You want to be an entrepreneur and make some money, but you are a big chicken when it comes time to pick up the telephone and call someone.

Well, don't feel too bad because there are many entrepreneurs that used to stand in the very same shoes that you now wear. Phone fear is something that stops a great deal of would be business owners in their tracks, but it can be eliminated if you take the time to truly evaluate a few critical elements.

However, before we do that, we need to establish that your ability to make phone calls is vitally important to your business. Would you agree with that assessment? There are very few businesses, small or large, that can operate efficiently without the use of a telephone.

With that said, the two critical elements that need to be addressed in order for you to overcome your fear of the phone is "your attitude" and the actual "phone" itself. Let's talk about the phone first.

Are you really afraid of the phone? Does the phone have the ability to chase you, hurt you, yell at you? Those may seem like silly questions but that brings home the point. We already know that the phone is unable to hurt you.

In fact, you would have to be in some pretty awkward situations to get hurt by a phone. On the other hand, there are some pieces of required equipment that can hurt you if you aren't extremely careful with them, such as guns, chain saws, and high powered tools, just to name a few.

Does a telephone fall into the category of a dangerous piece of equipment? The simple answer is: no. Based on the example given, most people would agree that there is no logical reason to be afraid of the phone. Besides, the same fear that you might feel when calling a business contact or prospect is immediately erased if you call a friend or family member, and you probably didn't have to switch phones to develop that new found bravery? Therefore, it is obvious that there is no real reason to fear using a phone.

That brings us to the nitty-gritty of why you are afraid of the phone. You are more than likely afraid of the person that might answer the phone, and what he or she might say to you. In other words, your true fear has nothing to do with the phone but with people.

Consider this...can a cop be a cop without a gun? Can a lumberjack be a lumberjack without an ax? Can you be an effective entrepreneur without a phone? It would be very difficult, if not impossible.

Here are a few things that you should consider in order to be successful using the phone.

1. Your Attitude: If you can honestly admit that learning how to use the phone is not in your immediate future, then you probably need to find another way to make money. In realistic terms, you truly have to develop the attitude that I'm going to get over this phone issue, or you will have a tremendous struggle to succeed in your business. It all begins with you and a positive attitude.

2. Practice: We all know that confidence can erase fear in many situations and a good way to build confidence is to practice. You can practice what you want to say to specific kinds of people via the phone, and polish these skills until they become second nature. Try picking up the phone and pretending to actually speak with someone on the other end. Do that 5-10 times per day and you will be surprised at what it does for your overall confidence and phone skills. While practicing, you can also employ small, but proven, techniques such as looking into a mirror, smiling, and considering that the person on the other end of the phone is a friendly person.

3. Grow Thicker Skin: Learn to take a 'no' from someone and move on. There is a great story about two guys passing out free books inside an airport terminal and one of them stops a guy who is clearly running for his plane. He has his ticket in his teeth, coat over his shoulder and luggage in his hands. One of the young men politely stepped in front of this gentleman and commences to give him an unwanted presentation on the free book and its importance.

Well, the man became very irate and proceeded to verbally rip this young man to pieces. A professional salesman was watching this exchange and was waiting for the young man to turn to his partner and say "Hey, I need a break after that one." Instead, after the man finished yelling and stormed off, he immediately spun around and stopped the very next person walking by, without even thinking about it twice. That's what it means to "grow thicker skin" and ultimately what it means to be successful in many instances.

It's the learned skill and ability to separate the business side from the personal side and to keep charging ahead.

So, the next time you are sitting there pondering whether or not you should pick up the phone, just do it. Put a smile on your face, punch in the numbers, and dial for the dollars. Understand that your financial success and the success of your business depends on your ability to take action and initiate important contacts.

In the end, think about this...can making a few phone calls really hurt you? No, but failing to make them probably can.

Written by E. Kinton, Jr. http://www.NationalNetworkers.com Article may be freely distributed.