Just what has gone before us? Why the hesitant prospect isn’t suspicious of you; they’re remembering someone else
Sometimes, within the first few seconds of a call, you sense it.
A slight coolness in the voice. Maybe a guardedness that wasn’t invited by anything you’ve said or done. Perhaps a readiness to be unimpressed before you’ve had the chance to say anything worth being impressed by.
It’s not you, honest guv. 😊
Previous behaviour #
It’s everything that went before you.
Before your call arrived, this person has almost certainly experienced the other kind of telemarketer. The one in a hurry, or the one with a script so rigid it couldn’t accommodate a human response. Maybe the one who interrupted, who pushed, who treated a polite “not right now” as an invitation to try harder, or simply the one who made them feel like a target rather than a person.
That history travels with your prospect into every new conversation. They’re not guarded because of who you are. They’re guarded because of who came before you.
Understanding this changes everything about how you approach the call.
Dissolve resistance #
You don’t need to overcome their resistance, you need to dissolve it. Slowly, patiently, and with the quiet confidence of someone who has absolutely nothing to prove and no reason to rush. Your call is not a sales attempt. It’s the next step in a relationship that hasn’t properly started yet.
Take the time. Be patient. Let the quality of your approach do the work that words alone cannot.
There is nothing shoddy about making a professional call with genuine intent. Don’t be put off by the baggage others have left behind.
Your job is simply to be different. That’s rarely as difficult as it sounds.
“Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action.” — Benjamin Disraeli
Thank you for reading.
PS: I create small, digestible guides on Gumroad for business owners who hate aggressive tactics and prefer relationship-led approaches. New resources are added regularly. For longer reads on lead generation and the human side of sales, follow me on Medium and join the daily conversation on LinkedIn.
Please see the links below:
Gumroad:Â https://richardbulldomican.gumroad.com/
Medium:Â https://medium.com/@richard-bulldomican
LinkedIn:Â https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardbulldomican/
