“I left my term paper on the printer,” my 15-year-old texted me from school. “Can you bring it to me?”

My response was more “OMG” than “LOL,” and I'm pretty sure I taught him a new word. I debated whether to let him learn Life Lesson No. 132: “You show up for the presentation without brochures, apps and a laptop… You ain't writin' no insurance today.”

But then I remembered his first college choice costs more than I earned my first year in the business—and how badly he needs straight As to get the scholarship to pay for it—and I texted back: “What time do you need it?”

I walked into the classroom, apologizing to his teacher, who said, “You're fine.” Without missing a beat, I waved three snaps in a Z formation and said, “Oh, I know I'm fine…”

Life Lesson No. 133: If your only option for getting your term paper to school is your dad, take the zero.

After school my son told me how his friends thought it was funny, adding, “It takes a special confidence to pull that off, doesn't it?” He was patronizing me, of course; he's 15. But it got me thinking.

Do you have that special confidence when you sit down with a decision maker?

It's hard sometimes, with all those no's, to maintain your confidence. I mean, you thought you were fine. Your mama always told you so. But out in the real world, people aren't interested in what your mama thinks.

Out there, they're interested in: Fixing their problems, bringing peace to their restless mind. And the thing they most excel at is busting your chops.

The one sure-fire survival trick I know is confidence.

Some people in our business confuse confidence with arrogance so let me clarify: Confidence is an unwavering belief that your product or service will change someone's life for the better. Arrogance is the unwavering belief that you will change someone's life for the better. See the difference?

When you “know that you know” your stuff is the best stuff on the planet, you exude that. I can't explain it. It's just there.

Yes, it helps that you've made the presentation a couple of thousand times, but it's more than that. Authority will always translate to sales. When people see your confidence, your authority gives them confidence that their trust is well placed.

And nothing breeds confidence like a successful sales call.

Instant Insights /

Oh, I know I&rsquo;m fine&hellip;

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