Audaciousness + Confidence = Your Startup + Persistence

Today I met one of the smartest human beings I've ever come across. He had a startup idea that is pure genius, and a brilliant, innovative mindset. He knew where his flaws lied, he knew precisely in what areas he would need assistance from me, he had completed some strategic research analysis of his industry, and he knew his competitive advantage and his SWOT (strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and threats). He clearly understood his business and industry.

He seemed shy, reserved and very methodological in his explanation of his projected business model and reasons for starting.

Then he made a series of comments I always hear, "who would want to listen to me anyway? Why would they go with me? How can I approach someone and get them to listen to me without patronizing me? This may not work, maybe I need to wait a little longer."

As I sat and explained that these are the very questions we would work on getting answered as we plan his business, I thought back to a book I read.

In his book, Never Eat Alone, Keith Ferrazzi wrote; "mustering the audacity to talk to people who don't know me often comes down to balancing the fear I have of embarrassment against the fear of failure and its repercussions."

Audacious is defined in the dictionary as,

"unrestrained by convention or propriety," "disposed to
venture or take risks," "invulnerable to fear or intimidation."

As I listened to this gentleman, I thought of the two things that are most important to any startup--the very two things that propelled me forward in business--audaciousness and persistence. Without these two friends, a startup business owner risks sinking quickly.

However, you cannot be audacious without being confident. Not cocky or arrogant, but confident. Confident in your abilities, confident that your business provides a much-needed service. Confident that you can win over customers if you can only get them to take the first step. Most importantly, you must be confident that your business is worthy of being heard.

How do you do this? You must first have self-confidence (not sure if that can be taught to anyone-this comes from knowing you can get the job done, educating yourself regularly, and knowing that you are just as smart, if not smarter than the next person). Then, you must be able to draw from the passion that made you start in the first place-- That "Ah-Ha" moment for you. Then you must be able to relay this to someone.

Finally, you must also carry with you the real reason for your startup's existence. What injustice or disadvantage propelled you forward? What pain made you want to find a solution? What critical moment in your life made you realize your true purpose?

Take this "real reason" with you because this is what will keep you going despite the odd or glazed looks you get from skeptics. And this will keep you going despite hearing a few "NOs."

There are three scary thoughts that hinder most aspiring entrepreneurs from starting their dream business:

The thought of having to represent an unknown product or service. This is scary but so what? Everything starts from somewhere. The worst case scenario is you hear "No way!" with no feedback. Best thing that would happen is if you hear three "No way!" with three similarly patterned critiques. Just remember, you have to represent yourself, so you might as well get going!

The thought of having to sell a product or service that is untested in the marketplace. This is a more serious reason for hesitation in my opinion. Still, it is not a reason for no action. You want to ensure that you are doing something right and that your clients are protected. This is why you do test-runs, and have sale prices, and analyze your clients, and repeatedly ask for random feedback. Every startup idea was once untested. So what? Don't sit on your idea waiting for someone to rescue you-just go!

The thought of having to "toot your own horn." Now I must admit this was a hard one for me also. I talked to a prospective client once and he also admitted that after having been a top salesperson for a large company, he was finding it hard to fathom selling for himself. This was also my story. After making millions for the banking industry, I was finally out on my own. Always having been a modest person, I've always found it hard to "toot my own horn." Guess what? I've learned that if I truly believe that my method and model is the best route to getting the job done, why hesitate to say it out loud? So don't let this thought hinder you!

Keep this quote from Keith Ferrazzi in mind, and remember that when you're starting a business "...the choice isn't between success and failure; it's between choosing risk and striving for greatness, or risking nothing and being certain of mediocrity."

About the Author: Cheryl Isaac is the writer of this blog and the Startup Business Consultant & Owner of Isaac Business Services; an agency that offers startup concierge & business planning services for small businesses.