Page 58 - How To Sell Yourself

Selling With Confidence 57
• Comfort.
• Presence of mind to think.
• Positive nervous energy making you dynamic.
• The ability to concentrate on your message and your
audience.
Consider the following case study demonstrating the impor- tance of confidence.
Almost immediately after attending one of my training ses- sions, an association executive director had to represent his in- dustry in one of the first and most media-covered product tam- pering cases.
Almost every day for several weeks, he held news conferences at the Food and Drug Administration and responded to unrelent- ing questions from the media.
He testified before congressional committees where the TV lights blazed, cameras rolled, and questions were often hostile and intimidating. The pressure was constant.
After it was over, he told me, “Without the confidence your training gave me, I never could have handled my end of the cri- sis.”
Of course, the product was Tylenol.
How to gain confidence
In anything you do, the greater your confidence in yourself and your abilities, the stronger your impact.
That’s not cockiness, mind you. It’s being prepared. It’s know- ing how to take control of your own metabolism and turn your stress into nervousness that generates enthusiasm and energy.
The secret key
The concept is easy to understand, but just how do you go about taking control of your metabolism? After all, your heart rate is racing. Your blood pressure is over the top.
The key is so simple, you’re going to wonder if I really know what I’m talking about.
The secret to controlling stress is diaphragmatic breathing. It’s the way the baby breathes when the umbilical cord is severed,