Self-confidence can be learned. Everyone experiences times when they doubt themselves and their ability to successfully conduct and close a sale. But when it becomes an ongoing battle, you must ask yourself, is this career right for me? If the answer is still yes, you must learn to increase your self- confidence through practice and learning more affirmative behaviors.
Very few of us bound out of bed first thing in the morning ready to take on (or sell to) the world. But once we’ve downed that first cup of coffee and we begin our day, our sense of self and the confidence we carry with us comes to the forefront. Many successful sales professionals have a personal routine that gets the self-confidence going and has them eager to pick up the phone.
Here are a few examples of what might work for you:
● Dress the part. Although no one’s going to know you’re making phone calls before shaving and you’re lounging in your sweats—you know! If you’re working from home or a hotel room out of town, make it a routine to get as ready as you would as if you’d be heading to your office. By dressing the part, you’re more apt to behave and present yourself in a professional man- ner. If you’ve got a very important call to make—put on your best clothes. When you feel your best, chances are you’ll do your best.
● Eliminate all distractions other than the task at hand. If a personal problem needs to be addressed, try to handle it before mixing it up with your work life. If you’ve got business concerns on your mind, consider or- ganizing your workday activities so that everything possible can be handled so as not to interfere with your concentration. It is important to present a positive demeanor to others—whether you’re in a face-to-face meeting or speaking over the telephone.
● Do your homework. Like your mother always told you, be prepared. There’s nothing worse than having your potential customer ask you a ques-
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tion and you can’t answer it because you can’t find your notes. Organize your notes and use them. Think through as many possible scenarios as possible and be ready with a thorough reply.
If you’re caught off guard, you can always compliment your customer on an excellent question and tell her you’ll get back with the answer within a short amount of time—and then do so. If you don’t plan ahead, you’ll find yourself muttering ‘‘uh’’ and ‘‘um’’ and ‘‘hold on just one second’’ while the clock ticks, you shuffle papers, and the customer waits. Not a good thing, as Martha Stewart would say.
Before you make your first call of the day, have a satisfying, healthy meal, exercise a bit to get the blood flowing and the mind sharp, and then do a short—perhaps five or ten minutes—mental run-through of your day, or a mental rehearsal of that first important phone call.
To get yourself in the confident mood required for cold calling, try a bit of positive self-talk. If you think this is silly or isn’t important—think again. How did you respond the last time someone gave you a compliment? Did you shrug it off or reply that it was nothing?
Negativity is everywhere we go—even expected of us if we don’t want to appear conceited or bold. Why are you so willing to believe the negatives over the positives in your life? In thinking over your upcoming cold calls, ask yourself this—if you don’t think you deserve the sale, do you really think the customer is going to disagree?
Use every opportunity to give yourself credit for a job well done. When a particular transaction goes well, relive it several times during the day and just before you go to sleep at night. Congratulate yourself on doing a good job. It’s okay to feel proud of your accomplishments. Experiencing the joys of success empowers you to continue to believe in yourself and do a good job.
Some people find that practicing how you’re going to approach your customer in front of a mirror helps. Find a space that’s private and where you won’t be interrupted. As you go through your rehearsal, pay particular attention to not just your tone of voice, but your facial expression and your body movements.
51 Are you sitting up straight in your chair or slumping over your desk with your chin in your hand and the telephone receiver balanced on your shoulder? When you’re finished practicing, tell yourself no one can do this job any better than you. The more specific you can be, the better it is. And the more you practice your confidence-building routines, the more your self- esteem will grow. You might feel self-conscious when you start to practice these new behaviors but once your self-confidence grows, those feelings will disappear.