--- title: A Short Meditation on Fear | The Sales Blog description: Fear is a powerful foe. It creates a dangerous form of complacency. A fear of conflict prevents the kind of candid conversations that allow you to identify and overcome obstacles. You don’t want to bring up the uncomfortable issues that might anger your clients or alienate your prospect. So you say nothing, knowing that nothing […] image: https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_132958505.jpg --- ### [Now booking SKO meetings for 2026/27! 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It creates a dangerous form of [complacency](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2012/01/08/fear-complacency-your-clients-do/). A fear of [conflict](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2013/09/26/why-your-operations-team-struggles-and-what-to-do-about-it/) prevents the kind of candid conversations that allow you to identify and overcome obstacles. You don’t want to bring up the uncomfortable issues that might anger your clients or alienate your prospect. So you say nothing, knowing that nothing will change and your problems will only worsen. You fear asking for [commitments](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2013/09/22/respect-for-your-prospect-respect-for-your-process/) because your prospective client may refuse your request. You also fear that the commitment you need will somehow be perceived as bothersome or inconvenience your client. So you don’t ask for the commitments you need and opportunities are lost. You fear that other people will think less of you, so you go along with the crowd. You don’t buy the company line because the cool kids, the [cynics](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2011/05/10/cynicism-is-a-recipe-for-mediocrity/), will tear you apart. You fear your sales manager will think you’re weak if you ask for help. You fear your prospect will think your not sharp enough if you tell them you don’t have the answer to their question. So you allow fear to paralyze you. Fear is your enemy. You’ve been fighting fear your whole life. You’ve retreated from many battles, allowing fear to take ground without a fight. But you’ve fought fear and won many times, the times when what you were fighting over was [important to you](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2013/04/25/motivation-is-a-bigger-why/), when the stakes were to high to allow fear to win. Your battle with fear continues. Each day you are faced with the choice to engage fear, face it, overcome it, and take back the ground that was stolen from you. You decide whether or not you have the conversation that needs to be had or allow the problems to worsen. You decide whether or not to ask for the commitment that you need and that you know will move you closer to your goals. And you decide whether or not you will let the opinions of others determine the quality of your life and the quality of your results. Fear is a powerful foe. Until you face it. In the moment you face it, fear is dissipated, vanquished, and destroyed. ###### Tags: [Productivity](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/productivity) [2013](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/2013) Post by [Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/author/anthony-iannarino) on September 27, 2013 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) ![maximize-productivity-ebook-v3-1-cover (2)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/maximize-productivity-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(2).jpg?width=768&height=994&name=maximize-productivity-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(2).jpg) ### Maximize Productivity Being productive means getting important things done. The big stuff. The stuff that moves you toward accomplishing your biggest, most important goals. [![DOWNLOAD EBOOK](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/faff89b7-a7a5-474e-9a53-68c41c02cd55.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/faff89b7-a7a5-474e-9a53-68c41c02cd55) ## 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" : "2022-06-16T3:26:36 PM", "datePublished" : "2013-09-27 22:38:56", "description" : "Fear is a powerful foe. It creates a dangerous form of complacency. A fear of conflict prevents the kind of candid conversations that allow you to identify and overcome obstacles. 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