Confidence in sales is an important attribute. When sales professionals demonstrate confidence, they help remove any doubts and often end up closing more sales. Even the most self-assured salespeople sometimes hit a slump or get knocked down, though. If a bad interaction has left you reeling, there are some tangible actions you can take to restore your confidence.

Marc Wayshak, a bestselling author and sales trainer, says it's important to work on a mindset that makes you a more naturally confident salesperson. We share Wayshak's advice for stepping out as a more confident salesperson in this issue of Promotional Consultant Today.

1. Stop needing the business. If you mentally don't need the business, you're free to be yourself in any selling situation. Wayshak says that if you're not a confident salesperson, you're going to try to close sales that are never going to happen. You're going to maintain a pipeline full of junk out of desperation to make a sale. Your prospects will be able to sense it all. The moment you stop needing the business is the moment you become an infinitely more confident salesperson in front of any prospect.

2. Remember that it's a game. Prospects can't hurt you. All they can do is tell you to go take a hike—and even that's not so bad. To be a more confident salesperson, remember that selling is a lot like a video game or a sport. There are two sides playing different roles. The more unemotional you can be about what goes on in the game of selling, the more confident you'll feel.

3. Take risks. Wayshak says most salespeople are risk-averse, which stems from a lack of confidence. However, he says the more risks you take, the more success you'll achieve in sales. If you're not taking risks, you're not growing.

4. Stop trying to fix situations gone wrong. If a prospect stops returning your calls or checks out completely, Wayshak says it's better to learn from the experience rather than try to fix it. Don't walk away the moment a sales situation becomes tricky, but don't spend your emotional energy trying to fix situations gone wrong.

5. Learn every single time. People who stop learning start dying. This is especially true in sales. Every time you're in front of a prospect, you have an opportunity to learn something new. What could you have done differently? What threw off the prospect?

6. SW Cubed N. This stands for: Some will. Some won't. So what? Next. Wayshak says he learned this tip years ago and it's still relevant and powerful today. Confident salespeople don't get caught up in every selling situation. Focusing your attention on prospects that aren't a good fit will lower your confidence in sales. Instead, enter each selling situation with an "SW Cubed N" mindset. It's one of the key signature phrases to becoming a more confident salesperson.

7. Quit making friends. There's an old-school selling mentality that salespeople should be friends with prospects. This isn't the case. While you should always be friendly with prospects, Wayshak says the goal isn't to make friends—it's to sell.

Before your next sales call, review the tips above to step into the conversation with confidence.

Source: Marc Wayshak is a sales strategist, sales motivational speaker and sales trainer located in Boston. He's also the bestselling author of Game Plan Selling and Breaking All Barriers.