Contest chair, dear toastmasters, ladies and gentlemen

   Do you have the experience that you want to do something but at that moment, you are just afraid of doing it? If you do, please raise your hand. Thank. Please put your hands down. A lot of people, including me, have this kind of problem. But how does this happen? Let me give you two examples.

   In class or in a meeting, it's time for Q & A session, I want to ask questions, but I just can't raise your hand, not because of my arm injury, but because I was thinking will people regard it as a stupid question or will they laugh at me.

   When you go to a gathering for a very first time, you see a young lady standing there, doing nothing. You want to go to her and have a chat with her. You want to check her out. What a babe. But normally most men would hesitate and wonder will she feel I am boring and refuse to talk to me.

      Things like this happen in our life. No matter it is big or small, all kinds of fear surrounds us: altitude, public speaking, being alone, being sick, being unemployed. I call them monsters. If you feel these monsters are blocking your way to your long-term success and happiness as well, here is my story which might be helpful to you.

   I am a sales representative promoting medicine to professional people, usually doctors. I want them recognize my product and prescribe it more often when they have proper cases. 2 years ago, one day shortly after I was on board, I went to Veteran General Hospital neurology department. At 9 am I visited the first customer Dr. Chen. Then I went on visiting the doctors one by one. All came out with lousy reasons. No difference. There is no hurry. No time. We have no trust.

   After being rejected for 4 times consecutively, my confidence was totally broken down. After lunch time, I was thinking should I keep on visiting the customers after so many objections. My hands were sweating, shaking, and legs were shivering. Well, maybe the next one, VIP, doctor Liu, had some time to talk with me, treat me nice with a cup of coffee and a piece of cake.

Then I went to his office, knocking at door.

Me: Good afternoon. My name is Alex. I have a very useful information about our product which can
       bring convenience to you and efficacy to you patients.”

Dr. Liu: I understand, but I am…

Me: No, Doc. You don't understand. My product is the best choice in treating PD…I can assure you
       that after using this product…

Dr. Liu: Can I talk to you later. I am a little bit …

Me: This is the brochure of our product containing a lot of clinical data. Do you want to read it now?

   He took the brochure. I was happy then because I thought he was going to read it. You know what? He put the brochure back in my suitcase and then stood up, taking my bag out of his office.

   After this humiliating moment, I went to a quiet place, thinking about what I really should do in the future. 

   Several days later, I planned to go to that hospital again because Dr. Liu and other doctors in that department contribute 70% sales in my field. I felt so scared. The fear of being rejected was fulfilled in my heart thoroughly. All of sudden, I was thinking “is the fear real or it is just out of my imagination”? As a sales rep, I may not be rejected every time. And I talked to myself, it's time for me be brave. I entered that particular customer's door. Hello, Dr. Liu, I am Alex Wang from Eli Lilly and Company. Without waiting for more words, he interrupted “ Mr. Wang I am sorry about that several days ago. I shouldn't do that to you. There was a patient with a serious trouble and was in coma so I was quite worried about him. Then we talked about that coma-patient and later discussed the disease and my product for a while. I was so relieved. I knew I made the right decision to visit that customer. If I was defeated by the fear of being rejected, I will never know what a nice doctor and a good friend he is. After understanding my product, he is now an opinion leader in my field, prescribing a lot of the medicine. 

   From the experience, whenever I encounter the fear, I would judge whether it is real or just out of my imagination. If it is not real, I would talk to myself when there is fear, it's time for me to be brave. It's time for me to be brave. I want all toastmasters can learn these magical words. Whenever there is fear, it's time for me to be brave. Indeed, whenever there is fear, it's time for us to be brave.