The number one complaint I hear from most business owners when it comes to growing their businesses? Learning how to sell with confidence in a way that doesn’t make them feel like a slimy used car salesman or door-to-door encyclopedia peddler.

Can you can relate?

The last thing we want to do is sell our business in a way that comes off as pushy or desperate. But I also think for the majority of us, the bigger, unspoken fear is putting our products out there and getting rejected.

This is our business we’re talking about, our *dream*. One we’ve put our hearts and souls into. What if we put ourselves out there and people say no? Or worse, don’t say anything?

As one of my clients once put it, selling her products makes her “feel like she’s standing naked in front of a crowd.”

I mean, is that not the truest statement you’ve ever heard?

But here’s the thing, my friend. We can’t let our fear of selling stand in the way of our success. If we ever want our businesses to grow and have an impact, we have to sell what we offer and we have to sell with confidence!

I used to have all the same fears when I first started out as a business owner. I had huge imposter syndrome – who was I to build a business, who was I to guide other business owners? What did I know?

But I realized that type of thinking did nothing but hold me back. Over the years I’ve put a lot of work into changing my mindset and learning how to sell confidently.

And I want to help you do the same.

If you’re ready to sell with confidence and grow your business, here are three simple mindset shifts you can make to help you get there.

1. Believe in the value of what you offer

This is such an important shift to make when it comes to selling with confidence. If you struggle to believe in the value of what you’re offering, how can you expect anyone else to believe it?

The energy you put out as a business owner is the energy you receive in return. I know that sounds a little woo-woo.  But think about it.

If you’re a runner and someone comes to you with a pair of new running shoes that might help you run faster and I mean, I think they could maybe, possibly help with your shin splints, but I’m really not sure… are you going to buy them?

Not if someone else over here is selling running shoes that they guarantee will help you embody your inner Flo Jo and still feel great even after you’re ten miles in.

The same goes for selling your products and services. If you’re not confident in what you’re offering, you can’t expect anyone else to be.

You’ve put all this time and effort into creating your product or service, into making it perfect. It is special and important and capable of making your customers’ lives better. Believe that.

If you want to sell with confidence, it starts with knowing that what you have is valuable and can truly help your audience.

→ You should also read: 9 Lies of Imposter Syndrome and How You Can Overcome Them

2. Come at it from a place of service

Just about every business owner I’ve ever worked with has said that talking about their products or services makes them feel like a door-to-door Tupperware salesman.  They talk about selling like it’s a dirty word.

Many of us, myself included, have been taught that money isn’t really something you talk about.  Asking for someone’s money, even as an exchange for a service or product, feels wrong somehow.  I know the feeling.

And to be honest, there are likely several emotional, psychological, and cultural reasons behind this.  But none of that matters.  Because if you want to run a successful business, you need to make sales.  Period.

So another trick for overcoming the fear of selling and talking about money?  Focus less on what you get out of the transaction and focus more on what you give.  Come at it from a place of service, not a place of scarcity. 

When you sell from a place of service, you approach it from the standpoint of, “How can I best serve this person? What do they need from me?” Not, “What do I need from them?”

Selling from a place of service means that you’re focused on the other person and not just your business. It means that you’re tuned in to their needs and wants and you’re offering a solution that’s going to help them.

If you focus on creating and offering the solution that your audience needs, you’ll never be seen as a salesman, you’ll be seen as a problem solver.  And you can never go wrong when you set out to genuinely serve your people.

3. Don’t think about it as selling, think about it as offering

This one mindset shift has made such a huge difference in my ability to sell with confidence.

Instead of thinking about selling as, “I need to sell this person X product or service and ask them for money and they’re going to be so annoyed and unfollow me,” I now think about it as, “I get to offer this person a solution that’s going to help them in some way and if it’s right for them they’ll take me up on it.”

They can choose to take me up on my offer, or they can choose not to.  It’s really up to them.  But it’s something I know they deserve to hear about, so I’m going to give them all the details, present them in the best way possible, and then let them decide for themselves.

It’s such a small and simple shift, but it can make a huge difference in the energy you put out there.  Instead of feeling self-conscious and uncomfortable, it helps me focus on the audience I’m there to serve. When you think about it as just offering up a solution, it takes the pressure off and allows you to be more present with the person you’re speaking to.

I’m not forcing anything on them – I’m simply offering them a solution that I know and believe can help.

The people who really need it and who really want it will gravitate to it if I make it compelling enough. Whether or not they ultimately choose to take me up on my offer is entirely up to them.

—

Selling with confidence all comes down to your mindset, friend. If you can make these three shifts, you’ll be well on your way to selling with ease and growing your business.

Tell me, what do you struggle with most when it comes to selling in your business?  Do you think this mindset shifts will help?  Tell me in the comments!