“Do you have sales-call reluctance?” Connie Kadansky asks me point-blank.

“Um…” I trail off. She’s a sales coach at Sales Call Reluctance with 20 years’ experience. I’m supposed to be interviewing her. But somehow I’ve let slip that I’d rather have my teeth drilled than pitch total strangers over the phone.

If you feel the same way, you might take heart from Kadansky’s tips for making effective sales calls, even if picking up the phone takes you outside your comfort zone. I plan on giving them a try. (If you do, too, let me know how it goes.)

1. Face it, you’re a salesperson. Just like everyone else.

“So many people resist the fact that they are salespeople,” Kadansky says. “They’ve had experience with salespeople who were less than professional.” If you think about…