FINDING CONFIDENCE IN THE MIDDLE OF A FOG OF DOUBT

Talking with newsXpress members we sometimes find lack of confidence to be a barrier to embracing change, bringing on a new product, trying a marketing initiative or doing something else in the business. Even in highly successful businesses that have benefited from transformation we can find confidence lacking when confronted with an opportunity.

Change of any sort can be challenging. Part of our role is to offer encouragement for continuous change. While we cannot force you to be confident in embracing change, we can provide a safety-net of sorts and a cheer-squad of encouragement.

In our own situation we are confronted with change and challenges every day. What newsXpress does today is very different to what we were doing five and ten years ago. Here are things we have found encourage confidence.

• Know your business. This starts with knowing your business data, respecting it and basing decisions on the data. This provides a foundation for changes that are right in and for your business.
• Take small steps. Sometimes, confidence fades or can be a challenge when the task ahead or the changes to be made appear too big. Break them down. Focus on the next step. Take that one step. Cheer the result. Next, take the next step.
• Most of what we suggest is based on either direct experience or considerable research. Trusting this could see you embrace change sooner and, hopefully, thereby enjoy more success sooner. This, in turn, will boost your confidence.
  • We have members who took months, even years, to embrace Beanie Boos only to discover they worked in their business. In one case, the cost of not trusting the advice in a year was more than $7,000 in gross profit – twice the cost of newsXpress membership.
  • We have members today who say Pop! Vinyls will not work in their business when we are certain they will. Our offer of a safety-net is ignored and these members deny themselves the opportunity to either enjoy financial success or learn from the experience.
• Know you are not alone. No matter what change or challenge you face, the newsXpress community from the head office to the field team to other newsXpress members … we are part of your community, part of your cheer-squad. Talk with us before, during and after change. We will help in any way we are able.
• Focus on the destination. Where do you want to be as a result of a change in your business, new products or a new marketing initiative. Focus on the destination and ignore the barriers you create in your head. Often, the barriers are only there because you allowed yourself to see them.
• Facts encourage confidence. Facts such as evidence of success of others and evidence of success in your own business underpin confidence. The key is to look at the facts, to focus on them and not the possible barriers you can create.
• Hire confident people.
• Let go of people who are not confident, who talk change down, who are negative at their core.
• Play confident music in your office and in the shop.
• Dress with confidence.
• Know that a failure is always a success. Every change you make in your business is a success because you either make more money, enjoy your business more or learn what not to do next time because it did not go as planned. There is only upside from change.

A lack of confidence is not easily overcome. We understand that and do not seek here to be glib about it. Lack of confidence in anything is a serious challenge, yet one to overcome for the future of the business, personal achievement and the benefit of all who rely on the business.

Rather than investing time in the fog of a lack of confidence, our advice is to look out beyond the fog, to take steps out of the fog and to do so knowing we are with you as are all in the newsXpress family.