Have you ever been a kilogram or two overweight? You know what you have to do to lose the weight, but knowing what to do doesn't make a difference. We all know we should cold call on a regular basis, but how many of us actually do that?

The formula for success comes from within. It doesn't exist outside of you. Nothing I "tell" you will make one lick of difference until you see what it is that stops you in the first place. Ask yourself this: what is the inner dialogue that disempowers you? What is the gap between knowing what you have to do and actually doing it?

Is your Gremlin getting in the way of your productivity?
Most likely you have an inner Gremlin that stops you from producing the results you would like to achieve.

This Gremlin is the narrator in your head. His has influenced you since you came into this world. He tells you who and how you are. He also defines and interprets your every experience. Your inner Gremlin wants you to accept his interpretations as reality. His goal from moment-to-moment, day-to-day, is to squelch the real, vibrant you within. He wants you to believe that he has your best interest at heart, but his motive is actually much less honorable. He is intent on making you feel lousy.

Gremlin conversations are designed to self-sabotage. Your Gremlin wants to convince you that if you step out of your comfort zone (by the way, your Gremlin designed your comfort zone for you) you will:

• lose friends
• fail
• be wrong
• be poor
• be rejected
• be embarrassed.

When you sit down at your desk to make cold calls do you notice inner dialogues like this?

"Cold calling doesn't work."

"I have to organized my desk and/or office before I can cold call."

"No one wants to hear from a sales rep on Friday."

"My time would be more productive doing another activity."

"I don't feel like it."

These are all Gremlin conversations. They're quite compelling and logical. We believe them like they're the truth and in the moment there doesn't seem to be another choice. There always is. The way to reduce the volume of your Gremlin's voice from a 10 to a 2 is simple, certainly not easy, but simple:

1. Simply notice your Gremlin. Do not judge, analyze or think about it. These are all Gremlin activities. I like to use the expression "be a compassionate observer". Simply noticing is about being aware and being able to recognize a Gremlin conversation. Nothing more.

2. Choose and play with options. When we stop believing our Gremlin we can now play with different choices.

Keep in mind that cold calls are still one of the most effective methods of introducing your product/service to prospective customers. When you choose to be in action, it will dramatically boost your sales performance and income.

So, the next time you sit down to cold call, simply notice your Gremlin conversations and pick up the phone and dial anyway!