I’m so excited to share with you that I have a new book coming out in September of this year. It’s been a long time in the making! One of the topics I discuss in the book is what I call a crisis in confidence: that feeling of imposter syndrome as it relates to women in business, sales, and leadership that holds them back from their full potential and being as successful as possible.
I call it a crisis in confidence because (1) these feelings of insecurity or inferiority impact your confidence, and (2) we can truly have a crisis on our hands if we don’t face these feelings head on. I’ve seen this crisis in confidence keep too many amazingly brilliant women from fully putting themselves out there and going for their biggest dreams, which could be such an asset to the world.
I don’t want you to suffer the same fate. Today, we’re going to talk about how to unpack issues in confidence before they devolve into a full-blown crisis.
Three Key Takeaways
1. Practice mutual respect. A lot of time, I see my clients missing the mark as it relates to having mutual respect in sales conversations. On the one hand, a lack of confidence causes you to undermine your role and skill as a salesperson; on the other, it also digs up a lot of thoughts and emotions that can distract you from being fully present for a prospect. Remember, many of the thoughts and emotions circling around in your head likely have nothing to do with the person you’re talking to and inviting them to work with you. Show yourself and your prospect the full respect due by being fully focused on the conversation, the prospect’s needs, and how you can serve them.
2. Go through the layers. Asking for the sale is a vulnerable experience that tends to shake up all our insecurities and emotions. If left unchecked, these insecurities can become a vicious cycle, negatively impacting how we show up and our results, which only further exacerbates those insecurities. It’s essential to develop self-awareness and give yourself space to dig through all the mental layers so you can figure out where these insecurities are coming from and start working through them. Self-awareness should never come from a place of being critical, but instead constructive.
3. Understand your role in the sales conversations. While it feels intensely personal, a sales conversation is never ultimately about you or getting a yes at all costs. Your role is to a guide a prospect to the right decision for them, whether that be a yes or a no. When you remember this, you’re ultimately showing up from a place of service with the prospect’s best interests at heart, which is guaranteed to get you better results, even if it’s simply in how you relate to others.
Additional Resources
Conquer the thoughts that might be leading you towards a crisis of confidence so you can ace your sales conversations during our Convert Lab intensive.
