To be successful in anything a person has to be able to inspire the confidence of others. Particularly in business, confidence is a necessary attribute. An entrepreneur will come to various crossroads where he will require confidence to sell his business and/or products to investors, individual consumers and corporate entities. The confidence that is needed is two-fold:
(1) personal confidence and
(2) confidence in the subject matter of the sale.
Starting with self-confidence, there is a noticeable difference in the demeanor of someone who is confident in comparison to someone who is not. Those in the latter category have a certain hesitancy in everything they do, their walk, speech even their sense of style. Confident people on the other hand, throw caution to the winds. For instance, if you ask a confident person about whether they can accomplish a certain task, they will likely answer: "absolutely" whereas the less confident person will likely answer: " I think so". When given the choice, most of us prefer association with someone who is confident because we gravitate towards synergy in the relationships we cultivate.
The journey to personal confidence begins from childhood. When a child is given opportunities to participate in activities where mastery of a set of skill-set is displayed to a targeted audience, they grow up to become self-assured and confident. For example, when a child learns to play an instrument; at first, he will be hesitant. But soon after learning a particular song and experiencing success of the first performance, he will gravitate towards that feeling of self-gratification. Every recital thereafter will build a layer of confidence. Eventually, that child will not doubt his ability to learn something new and master it. It is often said, that our past experiences are the best predictors of future behavior. As adult, we draw from our past successes and failures as a measure of self-worth. In order to maintain personal confidence we need to keep on file a set of successful experiences to reinforce the belief that we can do it again. This is applicable regardless of whether the successes are in different areas or stages of our lives.
Confidence in the subject matter is an important aspect of selling a business venture, service or product. No one will support a business that is surrounded by ambiguity. If you were to ask a representative of the Dove Company: is this deodorant going to stop me from perspiring and keep me smelling fresh? The answer you want, is: "absolutely" not "maybe". By the same token, you must unequivocally represent your business or products. Confidence in this area will require you to obtain expert knowledge in the subject matter and develop a game plan for overcoming any resistance or objection to the information that you are conveying. Think of answering the "why and how" for instance why use Dove instead of Degree? How is Dove better than Degree?
Once you have developed a clear roadmap for answering even the most inflammatory questions, you need to rehearse those answers. Practice them in front of a mirror where you can observe your facial reactions and body language. Don't stop rehearsing until you can convince the person looking back at you in the mirror. Ultimately, that is what is what is takes. Once you are convinced of what you are selling, you will not have any difficulty being confident in front of others. That is success! If you've done it before, chances are that you will do it again, and again and again. Next time, someone asks you about your ability to do something or give you the opportunity to advocate for your business, look them square in the eyes and make the unequivocal statement that will inspire their confidence.
Catherine is the founder and owner of Delcin Consulting Group, a Business Consulting firm that provides comprehensive services to Startup Companies, Existing Businesses, and Non-Profit Organizations. The collaborative effort of the firm generates business solutions and long-term support to facilitate and ensure the successful pursuit of entrepreneurship.
For more information please visit our website: http://www.delcinconsultinggroup.com.
You may also connect with Catherine via email, Catherine@delcinconsultinggroup.com or connect with her via Twitter at: http://twitter.com/CatherineDelcin.
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