HBR Staff; Peter Dazeley/Ilustrador o artista vectorial/Getty Images
Summary.
Peter, an aspiring entrepreneur at a start-up accelerator program, was anxious about talking to a potential customer. Most of his conversations up until that point had revolved around building his company and were limited to friends, family, mentors, and peers. They were all people he knew well. Speaking with a stranger was making him (very) uncomfortable. He picked up his phone, opened his mouth, and fumbled as he began to speak.