How To NOT Be Afraid of Follow-up

Top 10 things people fear the most......

10. Dogs -- I have to admit, I am not afraid of dogs. I am not even afraid of the dogs I probably SHOULD be afraid of...

9. Loneliness -- Again...this is one that I do not have to deal with...I am ok with it. But, I know many people that do have to deal with this daily.

8. Flying -- I love to fly. My wife would rather rip her fingernails out with pliers than board a plane.

7. Death -- Pretty deep subject...I would say I fear the death of those I love more than my own mostly because I don't want to deal with it or think of my world without them.

6. Sickness -- There is a difference between being sick...and being SICK. I can handle a cold or the flu. I have lost people close to me to disease...I don't even want to get SICK.

5. Water -- I don't have a fear of water, but I hate having water splashed in my face...even in a pool.

4. Financial problems -- I have had lots of money. I have had no money at all. I have survived both.

3. Insects -- Yet another fear that I do not have to deal with...but, my sister would rip down a cinder block wall to get away from a spider. Her fear is so deep, she will actually go into shock.

2. Heights -- Ok. Gut check time... I am afraid of heights. It's not the height that bothers me, really. It is the thought of falling that far and hitting the cold, hard ground and breaking bones that scares me. Being up on a wobbly 20 foot ladder?? Oh hell no...

1. Public speaking -- I admit, I have a bit of this...but, I'm getting better. I know people that pass out having to give speeches. I have seen people get sudden attacks of laryngitis, nausea, even require oxygen and medical treatment.

So, what does all this have to do with follow-up phone calls?? 

Fear. 

I think that a generous portion of why people do not do follow-up calls (or continue to do them beyond call number 2...) is fear.

But...the question is.... Fear of what??

Fear of the phone? ...of making a mistake? ...of being annoying? ...of pushing a potential client away? ...of possibly hearing the word 'No'?

Yes. Well, maybe not a fear of the phone per se...(that's a bit ridiculous, right?) But, the others?? Yes.

I have actually had agents tell me the reason they do not make more phone calls to follow-up with clients is they are afraid of pushing them away by being too annoying, potentially causing them to tell them they are not interested any more.

Now, considering that a generous portion of an agent's job on a day-to-day basis is lead generation, doesn't this seem counter-intuitive?

A roofer can not be afraid of heights. A surgeon can not be afraid of blood. A pilot can not be afraid to fly. And...a real estate agent can not be afraid of making follow-up calls.

It's simple: You don't put a heart patient on a roller coaster. You don't take a mental patient on a hunting trip with you. You don't ignore your prospects. (The first two dont have anything to do with this, but they are also widely accepted truths used to prove my point.)

"Fear is nothing more than a feeling. You feel hot. You feel cold. You feel hungry. You feel afraid. Fear can never kill you." ~~ Joel Grey as 'Chun' in Remo Williams: An Adventure Begins

Although this situation probably isn't as extreme as that Chun was referring to above, the systematic failure to make follow-up calls based on fear may not kill you...but, it will kill your career. 

To overcome this fear...remember one thing: These prospects contacted you asking for information. It is your job to get it to them. And, until you do that, you have not done your job to the best of your ability. In other words, until you get that prospect on the phone with you, you have to continue to call because you have not done your job yet.

When a hurdler sits at the starting line, they focus on the finish line, not on the hurdles. When asked why they do this, they state that if you focus on the hurdles, you will hit them.

Dont focus on the hurdles...focus on the goal. The calls are your hurdles. But, getting your client the information they require is the goal.

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