Let’s talk about something we’ve all felt but rarely name: The Pre-Call Panic.
It’s that gut-punch feeling of hesitation right before you reach out to a business you don’t yet know—whether by phone, email, LinkedIn, or walking through their front door. It’s the internal voice that whispers, “What if they blow me off?” or “I’ll reach out later—once I’ve got a better pitch.”
Sound familiar?
We began to focus on The Pre-Call Panic after watching too many talented OOH sales professionals—reps and managers alike—freeze up at the very moment they need to act. It’s a paralyzing loop that convinces us to check available inventory or tinker with spec ad sheets instead of doing the one thing that drives our business forward: initiating meaningful conversations with new potential advertisers.
“I’ll Just Do It Later…”
We rationalize it with “busy work” or convince ourselves we’ll be better prepared tomorrow. But let’s call it what it is: avoidance. And avoidance, in our world, kills deals and dries up pipelines.
Let’s be brutally honest here: would you rather hear “no” from a potential advertiser—or be staring down an empty forecast with your income and credibility on the line?
OOH is Built on Conversations
If you sell OOH media—whether posters or digital, transit or spectaculars—you already know: it’s not about the product. It’s about the conversation. The idea. The connection. The problem that needs to be overcome or the opportunity that needs to be taken advantage of. The imagination. The impact. But none of that gets activated if we don’t pick up the phone, stop by that business, or ask for the intro.
The Pre-Call Panic stops all of that in its tracks. It convinces you to research more instead of reaching out. It makes you prioritize proposal formatting over prospecting. It’s sneaky, and it’s costly.
Choose Your Pain
Here’s the truth: Prospecting isn’t deadly. Avoiding it is.
You get to choose your pain:
- The temporary discomfort of a “not interested.”
- Or the slow, painful erosion of your pipeline, confidence, and earnings.
Which one hurts more in the long run?
If you’re worried about getting caught off guard on a cold call… or flubbing your way through a gatekeeper… or not having the perfect response to an objection—you’re not alone. But is that the pain you really want to avoid?
Or would you rather avoid the pain of missing your numbers, the stress of inconsistent income, and the pressure of feeling like you’re always playing catch-up?
The Cure Is Simple—But Not Easy
Many of the best OOH reps and sales leaders we work with didn’t even know they had Pre-Call Panic until we called it out. But once they recognized the symptoms, they got to work.
They chose to lean into:
- Habits over motivation.
- Systems over spur-of-the-moment inspiration.
- Consistent outreach over perfect pitches.
And you know what happened next? Their numbers improved. But more importantly—their confidence skyrocketed. They stopped letting fear dictate their calendar and started owning their process again.
So here’s the challenge: If Pre-Call Panic has been robbing you of momentum, now’s the time to name it, confront it, and start treating it like the career killer it is.
The pipeline isn’t going to fill itself. That next great advertiser isn’t going to find you. You’ve got to go find those that need your help.
Are you ready to choose action over anxiety?
Need help with sales skills or coaching to take your out of home company to the next level. Learn more about OOH Sales Mastery at oohmastery.com or Contact Dan Nausley at dan.nausley@sandler.com, 423.702.5579.
Lisa & Dan Nausley and Reggie Piercy of Sandler Chattanooga have developed the OOH Sales Mastery Program after more than a decade of training/coaching thousands of OOH Operators across the country in sales, leadership, and executive coaching
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