Build Your Confidence-Make More Sales

I've spend a fair amount of time skiing each winter. (If you live in the South I'm talking about a sport where water freezes while coming down from the sky and covers the earth in a beautiful blanket of white. Then a perfectly sane person straps narrow boards to his or her feet and purposely goes to the top of a mountain, and while standing, glides down the mountain in the hope that he or she is still standing upon arrival at the bottom. No, really, it's fun.) While spending this time skiing I've learned something that I thought I would pass along.

For the first time in 30 years I took a lesson. It's amazing how with a little coaching, your confidence improves and your skill level rises as well. Think about that, confidence goes up, skill level goes up. After the lesson (taken at Sunday River Ski Area in Maine) I decided to try the slope that always left me intimidated, WHITE HEAT. I had skied that trail twice in the past 5 years and always embarrassed myself while coming down. This time I did it, and skied it fairly well. More confidence, better action. (I thought I was doing real well until a few other skiers went whizzing by like I was standing still.) But, I made it to the bottom and concluded "That wasn't so bad."

From time to time we all need a little coaching, maybe just a few pointers to improve our skills. It's amazing how much you can improve when you get someone else's point of view. This applies to sports (I need to take a few golf lessons), to life and to our business lives. This is particularly true if you work in sales. It's always a good idea to periodically get some outside perspective on what you are doing, listen to a few a suggestions, and hear some fresh ideas.

My confidence level went up substantially after taking the lesson and skiing White Heat. That doesn't mean I'm going to go nuts on the ski trails, but I can feel it has improved my attitude with dealing with other people. Any time a salesperson has increased confidence, that person is going to do a better job of presenting his or her story to a prospect. I know I now feel more confident, and that's a good thing. (Apologies to Martha Stewart.)



Build Your Confidence-Make More Sales - To learn more about this author, visit Don Zihlman's Website.

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