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5 Ways To Project Confidence

I’ve been studying confidence (especially as it relates to the ability to deal optimally with change) for the past 25 years. Confidence is the personality trait most responsible for an individual’s ability to deal well with organizational transitions. Confident people are self-motivated, have high self-esteem, and are willing to take calculated risks.

Here are five ways to build your self-confidence:

1. Play to your strengths

I once gave a speech for the senior management team of a software company in Silicon Valley that was relocating out of state. A few days later the president of the company telephoned me to say, “I have an administrative assistant who is probably the brightest, most creative person I’ve worked with. The problem is, she’s married and can’t move her family. I was wondering if you would see her for a private coaching session, so that when she applies for a new job, she will come across just as terrific as she really is. I’ll gladly pay for the session.”

Of course, I agreed, and looked forward to meeting this talented woman. When she came into my office I said, “This is a real pleasure. I’ve heard so many terrific things about you. Tell me about yourself. What is it that you do exceptionally well? What would you most want a prospective employer to know about you?” The woman was silent for several seconds. Finally she sighed and said, “I really don’t know. I do a lot of things well, but when I do them, I don’t notice.”

Einstein's Theory of Selling

Did you know that Albert Einstein had a theory on selling? He said, "Doing things the same way you always have and expecting the results to be different is insanity." He may not have realized it at the time, but what better theory to apply to selling? Selling is complex and we face many challenges. We think that doing what we've always done is a strategy for success. Yet the choices we make are critical to our success. As your new year unfolds, what are you planning to do? Is it more insanity or getting different results?

Doing it. What do you want to do different? Sometimes when we're busy doing our job we lose sight of where our challenges are. What has stressed you? Think about all the times you thought last year "if only I could do X," "if only I knew more about Y," or "there's got to be a better way to do this." Maybe it was putting a bid proposal together, addressing the time inefficiencies of business travel, or improving your use of technology. Remember those thoughts and make a plan to incorporate them as goals in your 1999 selling. Write your goals down, set a due date and quantify how you will achieve them.

For some people, it's hard to be creative and come up with new ideas for change. Get others to help you achieve your goals. You don't have to reinvent the wheel. There are enough salespeople, books and Internet sites that can be ready sources of guidance. Expect that it may take time to see results. Just remember, if you're going to be complaining to yourself this year about something you faced last year, you're contradicting Einstein's Theory of Selling.