Is It Really Call Reluctance Or Are You Being Fooled By An Impostor?
You know prospecting is key to your success – yet some days, you just cannot bring yourself to do it. You hesitate, delay, overthink and promise yourself you will start tomorrow. Sounds familiar?
Here’s the twist: it might not be Call Reluctance at all.
What looks like reluctance is often something else – one of the three common Impostors draining your drive and disguising themselves as legitimate reasons to stall.
If you misdiagnose the problem, you waste time fixing the wrong thing and stay stuck longer.
Let us break them down.
Impostor 1: Motivation – The Fuel You Need For Success
Imagine trying to drive a car with no gas. No matter how badly you want to get going, you are not getting far. Prospecting is the same. Without motivation – your internal fuel – even the most skilled salespeople struggle to take action.
Motivation is the mental and physical energy that drives you to do the work – in this case, prospecting. When that energy runs low, calls, follow-ups and outreach suddenly feel like a heavy burden.
You have probably experienced it: staring at your screen, promising yourself you will start after one more coffee, but ending the day without making a move. That is not laziness – it is a drained battery trying to spark.
Here is the hard truth: you cannot fix Call Reluctance if your motivation is running on empty. What seems like hesitation may be a lack of energy. It is crucial to ask yourself: What is draining me?
There are three factors that shape your prospecting energy:
Amplitude: The amount of energy you have to fuel your prospecting efforts. This is your fuel tank. If you are mentally or physically depleted, your tank is close to empty.
Duration: Successful prospecting requires steady energy over time. Some salespeople only put in enough effort to meet minimum goals. If you are working in short bursts and running out of steam, your prospecting efforts might not reach their full potential.
Velocity: The speed and intensity of your prospecting efforts. Some dive in fast, others take a steady approach. Both are valid, but knowing your style helps predict performance and adjust as needed.
Understanding these three components helps identify where you may be losing energy and where you need to adjust to stay on track.
Impostor 2: Goals – Are You Plugged In?
Motivation is like electricity – it is powerful, but useless unless it is connected to something to work. You can have all the energy in the world, but if it is not channeled through clear goals, it fizzles out fast. Your goals are the “plug” that turns raw motivation into action.
Here are the three things to look at:
Target: What are you working toward right now? Not in five years – today. Your goals should be specific, meaningful and achievable in your current role. If they are too vague or far off, your energy will scatter and prospecting starts to feel like a dull chore.
Strategy: Do you have a real plan? Aiming high without a roadmap is like setting off on a trip with no GPS. You will lose focus fast – and when that happens, prospecting is usually the first thing to go.
Pursuit: Are you taking consistent action? It is easy to get stuck in planning mode – reworking your to-do list, overthinking, tweaking your pitch – but none of that counts if you are not reaching out. Even the best goals go nowhere without follow-through.
Impostor 3: Goal-Disruptive Feelings – What is Slowing You Down?
So, your motivation is strong and your goals are clear. But somehow, prospecting still feels like a struggle. This is where goal-disruptive feelings come in – the final piece of the Call Reluctance puzzle.
Imagine your motivation like a fully charged phone with a great signal and unlimited data. Everything should work smoothly, but suddenly, your connection slows down. That is what these feelings do. They interfere and slow down your momentum when it is time to act.
Call Reluctance acts as an emotional throttle rerouting your energy into fear, self-doubt or avoidance. Instead of making calls, you procrastinate, overthink or fall back into old habits. You hesitate, second-guess, make excuses or wait for the “perfect” moment.
And here is the key point: If you have motivation and goals and still get stuck with emotional roadblocks, you are likely dealing with real Call Reluctance. But if your motivation or goals are missing entirely, you are not reluctant – you are being fooled by an Impostor. Spotting the difference is key.
Is it really Call Reluctance holding you back or could it be one of the Impostors in disguise? If you are ready to find out what’s really standing in your way, reach out to us today.
