Overcoming Self-Doubt & What I Had in Common with a Con-Artist at the Start of My Business

Do you ever feel unqualified in your business or feel like you need help overcoming self-doubt? Well, today I’m going to help you do that, and also let you know what I think you might have in common with a con-artist.You may be thinking, “I have nothing in common with a con-artist! I am ethical, and honest!” Good! Keep that in the front of your mind, because that we will come back to that.

False Fronts

What I do think you have in common with a con-artist - what I had in common with a con-artist in the beginning of my business - is that I think, what we accidentally do, as heart-centered women, is we present to the world - strangers or potential clients - an inaccurate picture of what they’re actually getting as a product or service from you. This is the core of what a con-artist does, right? They are presenting a different front, and what they’re actually doing is completely different. The difference between you and these con-artists is that what they’re doing, they are doing it intentionally to be manipulative. They’re saying, “I’m selling you this!” but they’re really delivering - or not delivering - something different. How I feel as heart-centered women we do the same is we put up this accidental false front of, “Well, you know, you don’t really have to work with me, and it may not really be a great deal,” and we undersell ourselves, but then what we actually have to offer is this beautiful, amazing, impactful, powerful, breath-taking product or service. We are showing dissonance between our presentation and the actual product, kind of like a con-artist would.

But that is why I’m so passionate about helping women who are heart-centered and ethical create profitable businesses, because you shouldn’t have that problem; you should be fully confident to sell and create an accurate picture of what it is that you actually offer.

You would never want a client to say, “Wow, I almost didn’t work with you, but I’m glad I did, because what you’re selling is actually better than what you’re presenting.” I want you to present your products and services honestly. I don’t want you to oversell, or lie, or be dishonest about what you’re presenting, but I don’t want you to undersell yourself either.

I want you to feel convicted of the fact that when you undersell, you’re almost doing your clients a disservice, because you’re not really educating them on the power or impact that your product or service can make.

When you actually believe in the transformative work that you do, and you believe when someone buys your product or hires your service that they are really benefitting, then sales are easy! You’ll say, “You’re going to benefit! I am a great deal! When you hire me, you’re going to get more than you bargained for - a great service, a great product, etc”. Look closely in light of your own fears and insecurities at what you’re presenting and what you actually deliver to see if you are accurately portraying the work you do.

Give Your Clients the Opportunity to Buy

I hope that what I shared is helpful in boosting your confidence. The reason I wanted to use the word ‘con-artist’ is because ironically, when I first started life-coaching, I was doing a low-price group coaching program, and I remember telling my husband, “I feel like a con-artist! I feel like I’m conning people! I feel bad about charging people,” even though I was charging way less than I charged in my day job to do therapy, and there was no reason that I should have felt bad.

I really think it was my own self-confidence - or lack thereof - to blame, and I remember finally realizing, “Wow, by selling, and by creating an accurate picture of what I’m delivering, I am actually doing my potential clients a service.”

Because of course all we have to do is offer; the clients get to choose! We are not forcing them, coercing them, or duping them into purchasing from us. But if we don’t even offer our product/service or have a clear price tag on what we do, then we aren’t even giving them the opportunity to buy.I hope that is empowering and convicting for you, that you need to accurately present the awesomeness of what you do to your clients, so that they can choose and make an informed decision on whether or not to purchase from you.