You know you should call that past client. You have known it for three years. Every day you do not, the phone gets heavier.

We think the problem is rarely skill. When the reason behind a prospecting call is self-serving (find more money, get a referral, hit a number), your brain works against the action because it feels selfish. Change the motive and the follow-through changes with it. In this episode, Jim and I stay on mindset instead of technique, because if you are stuck getting on the bike, technique is not your problem.

**Why does prospecting feel so selfish?**

Jim opens with the first principle: your brain is unreliable. The story you tell yourself ("they will see through me, they know I just want their money") keeps you off the phone. Curiosity fixes it. People love talking about their favorite subject, which is themselves.

**The five foot rule**

David Sandler taught that anyone within five feet of you is a conversation. Not a close. A conversation.

**Some will, some won't, so what, someone's waiting**

We talk about the ego we carry into prospecting, and the "dance monkey dance" habit of showing off instead of asking what brought someone in.

**Calling past clients without feeling salesy**

Jim has never made a past client call where the person was not genuinely glad to hear from him, even after spending days building up the nerve. Make it a call to a friend, not a call to a client you want more business from. A third-party story gives you an easy reason to reach out.

**Friction and call reluctance**

Good habits need less friction; bad habits need more. Start with a small list and a warm first call, because in Sandler the hardest call to make is the first one. Schedule your calls early in the day so you are not carrying the dread until 4 p.m.

**Perfectionism as a torture chamber**

Drawing on David Burns, we look at how perfectionism built your client base and now keeps you from the relationship work you do best.

If this resonated, check out "What Avoiding the Uncomfortable Sales Calls Is Costing You," where we cover the cost side of the same avoidance.

The Sandler Training Hour Hosted by Jim & Jason Stephens | Crossroads Business Development

Join hosts Jim and Jason Stephens from Crossroads Business Development as they discuss techniques, tactics, and the occasional tangent associated with the Sandler Selling System. Whether you are prospecting, negotiating, or closing, The Sandler Training Hour gives you the actionable advice you need to stop "winging it" and start controlling the sale.

📧 Reach out: jason.stephens@sandler.com 🌐 Crossroads Business Development