People naturally are attracted to those who have confidence. Confidence doesn’t mean being boastful, either. It means having the courage of your convictions to do what you think is right, being positive things will work out, and handling challenges head-on. When you are confident, you also win people over to your side and get them to believe in your vision, which is crucial in building up your spa or massage practice.
Some people are born with lots of confidence or develop it early on. But confidence doesn’t have to be in your DNA. Like other attributes, you can work on building your confidence to deal with some of the obstacles that invariably come up in running your spa or massage practice. Having confidence also enables you to take risks to take your business to the next level. Whether you want to expand locations, add a new range of skin treatments to massage therapy offerings, or partner with another business to build up your clientele, confidence will take you in the right direction and see you through achieving desired goals.
If you are not feeling confident to take on new challenges, here are some things you can do:
Look the part
No matter how scared or uncertain you may be feeling deep inside, you can build your confidence by changing your demeanor. Stand up straight, smile, look the other person directly in the eye. Doing so will make you feel stronger and win people over. As they respond to you, you’ll actually feel more confident. You also want to choose your words and speak slowly carefully. As Jayson DeMers points out in “7 Conversational Tricks to Appear More Confident,” speaking too quickly indicates a lack of authority or a lack of confidence. Also, when you speak too quickly, you may not give yourself enough time to think through your words to lack clarity or have errors.
Get rid of negative thoughts
Failure really is not an option. There probably is a solution for even the most daunting of challenges. Furthermore, negative thoughts weigh you down and eat away at your confidence. Think positively, and watch your confidence increase.
Be prepared
You can’t always know what’s coming down the pike, but you can figure out what obstacles might be thrown in your way as you plan a strategic move to build your business. Think through all the possibilities and have a plan in place to deal with any roadblocks. Being prepared boosts your confidence since you know you can keep going no matter what the challenge is.
Build your competency
There may be some areas of your skillset that need a refresh or boost. That’s where attending seminars or taking classes comes in. As you add your service skills, you build your reputation in the marketplace as a highly respected professional, which adds to your confidence.
Build a support network
Sometimes you need a pat on the back or an encouraging word from a family member or friend. Identify a few people who know you well, and you can count on to pick you up. Also, consider building relationships with peers in the industry who have had similar challenges and check in with them periodically. They can be a good sounding board as well as offer advice.
Confidence is a winning attribute in business as well as your personal life. Work on building yours.