I tried to take my own advice and stop overthinking, but its easier said than done. Today, I sat down to make some more cold calls. I rehearsed my script a few more times and looked at that list of phone numbers. I could slowly feel that anxiousness taking a hold of me. I thought it was gonna be easier but it was pretty much the same. I kept hesitating instead of calling those numbers.

After a few minutes, I had enough of feeling like crap and just dialed the first number. I could hear the dial tone loud and clear, then a voice came on the line. Turns out, it was just a pre-recorded message. I was relieved.

After nothing bad happened in the first dial, I was a little more confident to make the second. All that anticipation for the first call, just dissipated when no one answered the call. It didn’t take long for me to dial the second number. I waited for someone to pick up again as my heart was racing but no answer. I wasn’t as hesitant anymore. I made the third call right after.

This time, someone picked up and I was slightly caught by surprise. I rushed through the opening part of my script, but unlike on calls I had made before, this person actually asked me what I did, although in a reluctant and rushed tone, like he was in curious to see if it was something that might’ve been relevant to him. I wasn’t ready for that, and I just blurted out a bunch of words that somewhat made sense. I think I said something along the line of, “I make missed call text back systems that capture and qualify leads”. As soon as he heard that, he was no longer interested and shut me down by saying they already had a system in place.

It was another rejection, but I didn’t see it solely as that. It was indeed another rejection, but also my first cold call “win”, because I actually got to the pitch for the first time. I didn’t do the best job of selling myself, but at least I got someone to ask me what it is that I was selling. I felt joy for the first time on a cold call and it felt great.

I’ve been pretty down the last few days in my cold calling journey. I felt like quitting. I was constantly doubting myself. I felt like crap but that small “win”, just gave me the push I needed to keep going. This road to getting my first client is going to be lonely and hard, but I will try and persevere. I set out to achieve the goal of starting my own business and I knew it wasn’t for the faint of heart. Now I just need to prove to myself that I am as tough and as determined as I like to think I am.