Let’s talk about seven ways to boost your confidence for the purpose of selling. Why is this so important? Well, when you think about it, confidence sells, and the lack of it can be detected from far off. Everyone picks up when someone is scared; when they're fearful; when they aren't sure; and when they lack confidence. Think about how animals pick up on fear. They know if you're scared, and they can normally pick up on it better than we can as humans. But even if people don't quickly pick up on your fear or your lack of confidence, their subconscious will, and it will feed their gut. Have you ever said to yourself, You know, I don't know why, but my gut tells me I shouldn't do this?
One of the best ways to overcome a bad “gut feeling” that somebody could get about you is to be confident. Here are 7 key ways to boost yours.
Step number one is comparing your sales stats with your competition and feeling good about how you stack up. There are a lot of different ways you can do it, depending on what your strength is. One way is looking at your listed to sold ratio. If you listed a home at 100k, and it sold for 102k, you sold it for more than that listing price. Or what were the days on the market? Did you have an all cash buyer? Seeing how your strengths stack up compared to your competition may give you a boost in confidence. Look at your stats and how they compare to the average agent in your area.
Number two is being enthusiastic. There's a great book that I highly recommend for all real estate agents, and sales people in general, by a guy named Frank Bettger. It's on Amazon. It's called How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling. There's a really good chapter at the beginning of the book where Frank talks about how he lacked enthusiasm and he got fired. He was a baseball player at the time, and he got fired because he wasn't enthusiastic. So he talks about how he changed his attitude, and he acted enthusiastic before he really was. And he became enthusiastic as a result. Smile and act happy, and eventually you are going to feel it. It's going to radiate through your body.
Something else that goes along with acting and being enthusiastic is to go that extra mile professionally. It always shows when people do the bare minimum to get by. So if your attitude isn't up to par, step it up. If your attitude isn't like the extra mile person, shift in your mindset.
Years ago I was a landscaper. I'll give you a quick story on this. We would always offer a warranty on our plants for a year. So I did this landscaping job where we installed a tree, and half the tree browned out, but half of it was still alive. The homeowner called me up and said, I want you to replace this tree.
And I remember thinking, half of it's still alive! The other half could come back, and that is actually common with plants. But I knew that wasn’t the extra mile attitude for my business. So I replaced the tree, and the client was happy. He thought he was going to have to fight me and I didn't fight him. And on top of that, I turned him into a raving fan, versus somebody who had to hold my feet to the fire and make me do what I promised to. So be the guy or girl who goes the extra mile.
Number three is something that I've done throughout the years, and that’s practicing in front of the mirror. I know it sounds stupid, and when I first did it, it felt uncomfortable. But when you meet people, there are a few different things that I'd recommend. If you got a spouse and they're going to laugh at you, tell them beforehand or just wait until you're home alone and practice. But a few things that I would practice include your introduction when you walk in and meet somebody. Practice your hello, look at yourself in the mirror, and see how you look. Are you warm? Are you smiling? How are your facial expressions? If you're having a bad day or you just had to put out fires to save a deal or whatever it is, that can show here on your face. So practice changing your facial expressions and getting back into a relaxed, warm, and welcoming state.
And practice your smile. Your smile says a lot about you, and it needs to be natural. Maybe you can visualize smiling at your young child to get in the right state of mind. Another thing I'd recommend is not having a stiff, serious face. Practice one where you relax, so when you go and meet somebody, everything gives them a good first impression.
The fourth thing is dressing to impress.There are studies out there that show when you wear nice clothes, when you're dressed well, you feel better about yourself. As far as grooming, make sure you trim your nails, pluck your eyebrows, get a haircut on a regular basis. If you have a beard, trim it. For ladies, my wife feels better about herself when she does her nails or when she gets a manicure or pedicure. Little things like that are going to make you feel better and make you feel more confident.
It’s really easy to talk down to yourself. It's easy to see the competition crushing you or doing better than you and get discouraged. So one thing I recommend is speaking positive to yourself. When you are having a bad day, find a way to get back on track fast. There’s a book that I'm reading right now called Mindset by Carol Dweck. And she talks about a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset. So try working on your mindset, being positive, speaking well to yourself. Another thing I recommend is a daily journal. Most people can think of three things to be thankful for.Focus on gratitude first thing in the morning and then right before bed so you’re starting and ending your day with gratitude. That's another really good way to kind of like put yourself in a positive state of mind.
Exercise is going to make you feel better about yourself. You're going to feel good because you're taking care of yourself. Exercise also releases cortisol, a stress hormone, and it's going to help you feel better so you're not having to take a painkiller to get through the day or drink an energy drink. So exercise in the morning or the evening. It’s going to make you feel better, and, as a result, your confidence will radiate.
For me, this is a big one because I don't like to show up unprepared. But this also depends on your personality. If you're more of that spontaneous, wing-it type of person, maybe this isn't your thing. I personally like to show up early. I like to have my stuff together. I like to know exactly what I'm going to do. Another part of being prepared is having good notes, good processes, scheduling your day, using calendars and staying organized.
Those are seven great ways to boost your confidence, which will help you get deals and attract a lot of positive energy to your life. After all, confidence is important in sales.