| One
person may be holding you back from doubling your
income as a design trade professional. That person
isn't a competitor or a customer. That person is
you.
Self doubt -- and how to overcome it -- is in
the Business by Design
spotlight this month.
THIS MONTH:
+ Defeatist Attitudes
+ Antidotes for Stinkin' Thinkin'
+ A Lesson from Wesley Snipes
DEFEATIST ATTITUDES
Design trade professionals can be -- and too often
are -- their own worst enemies.
At my seminars in recent months I met four individuals
who were more knowledgeable about their "can't's"
than their "cans."
An interior designer told me she lacked the "credentials"
to enter a design competition. A kitchen and bath
professional declared he lacked the "track
record" to raise his hourly design fee.
A window fashion specialist complained she lacked
the "technical know how" to learn about
and offer motorization. A showroom manager said
he lacked the "facilitation skills"
to conduct a focus group of her top customers.
In fact, the key thing they lack is the courage
of their convictions.
Too bad so many designers, window fashion professionals,
decorators, retailers and others are so attuned
to their doubts about their ability.
ANTIDOTES FOR STINKIN' THINKIN'
Some suggestions on how to rid yourself of destructive
self talk:
+ Recall past successes. Remembering
yesterday's achievements will empower you to tackle
today's challenges.
+ Refuse to lose. Heed the advice
of Winston Churchill: "Never give up. Never,
never give up."
+ Refocus your energy. It takes
lots of effort to dwell on your shortcomings.
Rechannel that effort into focusing on your attributes.
+ Rehearse your responses. Develop
--ahead of time -- good responses to lousy questions.
Preparing yourself for the "Questions from
Hell" will boost your confidence.
+ Fake it 'til you make it. Accentuate
the positive about yourself to the greatest possible
degree. If you don't toot your flute, who will?
+ Mind your own business. By
comparing yourself to more "talented"
competitors, you put yourself down. Comparison
is a game without winners.
+ Consider the consequences.
So what if you try something and fail? It's not
what you lose, it's what you learn. Said Tom Watson,
former IBM chairman: "If you want to succeed,
double your failure rate."
A LESSON FROM WESLEY SNIPES
Even the divas of design have doubts.
Cecil Hayes, a nationally-recognized Florida-based
designer whose clients include prominent movie
stars, athletes and CEOS, recalls her first meeting
with Wesley Snipes.
Snipes, the actor and producer, hired her to
design his home in an exclusive gated community
near Orlando. But she worked with his staff, and
never met him until he showed up to inspect her
completed work.
Hayes remembers nervously preparing herself for
the doubts she was sure he had. She suggested
that he make a list of all the problems, oversights
and modifications that he wanted her to address.
Snipes looked miffed.
"Why even bring up the negative without
discussing the positive?" he asked. The house,
he said, was "gorgeous" and he never
doubted her ability to deal with the details.
Hayes says the experience taught her to attach
a greater value to her work -- and to herself.
|
