When you get into business for yourself, you discover new things and face different challenges. One challenge I’ve seen with some of my clients is imposter syndrome, where they’ve doubted their ability to build a successful business. And this challenge makes them lack confidence in themselves as business owners and in what they’re selling.
confidence attracts customers
If you don’t have confidence in your what you’re selling, no one else is going to either.
You must speak about your business, and display a sense of authority when you do, so that it reassures your customers that what you’re selling is important to them.
Confidence doesn’t always come easy, but the more you see positive results or affirmations, the more your confidence in yourself as a business owners grows.
It’s reassurance that you’re on the right track, that what you’re doing is working.
confidence comes from clear communication
By having a clear understanding of the ‘what’, ‘who’ and ‘why’ of your business, it becomes easier to talk about what you do. You may have to refine the way you talk about your business so that you simplify your message to make it clear, but trust me, this gets easier with time.
With clarity comes a desire to talk about your business.
For example, if you sell shoes, you need to go beyond saying you just sell shoes. Let your message state what kind of shoes do you sell, who the shoes are designed for, and perhaps the quality of the shoes. This will speak to your ideal customer, and let them know why they need to buy your product.
The more clarity you have about your product or service, the easier it is for your customers to understand what you do and react positively. This ultimately gives you a confidence boost.
there is more to what you offer than what you offer
Take Coca Cola for example. The company sells more than just a soda; they sell happiness. The drink is therefore the vehicle through which the company provides happiness. And happiness is the value they provide their customers.
At Step and Stone, I sell support packages to women in business to help them make a living doing what they love. My vehicle is coaching and strategic consulting.
People care more about the solution you’re offering than how you’re offering it. When communicating to your customers the value you offer, don’t give unnecessary details about the product; however, don’t be generic either. Give the details your customers will care for. The more detail you provide, the easier it is for your customers to know that you’re the right person for them.
know the value you’re providing
The truth of the matter is, people invest in things that are valuable to them; things that make a difference in their lives.
So how then can you find out how to, or whether you’re providing value to your ideal customer?
1. conduct market research
In order to understand what your target audience cares about, speak to them.
Go out and have conversations with the people you want to sell to.
Find out more about their challenges. Find out what appeals to them and what messages they respond to. This way, you will get to use your customers’ language. The only way to find out what language they’re using is by talking to them.
2. get feedback from customers
Speaking to your past customers will give you a lot of valuable information.
You might notice themes and specific words they use often. This will be an indicator of the value they get from your product or service in their own words.
It takes time to figure out the value you offer your customers, but it’s a process. The more you speak about it, the more confidence you gain. When I was first starting out, I had an idea about the program I wanted to offer. The more I delivered the program and spoke to people about it, the more iterations I made to it and that’s how my confidence grew: from talking and listening to people.
Here’s what some of my past customers have said about working with me:
need more support?
So you’ve read this and you’re thinking, “Great! I get that… I know I need to increase my confidence. But where do I start?”.
Increasing your confidence in business comes with time and practice, but it doesn’t need to be complicated.
Learn how to increase your confidence as a business owner in my business accelerator program: Simplicity. Enrol today or join the waitlist for our next cohort.
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