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A DSR’s Self-Confidence Matters Just as Much as Ability.
It’s an essential contributor to one’s success.
Self-confidence is extremely important in almost every aspect of our lives, and DSRs who lack it can find it difficult to become successful.
Two main things contribute to self-confidence: Self-efficacy and Self-esteem.
Self-Confidence is the feeling of trust in your abilities, qualities, and judgment.
Many operators are reluctant to develop a relationship when being pitched by a DSR who is nervous, fumbling, and overly apologetic. On the other hand, operators might be persuaded by a DSR who speaks clearly; who holds his or her head high; answers questions assuredly; and who readily admits when he or she does not know something.
Confident DSRs inspire confidence in others: family, their peers, their bosses, their customers, and their friends. And gaining the confidence of others is one of the key ways in which a self-confident DSR finds success.
Your level of self-confidence can show in many ways: your behavior, your body language, how you speak, what you say, your product knowledge, your intelligence about your customer’s business and your intelligence about the foodservice industry as a whole.
Do you recognize any of these thoughts or actions in yourself and or people around you?
| Confident Behavior | Low Self-Confidence Behavior |
| Always having clear sales and business goals with action items that you practice routinely | Shoot from the hip each day hoping your sales plan will get done some day |
| Being willing to take risks and do whatever it takes to achieve bigger and better things | Staying in your comfort zone, fearing failure, and avoiding taking risks |
| Admitting your mistakes, taking the blame for mistakes and learning from them | Working hard to cover up mistakes and hoping no one notices |
| Doing what you believe to be right, even if others criticize you for it | Conducting your behavior based on what other people think and/or how they act around you |
| Learning everything you can learn about the products you’re selling and becoming a product expert | Leading with price when selling products and hoping customers order the right items |
As you can see from these examples, low self-confidence can be self-destructive, and it often manifests itself as negativity. Confident DSRs are generally more positive. They believe in themselves and they believe in the products they’re selling.
Goal setting and product knowledge are probably the most important activities that you can learn in order to improve your self-confidence.
The good news: Becoming more self-confident is achievable as long as you have the focus and determination to carry things through.
Another benefit: The things you’ll be doing to build your self-confidence will also build your sales success! After all, you’ll gain confidence from making new account calls and by being prepared with the product knowledge your customers are counting on you to have.
DSRs, Be a Resource… and Sell Something!
