20 Ways to Create Confidence in an Uncertain World

April 9, 2020

It’s a simple fact of life:

When people don’t feel confident about what they’re supposed to do, they often freeze up and don’t do anything at all.

And chances are, too many consumers are lacking confidence when it comes to buying or selling a home right now.

And you, as an agent, might be right there with them. These are unprecedented times and we’re all exploring how we process it.

But there are some great examples of how to continue taking action responsibly and instill confidence in consumers… And lucky for me, I’m in touch with many of these people regularly through our new Pivot program webinars designed to keep you and your business moving forward throughout this disruption.

For today’s blog, I’ve created a list of 20 powerful ways to create confidence in today’s uncertain world. They’re mostly unrelated to one another and not listed in any particular order, but the more of these you practice, the more of a leadership role you’ll attain. Let’s start.

Creating Confidence Tip No. 1: Take Your MEDS

I know, I know… You’ve probably heard me say this already. But it’s that important! If you’re not taking care of yourself and you’re sluggish as a result, you will NOT instill confidence in others. So take your “MEDS” by Meditating, Exercising, watching your Diet and getting enough Sleep.

Creating Confidence Tip No. 2: Role Play

Today’s environment requires a new way to talk to people, and the more you practice your new and/or adjusted scripts (such as those found in the brand-new Pivot Scriptbook for Pivot members), the more confidence you’ll convey. If you’re the type who says you’re always too busy to role play, chances are you have a little more time on your hands now. So find a partner and practice!

Creating Confidence Tip No. 3: Be True to Yourself

Trying to be something you’re not isn’t going to convey confidence… unless you’ve got Meryl Streep-like acting abilities. If you see something that’s working now but it doesn’t “feel” like you, figure out how to adjust it into your wheelhouse. Also, be authentic about your feelings. You don’t need to be made of steel to succeed in today’s environment. You need to be relatable, and lots of people are feeling a wide variety of emotions. It’s okay to be there with them and make yourself vulnerable sometimes.

Creating Confidence Tip No. 4: Lean into the Ecosystem

The great coach Eileen Rivera shared this tip as a panelist earlier this week on a Pivot webinar on how to do virtual listing presentations. She said she often mentions to her buyers and sellers that she has been participating in these calls and webinars with thousands of other agents to demonstrate the strength behind her approach. It shows her clients that she’s not on an island but that she’s committed to learning and putting best practices in place with everything she does. Now that’s a confidence builder!

Creating Confidence Tip No. 5: Don’t Operate from Fear

Remember what Greg Markov from the Real Estate Negotiation Institute told us a couple weeks ago? Fear leads to anxiety, and anxiety is a deal-killer. Even if you make yourself vulnerable like I mentioned above in Tip 3, make sure you’re not coming across as fearful of the unknown.

Creating Confidence Tip No. 6: Put NLP to Use Now More Than Ever

Here’s another great confidence-building tip from Eileen Rivera… She said when she’s on a video conference with a client or prospect – especially if it’s someone she doesn’t know – she makes sure to put her Neuro-Linguistic Programming to use and “mirror” the person’s volume and rate of speech. If you’re out of synch personality-wise, with so much uncertainty out there right now, you’re giving people one more excuse to put things on hold or move on to another agent. Use your NLP skills to build rapport and gain trust.

Creating Confidence Tip No. 7: See Things as They Are

There’s a tendency for some people – especially in times of crisis – to overexaggerate a problem or to want to sugar-coat it and minimize it. Neither one builds confidence with consumers. Your best bet is to see things as they are and tell it like it is.

Creating Confidence Tip No. 8: Rely on Facts!

Facts, data and statistics are your friend right now. Opinions of columnists trying to make a name for themselves are not. Now, after you rely on the facts, it’s okay to offer your own opinion to your clients and/or prospects. Stick to the facts and you’ll build confidence with your clients.

Creating Confidence Tip No. 9: Sharpen Your Axe

If you have more “down time” than normal, one way to cope with not being in control of your environment is to have control over improving your skills. Now is an opportunity to grow as a businessperson and to bring more to the marketplace when things return to normal. And in the process, you’ll be demonstrating your commitment and instilling confidence in both yourself and those working with you.

