“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”

Dale Carnegie

This quote by Dale Carnegie summarizes the essence of overcoming fear and doubt through action. 

It emphasizes the idea that sitting idly and marinating on fears only serves to amplify them. When one takes action, even small steps of action, they begin to build their confidence and courage.

Most of us can agree, fear often stems from the unknown. By taking action, we confront that unknown. Each step forward, chips away at the fear, replacing it with a sense of accomplishment, progress and confidence.

Conquering fear demands that we step out of our comfort zones, face fears head-on, and seize control of our lives. This alone is one monumental step towards sales success.

Sales can be challenging. It’s definitely not for the weak at heart. It requires a laser focused mindset and heartset to really be successful.

Becoming a great sales professional requires confidence. The confidence and believability you have in yourself.

You must believe in yourself first.

Much of what you will achieve in sales, depends on how much you believe in your abilities and yourself.

How many of us, myself included, often lack self-belief during the times when we need it the most?

Insecurities in times of uncertainty and doubt, make us believe we're not capable of achieving whatever it is we've set out to do.

Sales professionals confidently take the risks that sales reps deflect and avoid.

With confidence, when was the last time you double-downed on yourself?

“When you doubt your power, you give power to your doubt.”

Honore de Balzac

Building sales confidence is about expanding your belief boundaries.

Cultivating self-belief and resilience, it's a powerful one two confidence boost.

CONFIDENCE IS CRITICAL

"Practice creates confidence. Confidence empowers you."

Simone Biles

In research conducted by Steve Martin for his book, "The Sales Strategy Playbook, The Ultimate Reference Guide to Solve Your Toughest Sales Challenges.", his goal was to gain an understanding of what’s really on customers’ minds.

In gaining this understanding, he asked these two questions,

What are their perceptions of the salespeople they meet, and how do they ultimately choose between them?

Check this out... 

• Only 31% of salespeople converse effectively with senior executives.

• 54% of salespeople clearly explain how their solution positively impacts a customer’s business.

Are you shocked? 

How much do you believe that a lack of confidence played a significant factor with these percentages?

When you speak with conviction and clarity, it shows that you’re selling with confidence.

Confidence comes across in the words you use, your delivery, and your body language.

How can your clients or prospects trust you if you don’t communicate like an expert?

If you struggle with self-confidence, your sales performance will suffer. You set low goals, if any, and achieve mediocre results. 

Confidence makes you challenge yourself and push yourself, to achieve your goals. 

You can increase your confidence by:

• Valuing yourself

• Finding your passion

• Changing your mindset

• Building genuine and authentic relationships

BUILDING CONFIDENCE

“Self-confidence is contagious."

Stephen Richards

How do you build confidence in a genuine and authentic manner? 

Sales is about accomplishing a transfer of confidence.

Confident salespeople gain tons of credibility with their clients. 

Let's think like an executive decision maker or influencer for a moment, if you suspect a salesperson isn’t all that sure of the value they’re bringing to you, how much confidence will you have in what they’re offering? 

Conversely, the salesperson who exudes confidence and who genuinely believes in what they’re doing is contagious.

Allow me to muddy the waters for a moment... Why do so many salespeople skip ahead to product-focused discussions? Because that’s where they’re most confident. 

They're the most confident in that arena because that's where the balance of their sales training has been guided towards - things such as product/service knowledge and sales techniques versus effectively listening for cues, asking more meaningful questions, building up their beliefs about selling and overcoming mental roadblocks to success.

This is aimed at sales leadership... 

Are you helping your salespeople build up confidence in themselves and what they’re capable of doing as much as you’re helping them build up their ability to recite product knowledge and use their CRM system?

Confidence is a muscle. It is a mental muscle that can be worked and trained.

Allow me to share three thoughts with you in how you can build your confidence to maximize your sales results.

1. DON'T COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS

The comparison game, especially in sales, is as old as humanity. Comparing yourself to others does absolutely nothing but place the power with the other person. 

Channel the focus and attention on you!

Stop comparing yourself to every other sales rep's highlight reels.

The comparison game is a mental game and is a waste of your time. It mentally drains you, sucking the life right out of you. Seek to catch yourself and avoid comparison triggers, especially if the activity doesn’t add meaning or any real value to you.

The grass isn't always greener on the other side of the sales comparison fence. 

2. INVEST IN YOURSELF

Hands down, investing in yourself has one of the best returns on investments. 

The consummate sales professional takes responsibility in developing their gifts and talents to best serve their clients.

You must love yourself before you can expect your clients to love you.

Look in the mirror and repeat after me...

• I'm worth it

• I'm of value

• I will create the best version of me

• I'm a value creator

Lather, rinse and repeat daily.

Investing in yourself, it sends a powerful message not only to you but to the business community. When you’re willing to say 'YES' to confidence and invest in yourself, your clients and future clients will provide you with amazing rewards.

3. LISTEN TO YOUR INNER VOICE

A person’s view of their abilities, whether it’s accurate or not, also plays a role in their sales success.

Don’t let the voice or opinions from others squash your inner voice. 

Dig deep, develop the courage to follow your heart. Get real with yourself and ask yourself tough questions. Turn up the inner voice and get radically honest with who you are.

If you can't get real yourself then how can you get real with your clients?

Those who don’t believe they have what it takes, whether it’s to make a strong first impression, engage in a business conversation or to move the sales ball over the goal line, usually prove themselves right.

Building your sales confidence is about expanding your belief boundaries.

Listen to your inner voice and accept you for you. Self-acceptance allows you to slow down, pay attention, and take note of what's going on inside of you.

Heartfelt sales professionals take responsibility for their choices and actions. They know they're the authors of their own sales lives.

YOUR HOMEWORK: BUILD YOUR CONFIDENCE

In today's business climate, confidence is king and queen, especially in an ever evolving and increasingly challenging sales environment. 

Confidence ties right into your reputation. How would you like to be viewed by your clients and future clients?

I encourage you to develop a morning routine, ritual and reflection time.

Building a self-confidence routine may be as simple as spending the first 30 minutes of every morning in solitude.

Asking yourself these questions...

• What am I grateful for?

• What am I proud of?

• What's my purpose?

• What went well for me?

• What lights my fire?

Projecting just enough confidence helps you gain credibility, makes for a good first impression and helps you to deal with pressure that comes with being a sales professional.

What daily confidence building questions will you ask yourself?

“Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence.”

Vince Lombardi

Originally Published on Larry Levine's LinkedIn.