Self-confidence is one of those qualities that everybody desires. Some have it and some don’t. Self-confidence is extremely important in almost every aspect of our lives, yet so many people struggle to find it. Confident people inspire confidence in others: their audience, their peers, their bosses, their customers and their friends. Gaining the confidence of others is one of the key ways in which a self-confident person finds success.
So why is self-confidence so important in the events industry? Let’s imagine you have a new lead and it’s your job to persuade this potential client that you can deliver an incredible event that’s miles above and beyond the capabilities of any other events company out there! Most people are reluctant to get behind an event that’s being pitched by someone who is nervous, fumbling, and overly apologetic. On the other hand, if you are confident and you speak clearly, hold your head high, and answer questions assuredly, you stand a much better chance of succeeding. Even if you don’t know the answer to a curveball question, simply admitting that you are unsure rather than trying to avoid the subject can clearly demonstrate that you have self-confidence. The key to being confident when dealing with a client is to be thoroughly prepared for any eventuality. Make sure you understand exactly what it is they want, exactly what you’re selling and exactly how you can best describe it to its full potential. If you’re positive on this before the meeting, your self-confidence will naturally shine through, even if you don’t perceive yourself as a confident person.
I’ve been running teambuilding events for over 11 years now and most of my experience has been leading teams of people through a series of engaging activities to test their creativity, teamwork and dedication. However, I’m sure everyone who’s been in the industry for as long as I have, at some point has been asked to run an event that was pretty dull and boring. Unfortunately, this occasionally does happen. If a client has specifically requested a series of very basic activities, it can become quite challenging to hold everyone’s attention and make it really exciting and entertaining! This is where self-confidence comes in handy, because if you believe in something then you can lead other people to also believe in it. If you use your self-confidence and deliver a brief that clearly shows that you think this is the best activity in the world, then people will start to engage!
The events industry often runs to a tight deadline. When you arrive onsite for an event, you know you have a certain amount of time before the field has to be set and everyone must be in place and ready to begin. Occasionally the client will be running ahead of time and ask if we can start the event earlier, so being friendly but firm with all the event staff is crucial. If you have self-confidence, have a solid plan in your head and communicate with your team coherently, you can carry out an effective setup. If you lack confidence and don’t really know what’s going on, you will find it difficult to keep you team motivated and willing to work hard for you. They will start doing their own thing and setting up wherever they want and the whole event could be doomed from the start. Make a plan. Stick to your plan. Execute your plan. Stay confident!
Self-confidence is a mind-set that only you can induce, and it will help you in all areas of life, not just at work. It can make positive things happen for you and it makes you feel so much happier about yourself as a person and how your life is going. People will give you more respect and you will find you get more out of life because you are more confident to go look for it. So how do the experts suggest we can teach ourselves to be more self-confident?
Self-confidence is simply a mind-set and we are ALL capable of accessing it. You need to take stock of where you are, think about where you want to go, get yourself in the right frame of mind for your journey and commit yourself to starting it and staying with it. There are 4 basic things that professional life-coaches remind you to remember:
1. Stay away from negativity and bring on the positivity.
2. Pull your shoulders back, raise your head and smile.
3. Get rid of the negative voices in your head.
4. Be prepared
The good news is that self-confidence really can be learned and built on. And, whether you’re working on your own confidence or building the confidence of people around you, it’s well-worth the effort!