How to Have Confidence with Customers

As a senior in high school, my basketball team suffered a tough loss in the divisional championship game.

Fresh from that defeat on a Saturday, we had to play the third-place team on Monday to defend our right to go to state. As tip-off approached, there was something deep inside of me that wouldn’t even consider the possibility of losing again.

I was full of confidence (not bravado) and the belief that we would play our best and punch our ticket to the state tournament.

It's a personality trait that has helped me succeed in life, business and also in sales.

Below are the 4 key elements to having confidence in front of your customer.

Practice

Confidence in front of a customer comes from practice and preparation. The more encounters you have, the more confident you will be in your approach.

Study your product, know what you are talking about, and carefully consider what questions they might ask. While it doesn’t take long to think about these things, they make all the difference when you are in the spotlight and need to perform. The more you flex this muscle the better you will be at doing it on the fly.

Honesty

You can't be successful if you BS your way through a presentation. Most people will pick up on this sooner or later.

If you don't know, tell them you don't know, and follow up with the answer. They will respect this a lot more than if you make it up.

Posture

Carry yourself with confidence. Sit up straight, look people in the eye, have a firm handshake, and thank them for their time. If your parents didn't teach you these things, you need to learn them. Don't be a punk.

Don’t Worry about the Competition

Too often, I have heard reps bad mouth another brand or company—how they do things, what is wrong with the product, what they do on the weekend, etc.

Winners focus on what is good about their product and what they do well. If you are going to talk about someone else’s product, do it in an offhand way like this:

Having done your research, you know the coach has met with a competing company rep before you, selling a brand known for its low price point over quality.

You could go into a list of reasons why their product is bad, but it's more beneficial to focus on the positives of your brand: faster delivery time, use of cover stitching, or the same colors for a fill-in order. Drive the point home without mentioning that the other company doesn’t do these things.

Instead, talk about your strengths in a way that highlights your competitor’s weaknesses. If you feel your customer isn’t getting it, phrase it as a question: What is the timeline for delivery of brand x uniform?

All of this will translate into a more polished and confident you.

Before the basketball game, I didn’t care who we played or what they would do. I had practiced for this moment since I first learned to shoot a ball.

My team ultimately won because some of us were so confident that others began to believe, too. If you are confident, customers will want to order from you.

What gives you confidence when meeting with customers?