When you just begin the entrepreneurship journey, you inevitably have to deal with an imposter syndrome. Between barely finding clients/customers, not knowing your worth, the absence of a clear work flow and simple self doubt, it is very hard to keep standing up.
Money. Confidence. Professionalism. Honesty.
What I have discovered, is that any kind of anxiety and doubts often come from a lack of clarity.
As an example: to have a good/unique taste you need to see and analyse lots of visuals; just like that, to have professional confidence you need to understand what the market is offering, and place -yourself- on the perceptual map.
Understanding what you can propose that others don’t makes you feel more confident.
Now, if there are some processes that make you anxious, it means that you need to systemise them. I was very scared about working with clients until I figured out my step by step process. Writing it down reassures both me and my clients.
Why am I talking about confidence and clarity, when the first word of this article is “money”?
Confidence attracts money. No, confidence attracts trust and reassurance, and to feel reassured people will pay you money. Because they need what you have to propose, it’s important for you to give them a hand and guide them through the dark forest of skills they don’t have.
Your insecurity is much more likely to ruin the outcome as it affects the way that people perceive you. Not your actual skills! But your self-esteem!
If you are not confident about what you do, your client would have to keep a mental charge of doubts and spend energy making sure that everything will turn out ok.
So even if you are not 100% sure that the outcome will be awesome, you need to act like it would. And let me reassure you that no one I’ve met, even those who work for the well known companies, has ever been 100% sure about their work. Your insecurity is much more likely to ruin the outcome as it affects the way that people perceive you. Not your actual skills! But your self-esteem!
However, there is one more word in the name of the article: Honesty. In my personal values this is a very important one. Because there’s a big difference between boosting your confidence about things you are capable of doing and giving empty promisses.
If you know that you couldn’t deliver what the customer is asking from you, please just be honest about it. The whole “fake it until you make it” thing isn’t valid when another human being is investing their time, money and hopes in you.
I believe that professionalism is mainly a combination of clarity, confidence and honesty. This is when I am not scared to take a risk. This is when you, as an entrepreneur, are ready to receive truly deserved money.