Fear will kill sales and crush your chances of making quota. Hesitation, paralysis, and missed connections with prospects—that’s the consequence of fear.

The truly trapped stop picking up the phone entirely.

Fear hijacks your focus. Instead of selling, you stall.

Confront Your Fears

Sure, we’re all scared of something. It’s a given of being human. 

But as a salesperson, being stuck in your fear means condemning yourself to the status quo—or worse, getting fired. Fear should be fuel. Let it push you forward, not paralyze you. Top sellers embrace fear, accept it, and move on.

In our special Sales Gravy interview with emotional intelligence and sales expert Thomas Poston, he recommends addressing fear head-on by getting specific and writing concerns down.

Don’t flatline; name your fears, call them out, and crush them.

Fear of Cold Calling

Nobody likes cold calling. But you know what salespeople want? A full pipeline.

The phone can feel like it weighs 100 pounds and you know rejection is likely at the other end of the line. Emailing or waiting for inbound leads sounds less painful. So you take the softer road and just stop trying. 

But here’s the truth: Cold calling is still one of the fastest and most effective ways to build pipeline and close deals.

And yes, it can take at least 20 calls to warm up a cold prospect. But the key to overcoming cold call anxiety is preparation and using that volume to build confidence. 

Know your framework, practice objection handling, and make so many dials that rejection stops freezing you in your tracks. 

The more you do it, the less fear controls you.

Fear of Rejection

“No’s” hurt. It’s a fact. Rejection doesn’t just pass over you like water off a duck’s back. It stings and it lingers.

But this is a “No” industry. Toughen up, brush yourself off, and get back in the game. In fact, 80% of prospects say “no” four times before they say “yes.”

Ultimately, rejection isn’t about you. It’s about your prospect. Maybe they had a bad day or it’s legitimately not a good time to buy. Maybe they don’t actually need your solution.

Learn to quickly reframe your thinking. Remember that every “No” gets you closer to a “Yes.”

Celebrate the effort, not just the results. Once you stop fearing rejection, you become unstoppable.

Fear of Failure

Sales is unpredictable—no doubt. One bad month can shake your confidence and make you question your career. 

But fear of failure keeps you playing small. It stops you from taking risks, following up aggressively, and going after big deals.

Here’s the truth: Everyone falls down; only the best get back up. Top sales reps learn from their mistakes. They take feedback and get better with every failure.

Failure won’t kill you. It’ll leave a big bruise, sure, but if you take those lessons and move forward, you’ll end up with a bigger payout.

Fear of Being Pushy

One of the most dangerous fears in sales is the fear of being pushy. It leads to weak closes, timid follow-ups, and deals slipping through the cracks. 

You worry that if you push too hard, the prospect will get annoyed. So instead of confidently asking for the sale, you hint at it. 

Instead of following up with urgency, you “check-in.” You mistake aggressively pursuing a deal with being rude.

Stop sugarcoating it. You ARE an interrupter. Every call you make disturbs someone. But are you disturbing them with a solution? That’s the question.

Viewing yourself as having the solution to a problem that’s costing your prospect time and money—rather than having a product to hawk—is key.

Shift your perspective. Be direct. Be confident. And most importantly, ask for the sale.

Get Over It

None of these fears have to be—or should be—permanent. They’re all fixable, but you’ve got to do the work. 

– Take More Action – Fear loses its grip when you move fast. Make more calls, send more emails, go after more deals. The more you do, the less time fear has to creep in.

— Reframe Rejection – A “no” isn’t personal—it’s part of the process. Treat every rejection as a stepping stone to success.

– Be Authentic in Your Fear – Don’t shove fear down and pretend it doesn’t exist. Face it. Write fears down. Address them to a mentor. But don’t let them stalk you in silence.

– Adopt a Growth Mindset – View failures as lessons, not as evidence that you’re not good enough. 

– Surround Yourself with Winners – Fear is contagious—but so is confidence. Spend time with top performers, learn from them, and absorb their mindset.

The reps who dominate in sales aren’t the ones who never feel fear—they’re the ones who refuse to let it stop them. 

Take action. Push through. And watch your sales career take off.

To learn more about reframing your fear and pushing past it, take the Sales Gravy University Course The Underlying Causes of Fear.