Creating Confidence Tip No. 10: Time-Stamp Everything!

You might’ve noticed that on all my recent episodes of the #TomFerryShow or the podcast, I’ve been mentioning when I recorded it. Why? Because everything is moving so fast, information can become obsolete overnight. The more you can communicate to people that you’re providing them timely information, the more confident they’ll be working with you. So include those “time stamps” in all the content you create right now.

Creating Confidence Tip No. 11: Serve with Love and Compassion

One of our great coaching members Taya DiCarlo mentioned in Monday’s Pivot Marketing webinar that she’s currently guided by this iconic Maya Angelou quote: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” The more you can serve your clients and community from a place of love and compassion, the more confidence you’ll naturally create.

Creating Confidence Tip No. 12: Match Your Tone to the Climate

On that same webinar on Monday, Arkansas Rockstar agent Ray Ellen said he’s getting great engagement and results by putting out more emotional, tonally appropriate content right now. When you connect with people in a positive and understanding way, you’re building that much-needed confidence.

Creating Confidence Tip No. 13: Now More than Ever, Listen

Now is not the time to get someone on the phone or a video call and jump into your sales pitch. It’s actually a great time to ask a few meaningful questions and then shut up and listen. Pay attention to how people are feeling right now, and their confidence in you will soar.

Creating Confidence Tip No. 14: Don’t Go Missing

It’s one thing to “hide” from the virus inside your home. It’s another thing altogether to “hide” from your market by pulling back on your marketing and stopping all activity. Your voice needs to be heard right now. As I’ve said before, I strongly believe we will make or break our brands by the actions we take in the next 30-60 days. Being active in your community – not in person, but through video or marketing – is not only good for your visibility and ability to quickly rebound, but also for your long-term prospects as well. A Bain study showed that those who leaned into their marketing during the 2008 recession significantly increased business in the years that followed, while those who didn’t remained flatlined where they were previously. Step up, lead, educate and inform, and you’ll instill confidence in the process.

Creating Confidence Tip No. 15: Book Consultation Appointments Now!

If you didn’t see Tuesday’s #TomFerryShow, it’s a real confidence builder for consumers.

Creating Confidence Tip No. 16: Embrace Video

Anyone who follows me knows I’ve been preaching the merits of video for what – a decade now? What’s been really encouraging is getting lots of messages from people saying that this shutdown has finally gotten them to start doing video, and they’re getting fantastic feedback! Whether you’re simply showing how you’re working from home, creating DIY projects, providing real estate tips or market updates, make sure you’re doing video! Because now more than ever, it’s a big confidence builder for uncertain consumers seeking your guidance.

Creating Confidence Tip No. 17: What You Say Matters

Now more than ever, your words need to be carefully chosen to match the tone of today’s environment. I’ve shared some scripts we’ve adapted here and here. Also, inside the Pivot Toolbox is the Pivot Scriptbook with brand-new scripts for how to speak to your Past Clients/COI, Expireds, Online Leads and more!

Creating Confidence Tip No. 18: Seek Out Reputable Sources

If you’ve been paying attention, you know I’m a big fan of all the content being created by Keeping Current Matters during these challenging times. I’m not a big fan of citing “dark web” blogs or extreme fringe publications that skew things to attract more eyeballs. Your clients deserve reputable information without conspiracy theories or hidden agendas. So provide them with real data and information from trusted sources to build confidence.

Creating Confidence Tip No. 19: Educate!

Are you embracing your role as an educator right now? You can create lots of confidence by screen sharing from inside your MLS to demonstrate to people that – if this is the case – transactions are being conducted in your market right now because some people absolutely NEED to make a move at this time.

Creating Confidence Tip No. 20: Do the Right Thing

Always be honest. Always tell the truth. Always follow the rules. Always do what’s in the best interests of your client. Follow these guidelines, and you’ll build confidence without a doubt.

BONUS TIP: Be Adaptable

When you show people that things can be done a different way than what they expect, you look like a leader and gain their confidence.

I hope you found these tips helpful in these trying times. Let me know your feedback in the comments below, or share your own tips. The more we all pull together to get through this, the stronger our industry can emerge out the other side!