3 Practical Tips to Overcome Prospecting Fear

By John Salkowski

John Salkowski believes that anything worthwhile in life and business starts with being “Inspired By The Grind.”

If making prospecting calls feels uncomfortable, it could cost you real business. Many agents hesitate to pick up the phone due to fear of rejection, awkward interactions, or sounding overly scripted. But if you want to grow your listing business, calling is essential. The good news is that you can build confidence and improve your results with a few small shifts. Here are three practical tips to help you overcome the hesitation and connect with more potential sellers.

Tip #1: Bring real value to the call. Start every call with something useful. Offer a clear market update with data on active, pending, and closed sales in a specific area. When you lead with information that helps the homeowner, the call becomes easier. You shift the focus from yourself to the person you’re helping, which naturally builds confidence.

Tip #2: Stop sounding like a robot. Over-rehearsed scripts don’t work. People can tell when you’re reading, and it turns them off. Use talking points to guide you, but keep the conversation natural. Speak the way you would in person. When you sound real, people are more likely to engage with you.

Tip #3: Expect rejection as part of the job. Some calls won’t go well. You’ll be hung up on. People may be rude. That’s part of the process. The more calls you make, the easier it gets. Every call builds your confidence and brings you closer to results.

Practice builds confidence. You can partner with another agent or a mentor and role-play a few daily calls. Practicing out loud helps you sound more natural and sharpens your delivery. Just 15 minutes a day can lead to noticeable improvement. Over time, you’ll improve your delivery, reduce anxiety, and feel more in control.

You don’t need to wait for the fear to disappear before taking action. If you’d like help building your skill set and growing your listing business, call me at 610-709-5147 or email john@jrsrealtygroup.com. Let’s take the next step together.