Whether you’re introverted or otherwise, there are times everyone needs a good boost in your confidence in sales tactics. It’s natural for everyone to have moments where they’re not feeling too hot about themselves. Thankfully, we have a few tips for you to follow that will help you sound and look as confident as you want!
Boost Your Confidence Through Communication
1. Pay Attention to Nonverbal Communication
Observe the nonverbal linguistics of your clients to get a grasp of who they are so you can play off of the situation to your advantage. Incorporate body language into your interactions. This can mean hand gestures that make it appear that you are an expert in your craft. Make sure to stay away from any distracting non-verbals, like fiddling with your coat or hair, as this displays a lack of confidence. What you wear can also play a big factor in how confident you appear.
2. Slow Down
Talking too fast can make your client feel like you’re talking at them, not with them. You want the interaction to feel like a conversation. Having the right pace of speaking can make the difference between an engaged client and one that’s falling asleep. Try your best to cut out those filler words like “um” and “like.” Those can give a sense that you’re not entirely confident and potentially throw off the sale.
3. Say What You Mean
Be honest and forthright with your clients, it will definitely be taken as a sign of confidence and trustworthiness. When you speak, end your statements on a downbeat instead of upward. Say it like you mean it and end on a downbeat so that you can appear to have confidence in sales. This works to make your pitch sound potentially less meek.
4. Use Silence to Your Advantage
Never fear the dreaded pauses that will always eventually arise in an interaction, because this time they make work for your benefit. Incorporating pauses into your conversation allows your client time to think and understand the things you’re telling them. This similarly allows you to look patient and confident in yourself.
Boost Your Confidence in Sales Through Body Language
5. Stand Straight
A good posture can make all the difference in communicating your confidence in sales to your clients. Sitting or standing up straight has actually been shown to allow your lungs to fill properly with air. This works in your favor so you won’t have to worry about your voice cracking if you’re nervous. Also, studies have shown that doing a superman pose before getting at something that makes you anxious actually makes you more confident and ready to tackle it head-on.
6. Make a Point of Smiling
Hand in hand with the importance of practicing body language, wearing a smile on your face is vital. Smiling at different intervals of your pitch will make your voice more pleasant to listen to. It can also work to convey confidence in sales to your clients that could be necessary to land the deal. The goal is to look friendly and approachable.
7. Eye Contact is a Must
Alongside the other facets of nonverbal communication and confidence, direct eye contact is incredibly important. Keeping eye contact with your clients shows that your entire attention is on them. This also communicates empathy and friendliness. Just make sure that you’re not over-doing it. Too much eye contact can be interpreted as creepy and unsettling, so aim for somewhere in the middle. You want to let your client know you have confidence in sales and you truly care.
8. Keep Your Handshake Firm
Most times in the sales interaction, there will come a point to shake hands with your client. You will want to make sure that your handshake is nice and firm, not too overbearing, but definitely not too limp. This display of nonverbal communication can have major confidence implications for your client. It’s imperative that the handshake is done well. Some professionals recommend using your other hand to touch the area between your client’s elbow and hand. This is a tactic called anchoring. Anchoring can add warmth and enthusiasm to the situation. Be sure to read the room to make sure it is appropriate for the interaction.
Look, the best way to look confident at the end of the day is to be yourself. All of these tips are good to rehearse, but a client can always tell if you aren’t feeling right in your own skin. Just be yourself and the rest should follow.