I was talking with a friend yesterday about Madonna and her performance during the Super Bowl…
The conversation went something like this…
Hey, did you see Madonna on Sunday?
Yeah, I saw it and I love Madonna…but she seemed really nervous and stiff.
Totally. Seemed like her shoes were too high or something. She looked uncomfortable and it was uncomfortable to watch.
Exactly. She was scared and you could tell – it made me uneasy.
All she had to do was change her shoes. It’s like I was rooting for her to NOT screw up but I couldn’t relax and enjoy the show. Why’d she have to wear those boots anyway?
I don’t know…she’s Madonna. And it wasn’t like they made the outfit either.
She sure is in great shape. And she loosened up at the end.
Ummm hmmm “cuz she didn’t have to move around!
Now I get that there’s a LOT Madonna couldn’t control about Sunday. The fast set-up, the lighting, the sound quality, the crowd reaction…
But she CAN control her lack of confidence in some areas. She was afraid of falling down and my Monday quarterback friend and I decided it’s because of her boots. It was her choice to wear them, obviously. The problem is this…
When you’re watching someone perform who is clearly uncomfortable it make YOU uncomfortable too.
And when you cannot trust that things will work out OK for the performer, you lose a little confidence in that person. And you don’t really enjoy the experience, either.
The same exact thing is true when you sell your line. If you’re uncertain, tentative, overly nervous, it wrecks you chances of connecting with a buyer. And if the buyer doesn’t start to feel some level of trust with you, they simply won’t buy. Sometimes they’re just uncomfortable and they don’t even really know why.
When I had my store, I can remember being pitched by designers that just didn’t seem ready to truly engage me in the sales process. It can be a little painful to watch this happen and you feel BAD for that person which distracts you from the main objective – looking at the product.
This is why you need to practice. And understand how the sales “system” works – step by step. It’s also why you want to build your confidence so the buyer feels safe ordering from you. It’s so important to project confidence and trustworthiness (assuming that’s a real word).
If you’re not sure how to do this, I recommend the “How to Sell Your Line to Boutiques” Bootcamp. It will help you control the factors you CAN control – the boots, as it were. Your level of confidence and certainty can make all the difference in getting buyers to actually commit to an order. Click here for more details.
What do you think? Do you agree about watching something uncomfortable? Let me know your feedback HERE, on facebook, or leave a comment below and we can continue the discussion.
So back to Madonna… She really did look good, right?
2 Responses
been there, done that!! it is so true. i’m learning to BE PREPARED and make the most of what i’m trying to do. no one likes a fool.
Oh, that cracks me up. But we’re all foolish sometimes. I know I am. I think a big part of the reason I’ve been successful is because I block those thoughts out and have a short memory for my mistakes. It helps me take more risks!
Lord knows Eli Manning has to have a short memory to get up and pass the ball again and not dwell on getting creamed. Not to mention there are very few women who would ever have a SECOND baby without a little memory alteration.