Thread: Need to boost my confidence but how

hahaah confidence pill thats soo funny!

I had a serious lack of confidence going into college and going into my first professional job; it's something I am still working through, but as several here have said so articulately, the best approach is to just acknowledge the concern as you have here and work through it by starting small. In my experience, most people are able to identify others who are a little shaky and can roll with you as you speak with them - it's not as though they'll begin berating you and demand you to hurry up; most are accommodating, accepting, and friendly.

Another big part of confidence in business is knowing your material - nothing hurts worse than going into a meeting knowing you don't have everything prepared diligently or understood, as it undermines you before you even walk in the proverbial door. Simply being organized and prepared can float you.

The last element won't save you entirely on its own accord, but feeling good about your dress can be huge. If you're in Nordstrom and see a modest dress shirt for $40, but smile when you spot another higher end shirt for $120, the benefit of wearing something you truly enjoy can be worth the spread. Spend a few hours looking for a cologne or eau de toilette you like. Beyond the workplace, there is absolutely no reason you should not feel positive about your appearance.


Start feeling good about yourself and work through this confidence thing - you'll feel unstoppable once you do.

Originally Posted by adanmtxt1

Start feeling good about yourself and work through this confidence thing - you'll feel unstoppable once you do.

+10000

Thanks a whole bunch guys. Mainly its the fear of the unknown. Not knowing "the process"...do I call and schedule a meeting with the G.M or do I just walk in and ask to talk to them and hope I catch them on a good day?, will I have to present my pitch in front of a group of suits in a fancy boardroom?, are they going to want a 20 page business plan?, are they going to try and look for weakness in my credibility or be open and receptive?......

I do have some-what of a sales background giving pitches, but it was back when the DOW was dropping at 200pt swings and people were losing their jobs left and right, and here I was with a team of five other guys going door-to-door trying to sell people the idea they needed new gutters and windows. I wasn't very successful at it, and I felt like a real schmuck most the time given the situation.

Also no joking, I think if I took anti depression pills it might help with my esteem/confidence issues.

Before you worry about getting the meeting, I'd suggest taping yourself doing a pitch. Video is preferable, but even a voice recorder will do. Look at (if video) and listen to yourself. Note your body language, your facial expressions, your willingness to look people in the eye and move from face to face (if pitching to multiple people at the same time). And most importantly, LISTEN to your pitch. Do you stutter, do you say "um" or "you know" repeatedly (count the number of times in the span of a minute), does your voice waver or go up in pitch when you're nervous, or do you speak in a monotone? An effective visual and audio presentation requires practice and preparation. Very few people are innately able to present effectively straight from the womb. Think of it like you're practicing for a sport - - - no one is a "natural" golfer or soccer player or basketball player, etc. Every world-class athlete had to commit innumerable portions of their entire lives to hone their skills. Effective presentation is no different.

Originally Posted by Stance

Also no joking, I think if I took anti depression pills it might help with my esteem/confidence issues.

DO NOT go on anti depression meds. They DO NOT improve self esteem/confidence. Those meds prevent people like me who're feeling hopeless about life and purposeless from committing suicide... Sorry buddy, but you have to face your fears and need to build confidence and your self esteem through hard work. Also, I'm on those meds bc I have a chem imbalance in my brain...You're just Nervous. Please understand the difference. Being on these meds I can tell you first hand it doesn't take away the ability to feel..I still get nervous, scared, worried and feel unconfident at times. Meds don't make you superman. So using these meds strictly to feel like Mr.Confident isn't going to work.

I have the same issue and I've found dressing well, eating light (no heavy meals) helps immensely. I sometimes decide to have caffeine (no coffee) a few hours before. it helps me get a bit more enthusiasm. It may not work for you so try it out first on an off day. Carry as little with you as possible. A pen, notepad and your material in a small briefcase are enough. A few mints would not hurt as well as keeping some deodorant in your car.

Originally Posted by Stance

Thanks a whole bunch guys. Mainly its the fear of the unknown. Not knowing "the process"...do I call and schedule a meeting with the G.M or do I just walk in and ask to talk to them and hope I catch them on a good day?, will I have to present my pitch in front of a group of suits in a fancy boardroom?, are they going to want a 20 page business plan?, are they going to try and look for weakness in my credibility or be open and receptive?......

That's the fun of sales. It's all of the above. I've been rejected and kicked out of companies when I've showed up. I've been hung up on and cussed out when calling. It didn't stop me. I got kicked out of a company just to get so irate when I got to my car that I walked right back in. The owner opened his books right there and he was a client wtihin a week.

I had another prospect of mine that I touched over ten times through email, dropping in, calling, etc. before I got the opportunity to sit down and speak with the decision maker. You have to be professionaly persistent waiting for the right moment when you get your chance. When you get the chance, you better know your stuff so be prepared.

In regards to the prospect above, I beat out seven other banks to make them one of my largest clients.

It's not one thing that will work, it's a mixture of many. Walk in and find out.

Originally Posted by fusionstorm

Before you worry about getting the meeting, I'd suggest taping yourself doing a pitch. Video is preferable, but even a voice recorder will do. Look at (if video) and listen to yourself. Note your body language, your facial expressions, your willingness to look people in the eye and move from face to face (if pitching to multiple people at the same time). And most importantly, LISTEN to your pitch. Do you stutter, do you say "um" or "you know" repeatedly (count the number of times in the span of a minute), does your voice waver or go up in pitch when you're nervous, or do you speak in a monotone? An effective visual and audio presentation requires practice and preparation. Very few people are innately able to present effectively straight from the womb. Think of it like you're practicing for a sport - - - no one is a "natural" golfer or soccer player or basketball player, etc. Every world-class athlete had to commit innumerable portions of their entire lives to hone their skills. Effective presentation is no different.

I was gonna suggest a public speaking class to rid you of your anxiety, but this ^^^ is exactly what you would have learned. I agree with everything he just said.

Pitch it to a bunch of other people first. You'll gain confidence in the presentation and be more comfortable with the pitch itself. I learned this last week. Should have practiced more. Good Luck.