welcomed. I could write a whole book on Call Reluctance I Have Had!

I can remember as an office equipment salesman in the 50’s driving round and round an office building – hoping I couldn’t find a parking spot. Then when I did – hoping that it was too small for my 1954 Chevy.

Then for six years I owned a retail furniture store. I felt comfortable with people who came into my store. But I had a horror of telephone follow-ups.

I’m sure I missed many sales because of this fear.

I remember when I first began working with Dr. Maxwell Maltz in 1969. The first two or three times I visited him I was nervous and uptight – intimidated by his office, his world acclaim and his quick manner.

Then one day I was waiting in his living/reception room for him to finish his last appointments of the day, his wife, Anne, came in and sat down.

After exchanging pleasantries for a couple minutes, she said, “Isn’t it a beautiful spring day in New York?”

“Yes, it is,” I answered.

“It’s so beautiful,” she went on, “that I hung Maxie’s long johns out on the terrace to sun and air out!”

As she said this, I just died laughing. The thought of this world famous person running around in long johns that needed airing out was hilarious. I visualized him making his hospital rounds wearing woolly long johns.

The more I mentally pictured that sight, the less intimidated I was.

From then on, the fear of approaching him was gone and I learned a valuable lesson.

After that I started viewing all my customers running around in long johns that needed airing out – the trap door flapping in the breeze!

It put a different perspective on my calls!

How about you? Stop a moment and think about a customer or prospect who intimidates you. Someone who’s difficult to call on.

Visualize that person in his/her usual setting…but instead of wearing his/her normal clothes, see ’em wearing long johns! Woolly ones that have been worn all winter and need airing out!

Replay that scene several times and see if you don’t lose some of your awe of them.

Try it…and see! See if this strategy doesn’t help you lose some of your fear of rejection!

Ron Willingham is the author of the new book, The Best Seller: The New Psychology of Selling, published by Prentice Hall.

He’s a contributing editor for Success magazine and a member of the National Speakers Association.

He now works as a sales and marketing consultant – conducting Psychology of Selling and Goal-Achievement seminars.