Confidence is Important for Business too

When I first qualified as a Life Coach, before venturing into the exciting world of Business Coaching, helping people to improve their confidence was a regular part of my work.

You'd think people starting up a business would have plenty of confidence, yet that isn't necessarily the case - here are a few notes from my client files to explain what I mean:

Networking - walking into a room full of fellow business owners can be quite nerve-wracking, and the thought of having to stand up in front of everyone and talk about what you do, can be enough to put more timid souls off the whole idea!

Sales - picking up the phone to make those dreaded cold calls - and even follow-up calls - is another business activity many people keep putting off until another day.

Meetings - are probably less about confidence and more about the need to thoroughly prepare beforehand, and have a clear goal each time.

Presentations - whether delivering a talk to a group of your peers or to just one major potential client, these can be very important business opportunities. Many people avoid them.

Internet - it surprised me to discover some people are reluctant to become visible on the internet by having a website or starting a blog (but I'm resisting the use of video on my own site, so I'm starting to have some sympathy ....)

Although the personalities involved were very different, an instant confidence boost came when I reminded each of them how good they are at what they do and how well they know their stuff.

Building confidence is a vital requirement for business owners, and I think its importance is often forgotten until the need to learn all the varied skills associated with running a business overtakes the initial joy of making a living doing something we love and excel in.

Is there an area of your business where your confidence has been, or still is, a bit shaky?

Comments

[LouiseBJ]

Hi Sharon, that's a great point you make! You have to believe in yourself - and in what you offer as a business owner - so that prospective clients will have faith that you can deliver!

Thanks so much for for your comment.

[Sharon Gaskin]

Hi Louise,

So true! As you know - I work with freelance trainers - and most of them are very confident people when they are in the training room, much less so when they come to selling and marketing their services. Confidence and self-belief is an essential ingredient for a successful business - if you don't believe in yourself how can you expect your clients to?

Sharon