5 Rules for Building Self Confidence in Sales

What is the difference between high performing salespeople and average salespeople? If you answered with replies like, "luck" or "high performers have unfair advantages," then you'd be wrong. In sales, running into rejection, naysayers, critics and bad bosses is like the weather. It just happens and there is nothing we can do about it, except...How you react to people & events will determine your future in sales; it's the difference between average/good selling v. high performance selling. Take note, building unwavering self confidence is one of the critical elements to truly succeeding in sales and performing at a high level, day in and day out. It is true that some people have an easier time of this (although not many). But it is something that you can develop over time. Think of self confidence as a skill or muscle that you can build up.

Don't fall for quick self confidence tips. Let's equate this to coffee for a moment. The most popular energy drink in the world. You drink it to get a quick jolt of energy so that you feel motivated to perform your work. But eventually, you pay the price when you crash in the afternoon after your stress hormones wear off. You have to keep drinking it (and more of it) to sustain yourself. It's like practicing the wrong things. You may get a quick jolt of motivation but in the end, it does not sustain us. The key is practicing the right things on a consistent basis. Eventually, they become habits and part of our DNA.

So, what is the typical salesperson to do? Here are 5 Rules:

1/5. Know Your Self Worth

This is self confidence 101. The basis of self confidence. If you don't value yourself, who will? You must believe that you were born for a reason. That you are unique, bring value to the world and have the ability to make an impact far greater than yourself. Wow! What a concept. But it's true. AND you have to believe it. But what if you don't? If not, here are some sales behaviors that I've personally witnessed: (a). avoiding the phone. (b). seeking the approval of others. (c). not volunteering for new things (d). staying small and not going big (e). average or inconsistent sales & income. You choose.

2/5. Your Posture Says It All

Do you want a quick win? Most salespeople are looking for shortcuts. I never recommend shortcuts, unless they work. This one actually does. When you sit down, become aware of how you're sitting. Are you slouched over or down? Do you lean to the side? Catch yourself. When you create the right pose, you speak from a position of power and authority - confidence! When you are on a Zoom call, sit up straight, relax the shoulders, feet squarely on the floor and actually look into the camera lens (so that you are looking right at your customer or prospect). If you are simply having a call with a client, stand up. Walk around. I find that standing allows me to breathe easier, feel more confident and if I am using a bluetooth earpiece, I can use my hands and arms to be more expressive.

3/5. Detach Yourself from Outcomes

In sales, you will lose more deals than you win. Who would voluntarily become a salesperson knowing that? Well, salespeople. We love a challenge. But if you tie your self confidence to the # of meetings, # of conversations, # of presentations and yes, the amount of sales you close, then you are headed for a world of hurt. Confidence in sales today is a man-made construct. We are told and taught that when we achieve or crush our sales goals, we are confident. When we don't, then we are not. If you want to have a long, fulfilling and successful career in sales, then you must build your confidence in other ways. Replace the thought of "I am confident when I achieve or exceed my goals" with "I am confident because I am confident." Create this as a mantra that you go to everyday. Then think about all the great things you've achieved so far and the small improvements that are happening everyday.

4/5. Practice Good Morning Habits

How do you start your morning? Do you roll out of bed and turn on the morning news? Do you go right to coffee to wake up? Maybe, you dread waking up and wish you could sleep more. The first things you do in the morning will have the greatest impact on your day. In order to achieve high performance, there are certain habits that will have a greater impact than others. Here are a few: (a). Exercise - I don't care if it's at home or the gym or outside. You must get moving, get your heart rate up and release those endorphins. (b). Cold showers - Another way to release endorphins. It creates more alertness, clarity and energy. Try starting with warm/hot and switch to cold for at least 60 seconds. Then repeat. (c). Mindfulness breathing - Plenty of youTube videos on this. It will create more focus and relaxation in your day. It doesn't have to be long. Even 5 minutes has been shown to have some benefit. (d.). Your breakfast - Don't eat heavy, greasy foods. It will weigh you down and it's harder to digest. When your body is expending more energy on digestion, you have less reserves to perform at a high level. It's simple - when you feel good, you feel more confident.

5/5. Establish Goals but Love the Process

As salespeople, we must have goals. This is how we know we are progressing and achieving. But we have goal attainment all wrong. When we begin to practice a new habit or learn a new skill, we tend to focus on the end goal far too much. What happens is that we become frustrated, impatient, anxious and stressed out. We then abandon the new habit or skill because we are comparing where we are with where we should be. Michael Jordan in high school was not the basketball player we came to know in the pros. He didn't quit. He worked hard at practicing the process over and over. If he constantly compared himself to greats like Walt Frasier or Rick Barry, do you think he would have lasted? If we don't focus on the process of becoming great at something, then the chances we will see it through are negligible.

Why build self confidence? For sales, it is critical. It also has power in every area of your life. A real life skill that can be developed over time. Self confidence (not arrogance) is contagious. It makes people want to work with you - customers and prospects. AND it makes people want to do better because of it. That's what top performers do.

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Andy Carlton helps salespeople and sales teams become top performers. He has the accolades to prove it: over $55M in contracts, part of one of the fastest growing companies in the country as cited by INC Magazine, for 4 consecutive years, launched a marketing SaaS platform that was awarded Cisco Innovation Award, and sold to some of the most prominent CEO's for the first ecommerce marketplace in commercial internet history. Andy's mission is clear: to remove the mistakes of the overworked and stressed-out sales culture and replace it with one based on intention, wellness and healthy motivation. This has led to top performers who love what they do and get the highest results without brutal sales training tactics nor 12-hour daily grinds.

Stay tuned for my latest sales workshops this summer. Follow me on LinkedIn.