Understanding self-confidence can be interpreted as a strong belief that someone has in their abilities and strengths. What about the notion of self-confidence according to experts? Confidence according to Neil is the extent to which an individual has confidence in his abilities, talents and strengths to achieve success. On the other hand, Bandura also gave his opinion on the definition of self-confidence. According to him, self-confident or self-confidence is a form of belief that a person has and the belief that he is able to behave according to his plans, desires and expectations.
One of the benefits of self-confidence is that we will strive to continue to progress and develop to explore ourselves to be better, because we believe that we can do it. What is an example of that confidence? People can be said to be confident when they dare to speak in public, even though all eyes are on him. Having self-confidence is very necessary in everyday life. Why is that? Because lack of confidence will only hinder our career success in the future. Therefore, self-confidence is very necessary in the world of work.
Talking about self-confidence, have you ever felt awkward, embarrassed and didn’t feel confident when you had to meet a client? If fellow readers feel this way, then you must read this article to the end.
This article will tell you how to be confident and not shy when it comes to meeting clients, both in and out of the office. According to the entrepreneur dot com website, there are 7 ways to increase confidence when it comes to meeting clients, both new clients welcome we have met before and new clients we have never met before. If fellow readers want to be someone who is full of confidence when meeting with clients, let’s just look at the following explanation.
1. Adjust the position of our bodies.
The first and most important step to appear confident in front of clients is to adjust the body position properly. This needs to be done, especially when we are dealing directly with new clients welcome (for example, only meeting one client in front of us). The steps that need to be taken to adjust our position are as follows:
- Sit in an upright position.
- Raise your head by looking at the client’s face (don’t look down, friends).
- Pull your shoulders back a little and widen your shoulders so you can breathe deeply.
Adjusting the position of the body properly is a very important thing to do. In accordance with research conducted by Erik Peper from San Francisco State University, the results of his research show that sitting in an upright position will make it easier for us to have more energy and think more positively.
2. Avoid Body Language That Shows You’re Nervous.
Even though we don’t tell others that we are nervous, others can understand that we are nervous. How do you think they know it? The answer is from our behavior that looks nervous.
When we feel nervous, we tend to act strangely. Biting nails, holding head or hair repeatedly, putting hands in pockets, looking down and not wanting to make eye contact with clients, and so on.
Then, what kind of body language should we show? Fold your arms and place them on your lap or table in front of you. When our clients are talking, try to listen carefully to them. Make eye contact and don’t forget to nod your head every now and then as a sign that you’ve been a good listener to your clients.
3. Try to make your voice sound with the right intonation.
The third way to look confident in front of clients can also be demonstrated through the voice we convey to them. Try not to speak so softly that your voice cannot be heard clearly. However, we need to speak in a tone that is loud and clear enough so that the client and everyone else in the room can hear and understand what we are saying.
When we say something that implies authority, we need to lower the intonation of our voice so it doesn’t sound annoying or too commanding. Therefore, make sure that we issue intonation that matches the message we want to convey.
4. Speak to the Client Slowly.
When we feel nervous and nervous, without realizing it we will speak with a very fast intonation. As speakers we may not be aware of it, but our interlocutor (client) will be aware of this. Therefore, make sure thatWe take a deep breath before starting the conversation with the client. Calm ourselves before the meeting starts. When we feel calmer, we will automatically speak slowly. That way, it will be easier for clients especially an a influencer to listen and understand what we have to say.
5. Do Some Movements to Draw Strength from Within.
Reporting from a study conducted from the Harvard University School of Business, the results of the study show that there are several body movements or body poses that we can do to draw strength from within ourselves. However, keep in mind that we must perform these movements a few minutes before we meet the client. Take 5-10 minutes before meeting with a client so that we can gain greater peace of mind and confidence. There are two body movements suggested by a well-known Social Psychologist named Amy Cuddy, namely as follows:
- Pride Movement: Try to raise your arms above your head and form a big ‘V’. Then, lift our chin up slightly.
- Wonder Woman movement: This second movement is similar to Wonder Woman pose. Surely fellow readers have seen how Wonder Woman poses when she is on her hips? Well, do it, comrades. Place your hands on your hips with your elbows out.
6. Avoid Negative Self-Talk.
The sixth point that we need to pay attention to is to avoid self-talk or dialogue in the heart that can make our thoughts become negative or think bad. When meeting with a client, try not to think about what the client thinks of us, or what the client thinks when we’re talking, leading to questions like, “Was there something wrong with what I said?” “Earlier, I said it correctly, didn’t I?” or “Have I looked convincing in front of them?” and so forth.
In other words, we need to avoid the temptation to think too much about our words or to be busy evaluating any mistakes we accidentally make. Trust me, it just makes us look even more nervous.
Then, what should we do? What we need to do is focus on what we can do well and maximally. Just think about what advantages we can offer our clients, what are the talents of our team? What achievements or achievements will make clients more confident to collaborate with us? and so forth.
7. Do not forget to pay attention to the clothes we use.
Clothing is symbolic that can indicate the character of the wearer. In other words, clothing can represent our business image intellectually and physically. In addition, the general view among the public is still very strong with the perception that a businessman or employee who is well-dressed and neat is considered a more professional, more competent and superior person than those who do not pay attention to the style of clothing when meeting with clients. So, don’t forget to dress formally or formally, yes, Career Advice colleagues.
Yep! Those are 7 ways that we can apply to be more confident when meeting with clients. We hope that fellow readers will be more enthusiastic and will not feel embarrassed anymore when they have to meet clients anywhere and anytime. Keep your spirits up, Career Advice colleagues.