Confidence: A confession

Last week, I wrote a post outlining the importance of displaying a confident demeanor when dealing with prospects, especially senior executives. I used the example of a car dealership service advisor. After writing the post, I remembered a situation in which I had displayed a similar type of timid behavior.

Eight years ago, I was meeting with some prospects to discuss a sales training project. We talked about their goals and objectives and what type of program would work best for them. Eventually, the prospects asked, “How much will this cost?” I started to reply, but the words got caught in my throat.

You see, until this point, I had conduced all price discussions with prospects via telephone or email. This was my first face-to-face discussion about the subject. To add to my timidity, I had just increased my fees. As I went to answer, a little voice in my head screamed “You can’t charge that much!!”

I started to freak out and wonder how I could deal with the situation without looking like a wimp — or worse — an idiot. So, I wrote the fee on a sheet of paper and slid it across the table. My prospects looked at each other, nodded and said, “Sounds good. Let’s get going.” Right then and there, I made a commitment to never again allow my confidence to wane.