Success in any area of life will come to you more frequently if you believe in yourself – unwaveringly – and show it.

The foregoing FACT becomes even more important to keep in mind if/when you have to start-up or run a business of your own. Few endeavours in life, are as challenging as having to take a business idea from zero to rewarding success.

In approaching people you want business from, you must come across as self-assured/confident and enthusiastic.

If you don’t, they will have a difficult time believing you can help them – and so will be wary of buying from you

I have “entertained” many friends, clients (and even prospects) with the story of how, back in 2007, I endured major humiliation one fateful day when I (mistakenly?) entered an office in Ikeja, here in Lagos, to introduce my custom spreadsheet software development service.

The owner of the company was so amused to hear me say I could develop low-cost and time-saving automated spreadsheet software for him using MS Excel, that he burst out laughing many times, as I spoke.

Eventually, he turned to someone seated next to him, and pointing to me said “Can you imagine him wanting to teach me Excel? I know more Excel than he knows! What can he possibly teach me?” Looking at me, with a mocking expression on his face, he said with a tone of finality “Anyway, I wish you all the best”.

As I left that day I had to muster all the courage I could, to avoid feeling depressed. I shook off the embarrassment of that experience, and continued my foot-solider-marketing (i.e. pavement pounding).

And it was a good thing that I did so.

Guess what happened? Before the end of that day, I had won a project to build a custom application for a medium-sized company in Omole Estate, Phase 1 in Ikeja, Lagos. And I went on to sell THAT same application to a similar company – also in Ikeja – less than ONE month after finishing it.

Looking back, I realise that it was the way I carried myself that often “won” over the clients. I always presented my offer in an engaging manner.

Apart from showing that I was excited about getting an opportunity to tell them what I could do to help them, I was also careful to employ very graphic verbal illustrations, that instantly communicated the benefits they wanted.

Most importantly, I NEVER let unsuccessful sales attempts from my past faze me one bit – every time I had a new opportunity to make my sales offers. Anyone who wants to succeed in selling to others will need to be able to do likewise or possibly better.