5 Easy Self Confidence Boosts for Business Owners

Self-confidence as a business owner can make or break your company. New start-ups can take time to find their feet, and in a competitive sector, that time may well be costing you money. You need to be on the top of your game from the beginning to build confidence in yourself and your abilities.

But for those who are more introverted, finding this confidence can be a tall task, and as such, ‘fake it till you make it’ becomes a life motto. In many cases, if you fake it right, you soon begin to notice that you actually aren’t faking it at all, and your confidence is all your own.

So how can you fake confidence as a businessman?

Eye Contact

Eye contact is a great way to build your confidence. You need to be able to look someone in the eye and sell your business to them. Avoiding eye contact can make it seem like you are unsure, or untrustworthy and as such, this can betray the words coming out of your youth. Making contact with others and holding it will help boost your confidence when talking to others.

Smile

You want to appear happy, relaxed, and approachable. Smiling is a great thing to do. If you are overly stressed, picture something that makes you happy or looking forward to, such as your evening activities, your children, or something funny you have seen recently. A natural smile will warn others of you and break the ice to speak when engaging with strangers.

Relax

Easier said than done, but if you have a big meeting or presentation the next day, indulge in some relaxing activities the night before to help you relax and unwind so you can get a good night’s sleep. Try to avoid overindulging in alcohol or the contents of a doob tube as you need to be alert the next day not suffering the after-effects of a heavy night.

Engage with Feedback

Constructive feedback and failure are great ways to help you evolve and make improvements. People with imposter syndrome often avoid failure as they think they wouldn’t fail if they were really successful. However, if you don’t fail, you don’t learn. Good feedback can help you adjust your skills and, as such, feel more confident in your abilities. The better you get, the less faking you will have to do and the more natural it becomes.

Avoid Negativity

Be mindful of who you spend time with within your personal and professional life. If people are constantly pulling you down and are dismissive of your business and indeed you, then think twice about whether or not you should be spending a lot of time with them. Negativity can really chip away at your confidence levels and make you doubt yourself. Instead, surround yourself with people who have your best interests at heart and are supportive of you. This support can bolster your confidence in every area of your life. Not just your professional life.