In our July 2010 article Finding and Hiring Great Salespeople we talked about the fact that the best salespeople possess a high energy level, have an internal drive to succeed, have a good grasp on the science of listening, have a tendency to think outside of the box and have the courage to keep trying in the face of rejection.
They also possess a high level of self confidence.
Amy Gallo recently posted a blog on the topic on Harvard Business Review Online which we feel is worth sharing.
In “How to Build Confidence” she talks about the fact that everyone –from new college grads at their first jobs to seasoned business leaders – deals with bouts of insecurity now and again. More importantly, she talks about what you can do to overcome self-doubt so that you can always put your best foot forward.
“Confident people aren’t only willing to practice, they’re also willing to acknowledge that they don’t — and can’t — know everything,” she writes.
In some ways it is about self-discovery. In other ways it is about trust.
Some of her tips include:
Do:
- Be honest with yourself about what you know and what you still need to learn
- Practice doing the things you are unsure about
- Embrace new opportunities to prove you can do difficult things
Don’t:
- Focus excessively on whether you or not you have the ability – think instead about the value you provide
- Hesitate to ask for external validation if you need it
- Worry about what others think — focus on yourself, not a theoretical and judgmental audience