Thoughtful Thursdays - We have it, loose it, regain it

It can come and go without notice. We research, analyze, plan and practise to build it. In what seems to be a blink of an eye it can be lost and once lost it can take a long time to regain it. Even the most experienced have lost it.

I have heard some say that successful people exude it, some quietly while others are more in your face with it.

You know when it is in the room and can also spot it from a distance. You have it too, we all have it at some level.

Today's thought is about confidence and how it relates to sales. It feels good when you go into a meeting or make a presentation with a high degree of confidence. In my experience, a large part of being confident is believing that you will be helping your customer and in turn what will be accomplished as a result and communicating with a positive attitude. A combination of experience, research and preparation will build that confidence.

What helps many is to anticipate objections and develop appropriate responses. Identify and be prepared to address questions you find challenging or fear. Doing some basic research can also help mitigate the fears you might have that might undermine your confidence. Know your audience and speak their language. If this information is not available, be prepared to address analytical as well as intuitive personalities.

Remember that you are helping, know the relevant benefits that your products and services bring to your customer. Articulate your competitive advantage and believe in it.

Confidence in what you do also builds with each time you do it. Not every call is going to be a gem and not all your prospects will be converted to customers. Learn quickly from mistakes and put practices into place that will insure they are not repeated. You can be confident that with appropriate forethought and consideration you will be successful a higher percentage of the time.

Good selling,
Richard