There may be a fine line between being cocky and confident but there’s also a big difference. Being confident comes from a place of security. You believe in your abilities and capability to do something specific and you show that in a very secure way. Being cocky or arrogant comes from a place of insecurity. It’s more about the things that you do to make people think you’re confident or better at something than you actually are.
Why overconfidence is bad for your business
Overconfidence leads you to make decisions that are really the best. Because you lack humility you’re less likely to admit the mistakes that you make. You’re also less humble to take a minute to learn or grow personally because you already think you know the answers.
Although Confidence is an attractive trait, being cocky or arrogant makes people want to run the other way. In a business setting, someone that perceives you as arrogant or cocky may not say so directly in your face or at a meeting but you will notice that you hear less and less from them and eventually the relationship will die. Even if you’re not truly arrogant, being perceived as arrogant in your brand voice or marketing can cause you to lose clients and future referral opportunities.
Avoid hurting your personal and business relationships
To avoid this heartache and hurt to your business consider the following actions and how they apply to you.
You need to stop doing these
- Bad mouthing your competition
- Always blaming others when something goes wrong or is done incorrectly
- Don’t make unsubstantiated claims about how great you are
- Thinking about how something will benefit you before how it helps your client
- Disliking others because their opinion is different from yours
- Deciding how you will respond before others are finished talking
You need to do more of these
- Knowing your limits and when you can’t do something before committing
- Actively listening to all of your clients’ problems and concerns before responding
- Looking for more opportunities to learn from others
- Know when to defend yourself and when to admit you were wrong
- Give credit to colleagues, collaborators, and others that help you succeed
Remember,
Even if you are not an arrogant or cocky person, being perceived that way can do damage to your business in the long run. It’s great to be confident but be aware of where the line is and do more of the actions that encourage people to want to be around you more. In the end that will help grow your brand in a positive light.
