Obtaining Self-Confidence

A reader recently asked me the following:

"I enjoyed the information you provided on your website, however you never mentioned how important Self-Confidence is in a sale. I have been told that I am an excellent sales person, however I lack the self-confidence to close the sale. Self Confidence is not easy to 'obtain' therefore for those us with this problem, we can never be successful in sales."

Self-confidence is a very important in sales. It seems to be one of those areas that people believe "you just have it, or you don't." Many people think that you are either a natural, are born talented, or you are incapable. My belief is that whatever one person can do, another person can do (what a person WILL do is another issue). I also believe that what humans have yet to accomplish, can be realized through ingenuity and persistence.

I want to discuss how one comes into a state of self- confidence. To do this, I am going to focus in on a couple of important pieces of what DG said. I think it would be useful before I do that though to define what self- confidence is. Obviously it is a feeling. A feeling of being able to do something. A feeling that one can accomplish what one sets out to do.

Reading my dictionary, I noted the following two definitions of self-confidence:

  • The state of being certain,
  • Trust or faith in one's abilities.
  • So when DG says "I lack the self-confidence to close the sale", what is she really saying? She is really saying that she is not certain, or that she lacks trust or faith.

    Certainty in my experience is a state of being that comes about when one knows exactly what it going to happen. One can get to this state by one of two ways. The way most of us are familiar with is by doing something enough times until we know exactly what results we will get when we take certain actions. For some people in some situations, this can produce a lot of fear. The fear stops one from taking action.

    The solution to the fear is in DG's statement that "self- confidence is not easy to 'obtain'". DG is correct, self- confidence cannot be obtained. One has to have trust or faith that one is capable. This is the short answer on how to get self-confidence.

    The more detailed answer goes back to self-confidence being about a state of certainty. The way to create a state of certainty without first doing what one is unsure of is to create the results in advance.

    Now that may sound kind of weird. How do you create results in advance? Easy. You do it in your mind using your imagination. Essentially, what you want to do is envision your desired goal or outcome, and then detail out a specific plan of exactly how you will get there.

    You want a plan so specific that you answer "yes" to this question:

    "If I take all these actions, will I get my outcome?"

    Keep making your plan more specific until you can answer this question. When you can, you will suddenly realize that you have certainty that you will accomplish your goal. And when you have certainty about the future or your abilities, you can have trust and faith in the results.

    Many people are loath to plan out their future. Others do so, but only part-way. One of the most limiting beliefs one can have is that detailed planning is only for anally retentive people. Go all the way and plan in detail until you can answer the simple but important question above.

    To speed up the planning, copy someone who is already successful. You can find some of this information in books. You can interview and follow around the most successful sales rep that you can find. You can get a mentor, buy tapes, take classes. The information is out there. Because if someone has done it, then so can anyone else.

    Once you find the right people to copy, find out what they believe about themselves and their success. Adopt their beliefs or pretend that you believe the same thing. Do this until you become the success that you want to be. Pretend for long enough, and you'll also discover that you are no longer pretending - you actually believe the same things that successful people do because you are one of them.

    © 1999-2004 Shamus Brown, All Rights Reserved.

    Shamus Brown is a Professional Sales Coach and former high-tech sales pro who began his career selling for IBM. Shamus has written more than 50 articles on selling and is the creator of the popular Persuasive Selling Skills CD Audio Program. You can read more of Shamus Brown's sales tips at http://Sales-Tips.industrialEGO.com/ and you can learn more about his persuasive sales skills training at http://www.Persuasive-Sales-Skills.com/

    In The News:


    pen paper and inkwell


    cat break through


    Book Yourself Solid

    THE 7 KEYS TO GETTING MORE CLIENTS THAN YOU CAN... Read More

    17 Tips for Bringing Your Event to Life

    Your job as an event planner doesn't stop with the... Read More

    The Prejudging Predicament

    There's a direct correlation between sales experience and prejudging. The... Read More

    Psychological Tricks in Selling

    Psychological Tricks in Selling By Stephen Bucaro In this article,... Read More

    Reviving Dead Clients

    Most consultants I've talked to don't spend any time trying... Read More

    Recommending Products Vs. Selling Them

    Some of the best sales people I have ever met,... Read More

    What is a Pitch?

    I've been training in countries outside the U.S. recently, and... Read More

    How To Sell Your Products or Services on Value And Stop Selling On Price Alone

    Have you ever met with, or talked to a prospect... Read More

    Model Dell: The Art of the Affiliate Coupon

    Along with having an innovative supply chain, there's another reason... Read More

    How Sellers Can Take Control

    For centuries ? at least since the serpent convinced Eve... Read More

    The Top 10 Myths About the Sales Profession

    Myth 1: Sales People are all Shady!In the Broadway play... Read More

    Dr. Seuss?s 3-Step Selling Process

    Hello Everyone: Here's a unique look at learning how tosell:... Read More

    Clear Up Blurry Communication

    One of the top brewing companies in America is a... Read More

    Plan For Your Next Trade Show Appearance To Be A Success

    Most people who consider trade show planning think of it... Read More

    Too Much Empathy Will Cost You Money

    Ever have a prospect start out your sales call by... Read More

    Eighty Percent of Success is Showing Up

    The above quote, "Eighty percent of success is showing up."... Read More

    An Introductino to Insurance Lead Generation

    It is vital that insurance salespeople have a steady stream... Read More

    How to Create Material That Will Get You Sales Now!

    WHY ARE YOU WRITING THIS BROCHURE OR SALES LETTER? A... Read More

    Stop Telemarketers, Do Not Call List or Not

    American consumers have spoken and have done so loudly registering... Read More

    Hurrican Selling Styles

    As I prepare this issue of this Newsletter, at 37,000... Read More

    Selling To Your Difficult Person

    We all have people whom we find difficult. We don't... Read More

    UK Sales and Marketing Terminology

    Terminology / AcronymsABC figures: This is the independently audited sales... Read More

    Can Barter Help Increase Cash Sales and Visability for Your Small Business?

    Barter is becoming an increasingly popular method of commerce. The... Read More

    How to Make Sure You Sell More!

    Make sure you target women. It's true for almost anything... Read More

    Peddlers, Hucksters, & Empty Suits

    Ever feel like you were "just a salesperson"? I think... Read More

    Your Clients Buying What Youre Selling

    Linda felt like she had reached a plateau in her... Read More

    Ten FAST Ways to Sell Your Products

    Always give a reason for the sale for credibility. 1.... Read More

    Take the Contract with You

    I learned something very interesting this week. Thankfully, what I... Read More

    Building an Action Plan

    Going into your workday and waiting for things to happen,... Read More

    A Quick and Simple Tip For Gaining Customers

    In the course of my career, I've had to deal... Read More

    If I Wanted To Sell For A Living, I Would Of Majored In It In College

    By a show of hands, how many of you grew... Read More

    Three Ways to Increase Mortgage Applications

    If you are in the mortgage business, the very first... Read More

    Are You a Cultivator or a Harvester?

    As a result of providing marketing consulting, training and coaching... Read More