I’m fresh off of two stops on what I’m calling my UnTour – the Grow Your Business with GRACE Events that I held last week in St. Louis, MO and Dayton, OH. As a facet of these ½ day training events, I offer business makeovers. Attendees applied and I picked two people in each city to makeover their businesses quickly. These makeovers may include marketing strategies, brand messaging or a new direction for them to help them close the gap between passionate and profitable more quickly.
Each time I did a business makeover, one thing rang true. The business owners needed more confidence and personal belief in their ability to solve problems for their clients. And trust me, I get it – I know that if you were to survey 100 business owners and ask them what they felt the key to attracting and closing more clients was, they’d all say something different. I’m of the belief that most would say, the skill of selling is the key to closing clients. Others might assert that closing clients comes from listening to their needs and offering the solution they are looking for. A few who are brave would even say that the key to attracting and closing more clients is strategic and includes ensuring that confidence is a part of the strategy.
I think all of them would be correct in some way, but I personally believe the biggest thing that makes the difference is confidence. It’s true. If you are good at sales, you have a certain air of confidence about your product or service. If you are able to listen to a prospect’s needs and share the most effective solution for them, it’s because you are confident that you know what they need to get to the other side of their challenge. And, when you are confident, your strategy naturally aligns to get you the ultimate result, a new client.
Sadly, many business owners (especially women business owners) struggle with their confidence, especially when it comes to being competitive in the marketplace. And this lack of confidence costs them clients and income. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Any women entrepreneur can increase her confidence naturally in a way that helps her to stand out when speaking with a prospect. And the increase starts by thinking a different thought. Here are three keys to boosting your business-building confidence so that you can more easily close new clients.
1. Focus on mastery. While you may believe that I am talking about your industry, skill or expertise, I’m actually talking about mastering the sales conversation. Practice. Practice as often as you can with as many ideal prospects as you can. The more you position yourself toward getting a new sale, the more confident you’ll become in doing just that.
2.Load up on endorsements, success stories and testimonials. I can’t speak for you, but knowing that hundreds of people have gotten results from working with me increases my confidence, and it gives me permission to seek out new clients whom I can add to my growing list. So, I highly recommend that you start to become a success collector. It’s not enough that your clients say it to you – formalize it visually, audibly or via video so that others can see what they have to say as well. And, every time you hear from someone how much you changed their life, results, business, relationships, health, etc., write it down. The more proof you have that you are amazing at what you do, the easier it will be for you to articulate it to others.
3.Create a visual representation of your success. On my wall of fame, I have the cover of my first book, plaques that I have been awarded, thank you notes from satisfied customers and clients, ribbons and sashes from prizes I earned while in Mary Kay, my college degrees, certificates awarded, etc. These are all reminders of the great things I have done that have helped me to become who I am and they give me confidence.
My personal recommendation is for you to create your own Wall of Fame, which you can learn more about in this previous episode of Incredible Factor TV:
Here’s what I recommend that you include on your Wall of Fame:
- Your business license (shows that you had the courage to start your dream business).
- Any major accomplishments that you have a visual representation of (plaques, certificates, ribbons, degrees).
- Copies of your books.
- Magazines you’ve been featured in.
- Thank you notes from clients, colleagues, etc.
- Testimonials and success stories from current and former clients.
- Anything else that makes you feel good about who you are and the work that you do.
Be sure to place your wall of fame in a place where you can see it while working in your office or talking with clients and prospects. And, add to it frequently so that you have a constant reminder of how good you are and why others need to hire you to solve their problems.
©2016 by Darnyelle A. Jervey. All Rights Reserved. Darnyelle A. Jervey, MBA, The Incredible Factor Business Optimization Coach and Mentor, is the founder of Incredible One Enterprises®, Incredible Factor University® and the Leverage Your Incredible Factor System®, a proven step-by-step program so you experience financial and spiritual abundance in your life because of your business. For more information and a FREE audio CD “7 Critical Mistakes Even Smart Entrepreneurs Must Avoid for Clients, Connection and Cash Flow!” just fill out the form below.
