--- title: The Most Difficult Part of Prospecting | The Sales Blog description: You probably don’t do enough prospecting. It’s likely that you are well aware of that fact. If you spent more time prospecting, more time cold calling and opening relationships, you would have more opportunities. You’d even have a stronger pipeline. But your resistance to prospecting keeps you from doing as well as you might. Knowing […] image: https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Screen-Shot-2012-03-08-at-7_58_54-PM.png --- ### [Now booking SKO meetings for 2026/27! 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It’s likely that you are well aware of that fact. If you spent more time prospecting, more time cold calling and [opening relationships](http://thesalesblog.com/2011/09/my-favorite-sales-metric-opening/), you would have more opportunities. You’d even have [a stronger pipeline](http://thesalesblog.com/2011/10/a-full-pipeline-inoculates-you-against-most-sales-problems/). But your resistance to prospecting keeps you from doing as well as you might. Knowing all of this is true probably still isn’t enough for you to stop [procrastinating](http://thesalesblog.com/2012/01/to-be-really-effective-pick-three-tasks-per-day/). You may not even be motivated by the fact that your fiercest competitors are prospecting, and they are calling your existing client and dream clients (just ask them). There is a simple solution that makes prospecting easier. Just start making calls. If you run or do any aerobic exercise, you know how uncomfortable it is to get started. I say that the hardest climbing you ever do on a bicycle is actually climbing onto the bike to get started. It takes me 8 or 9 miles before my body starts to acclimate to the exercise. My friends that run tell me that it takes them 3 or 4 miles to finally get their body to adjust. That metaphor works for prospecting. It’s just like that. The most difficult call you make is the first call. It has nothing to do with [who you call](http://thesalesblog.com/2011/08/invest-your-time-where-it-counts-your-sweet-spot/) or the outcome of that call. It has everything to do with overcoming the [internal resistance](http://www.stevenpressfield.com/the-war-of-art/) to starting. Each call after the first gets easier. You adjust. You find your rhythm. It gets easier. This is why it’s important to [prospect early in the day](http://thesalesblog.com/2011/06/prospecting-rule-one/). That’s when you have the mental focus and the greatest capacity to overcome your resistance. As the day goes on, you will find [other work](http://thesalesblog.com/2011/09/it-feels-like-work-but-it%e2%80%99s-not/) to take the place of prospecting, and the world will start making demands of you. #### Questions Do you find it true that once you get started doing something difficult it gets easier? When do you have the most resolve to overcome your internal resistance to prospecting and cold calling? How do you overcome your internal resistance? What do you tell yourself about why you must prospect and the price for failing to do so? ###### Tags: [Prospecting](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/prospecting) Post by [Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/author/anthony-iannarino) on March 8, 2012 Written and edited by human brains and human hands. ![Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/ai-blog-profile-crop.jpg) Anthony Iannarino is an American writer. He has published daily at [thesalesblog.com](https://www.thesalesblog.com) for more than 14 years, amassing over 5,300 articles and making this platform a destination for salespeople and sales leaders. Anthony is also the author of four best-selling books documenting modern sales methodologies and a fifth book for sales leaders seeking revenue growth. His latest book for an even wider audience is titled, The Negativity Fast: Proven Techniques to Increase Positivity, Reduce Fear, and Boost Success. Anthony speaks to sales organizations worldwide, delivering cutting-edge sales strategies and tactics that work in this ever-evolving B2B landscape. He also provides workshops and seminars. Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn, X or Youtube. You can email Anthony at [iannarino@gmail.com](mailto:iannarino@gmail.com) [Follow me on my website](https://www.thesalesblog.com/anthony-iannarino) [Follow me on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/thesalesblog) [Follow me on LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/iannarino/) [Follow me on Twitter ](http://www.twitter.com/iannarino) [![AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg?width=400&height=400&name=AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/authority) [![ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg?width=318&height=179&name=ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/free-cold-calling-video) ![cold-call-ebook-v3-1-cover](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/cold-call-ebook-v3-1-cover.webp?width=768&height=994&name=cold-call-ebook-v3-1-cover.webp) ### How to Crush It, Kill It, and Master Cold Calling Now! There is nothing that is going to help you produce better results right now than improving your ability to prospect and build a solid pipeline of opportunities [![DOWNLOAD EBOOK](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/8ce7f0c6-64b0-4993-bbb7-9c9b2f047051.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/8ce7f0c6-64b0-4993-bbb7-9c9b2f047051) ## Are You Ready To Solve Your Sales Challenges? ![Anthony-Solve-Sales](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Anthony-Solve-Sales.png?width=290&height=221&name=Anthony-Solve-Sales.png) Hi, I’m Anthony. I help sales teams make the changes needed to create more opportunities & crush their sales targets. What we’re doing right now **is working**, even in this challenging economy. **Would you like some help?** [![Solve for Sales](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035) ### Join my Weekly Newsletter for Sales Tips Join 100,000+ sales professionals in my weekly newsletter and get my *Guide to Becoming a Sales Hustler* eBook for FREE! --- ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org/", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Anthony Iannarino" }, "dateModified" : "2022-01-21T9:39:57 PM", "datePublished" : "2012-03-08 20:09:39", "description" : "You probably don’t do enough prospecting. It’s likely that you are well aware of that fact. If you spent more time prospecting, more time cold calling and opening relationships, you would have more opportunities. You’d even have a stronger pipeline. 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