I'm not a salesperson by nature - my background is in tech and brand strategy. But I've learned the hard way that building something great isn't enough, you have to go out and talk to people. So I started with cold emails, got mediocre results, then switched to cold calls.
Last night I made my first ever batch of 13 calls. That might sound small, but for a first timer it felt huge. Every single time the receptionist blocked me - 'Doctor is with a patient', 'Send an email', 'Leave a message and she'll pass it on.' I tried the 'Claude method' of asking when the best time to call would be, but got the same script. The moment I explained why I was calling, they hung up or got rude.
Thirteen calls. That's all it took to feel completely deflated. I'd set myself a target of 20, and I fell short. My brain started spiralling - why am I doing this? This feels terrible.
But here's what I remind myself: every single call is data. Each rejection teaches me something about the gatekeeper's script, the tone to use, the phrasing that works. I know statistically I need around 200 dials per deal, so 13 is just the beginning. The trick isn't to avoid the sting - it's to acknowledge it, then ask: 'What can I learn from this call? What will I try differently next time?'
The receptionist isn't rejecting me personally, she's protecting someone's time. That's her job. My job is to find a way through that gate politely and persistently. Rejection is just part of the process - add it to the pile and keep dialling.
