How To Develop Confidence In Business.

 

When it comes to building a business, the perception that you have of yourself and your abilities affects everything that you do. In my opinion, you can be a highly intelligent business person, but still be held back by feelings of not being deserving of success. This is a recipe for disaster. Without confidence, you won't get far.
The truth is, being an entrepreneur comes with a lot of freedom as well as a lot of risks. You have to know that before going into business, or else you won’t be able to handle the emotional roller coaster and obstacles that come your way.
Confidence is less of an emotion and more of a state of mind. You may think that someone is confident, but that doesn’t mean they actually feel that way … they’re just giving off that persona.

Anyone who has ever built a business knows what a roller coaster ride it can be. It's easy to feel super confident when things are going well. However, in the business world, you can't expect to stay on top all the time. There will be times when you will find yourself fighting against your fears.
Similarly, you may question whether or not you've got what it takes to keep going. It's OK to have moments of self-doubt. However, if you allow your fears to take over every decision that you make, they will become a massive obstacle between you and success. This mindset only becomes a breeding ground for low confidence.
Let's talk about 7 ways that you can boost your self-confidence in business.

1.    Monitor Your Self-Talk

 

Do you talk to yourself like you would to someone that you love and respect? If not, it's time to start reprogramming your mind for success. Your self-talk can have a huge impact on your sense of self-worth. It can affect your relationships, your health, and your business. When you talk negatively about yourself, it destroys your self-confidence. 

Luckily, you have the power to control your inner dialogue by consciously choosing to think positive and empowering thoughts. Successful entrepreneurs know that a positive attitude goes a long way in business.

Not only does positive self-talk allow you to better cope with the ups and downs of your business, but it also helps you master your emotions. Make an effort to become your own best cheerleader instead of your own worst critic. If you don't believe in yourself then how do you expect anyone to believe in you?

 

2.    Get Clear On Your Purpose 

 

If you feel unclear about what your purpose is, then you will always struggle to achieve success. Having a clear why is the fuel that propels you to take action. If you don’t know why you should do something, you are going to lack commitment. This is when self-doubt creeps into play.

In the beginning stages, the world of entrepreneurship can feel like an arduous journey. If you are only building your business for profit, everything will be an uphill battle. One of my favorite self-confidence quotes comes from Reid Hoffman, the Founder of LinkedIn, who said, “The entrepreneurial journey starts with jumping off a cliff and assembling an airplane on the way down.”

This is why you've got to have a purpose. By getting crystal clear on why you want to build a business, you will have a solid vision in place for how to get there. When you align who you are with the work that you do, everything starts to fall into place. If you don’t know where you are going, how do you expect that you will ever get there?

When your business goals are backed by your purpose in life, you will believe in yourself and your work.

 

3.    Follow Other Successful Businesses for Motivation.

 

The path of being an entrepreneur can be daunting, but it helps to see other people (doing the same thing as you) who have succeeded. Follow those successful businesses on social media and notice what they do really well. This can help you formulate or adjust your business plan so that you feel more confident in your success.

This is more applicable to the early stages of starting a business, but it’s still good to know: You will feel more confident about your business if you know there’s a market and demand for what you’re offering.

It’s a higher risk to start a “unique” business that doesn’t have a market and demand for it. Though you may not see immediate results, as most businesses start slowly, knowing that your customer base will grow (based on your market research) can help you feel more confident when starting your business.

 

4.    Get over Your Fear Of Failure 

 

In the business world, you can't hide from fear. There is a common misconception that all successful entrepreneurs have zero fears. Wrong. Just like anyone else, they have fears about failing. However, they just choose to act in spite of them.

From my experience, failure is the stepping stone to success in life. It allows you to experiment and learn from your mistakes. A study by the University of Southern California found that having the opportunity to learn from failure can turn it into a positive experience – if the brain has a chance to learn from its mistakes.

You don't become successful in business by not taking any risks. I've failed thousands of times in my business and I guarantee that I will fail more. However, the reason why I don't get affected by failure is that I view it as an opportunity to reevaluate where I currently am. Doing so allows me to make better decisions in my business.

One of the best ways to get over your fear of failure is to be more afraid of not taking action and settling for an existence that is far below what you deserve. What will you lose by not taking a risk? Let that be your driving force.

 

 

       5 .    Don’t Be Psyched Out by Competitors.

While you may follow successful businesses for motivation, don’t worry about how many people you are competing with. It’s easy to worry about the other entrepreneur in town who is already doing what you’re trying to do, but competition doesn’t mean there’s only one winner. More than one or two people can win in the same game, and if it’s your passion, there’s no other person or business that can knock you out of it.

      6.    Go the Extra Mile for Customers.

Having a strong and loyal customer base will provide you a lot of assurance that you’re doing a good job with your business. This means that aside from providing a high-quality product or service, your customer service needs to be at its best. If you want to have repeat customers and t boost your reputation, you need to show up more for those customers.

     7.    Practice Being Confident 

Confidence is just like a muscle. The more you embody it, the stronger it gets. In the words of Barrie Davenport, “Low self-confidence isn't a life sentence. Self-confidence can be learned, practiced, and mastered — just like any other skill. Once you master it, everything in your life will change for the better.” 

Instead of only using your confidence when it's most needed, practice being confident all of the time. This may mean that you need to “fake it until you feel it.” Do whatever it takes in order to show up as the best version of yourself every single day. Doing so will inspire others to act in the same way.

Build healthy habits into your daily routine that will give you the self-esteem boost that you've been looking for. Recite positive affirmations, create a meditation practice, or start journaling as a way to align with your inner voice. At the end of the day, it comes down to self-love. If you are consistent with these rituals, soon enough, you will develop unshakeable confidence.

 

 

At the end of the day, confidence will be the driver of your business success which is why you want to master this quality. This doesn't mean that you won't have bad days where your self-doubt creeps in. A lot of people suffer from a lack of confidence at some point in their lives.

However, if you make self-confidence a daily practice, I promise that you will be better able to identify your triggers so that you can stop them dead in their tracks.

When you have a healthy level of confidence, you can be at your best, which in turn, will allow your business to soar. You are amazing. Don't ever forget it. Are you ready to start flexing your confidence muscle?