The truth is, none of us ever fully overcomes self‐doubt. Even top athletes, musicians, actors, and political leaders are often crippled by self‐doubt. The trick is to recognize it, because the sooner you recognize it, the sooner you will come out of it. If you recognize what causes you to doubt yourself, you are more likely to avoid those feelings and maintain a positive attitude about your business and your skills.
Don’t beat yourself up over self‐doubt. Just remember that the sooner you recognize it, the sooner you can work on overcoming it.
Many people doubt themselves in the direct sales industry. They doubt whether they’re suited for the business or they doubt their abilities when sales and recruiting go down. They convince themselves that it wasn’t meant to be and they actually start talking themselves out of their business.
To help yourself and your team members overcome self‐doubt, it’s important to look at the four cornerstones of belief.
The four cornerstones of belief
The four cornerstones of belief are the four main areas of your business that you must remain positive about and remind yourself of when you are experi-encing self‐doubt:
Belief in the industry: Do you believe that the direct sales industry is a good model that offers a flexible schedule and fair compensation for your work? Do you believe it’s a great way for people to supplement their income, make their dreams come true, meet different and like‐minded people, and do something fun? Remind yourself of all the rea-sons you believe in direct sales.
Belief in your company: Do you believe that your company has your back, provides you good, quality products, and has programs in place for you to be successful? Can you count on your company to provide you with the support you need to achieve your goals? Look at your com-pany, at both corporate and field leaders, and remind yourself of all the amazing things they do every day to help you succeed.
Belief in the product: Can people benefit from your product? Is it easily marketable? Do people want it and enjoy it? Will people buy it? Ask yourself: Do I love the product because I sell it? Or do I sell it because I love it? Remind yourself of what drew you to the products in the first place.
Belief in yourself: Do you believe you deserve to be successful? Do you believe that you can reach your goals and achieve your dream? Do you believe that you can earn the money you desire if you work hard enough? Remind yourself that your dreams matter and that you can achieve anything.
Starting with self‐talk
Believing in yourself starts with self‐talk. What do you say to yourself during the day? I hope you don’t say things like this:
“I’m not very good at this.”
“I’m not organized.”
“I’m so stressed out.”
The more you have this type of self‐talk and repeat those same words day in and day out, the more you will eventually begin to believe them.
Instead, say things that encourage belief in yourself. Instead of saying how stressed you are, say, “I’m a little overwhelmed right now with what I have going on. What can I do to fix this? What can I get off my plate?” To keep myself from being stressed, I learned to take things in bite‐sized chunks instead of looking at everything I had to do. Doing so allows me to focus on a few things at a time and lets me feel accomplished about what I do complete.
It’s also up to you to know how you feel about your business and your life. For example, I have a very busy schedule with travelling. I can say, “I can’t believe I have to leave again. I am so tired. I am so sick of living in hotels and spending all of my time flying,” or I can say, “I am so excited I get to do what I love! I love sharing my passion and knowledge of this industry with so many people.”
You have control over your self‐talk and have the power to remain positive. It all starts with you. If you say no one wants to buy this, or no one wants to book a party with me, then no one will. It’s important to believe in yourself and talk positive about yourself and your business, because if you remain positive, you will work towards positive results.
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