The greatest leaders in the history of the world are those who learned to overcome their fears. In the American Civil War I can imagine the inexperienced soldiers milling about in confusion, paralyzed by their fear of death or capture. One man, Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, refused to back down in the face of opposition on July 21, 1861. He and his regiment led the resistence at Manassas Junction that turned the tide of the battle in favor of the Confederacy.



Doubtlessly, there were soldiers who must have considered Jackson a fool. I can imagine the cries of those who told Jackson that his plan would never work, that his company was beaten and that the smart thing to do would be to give up and go. Jackson's determination proved that his system was right and became the example to follow.

It is easy to trust someone once that person has established himself as an authority. Oftentimes it seems by chance that successful systems are discovered. The same pattern follows today in the business world. We can't trust someone until we recognize that someone as an authority.

Do you have your own success story? Do you have anything that demonstrates your capabilities in your field of business? If the answer to both of these questions is no, you fit in with the majority. If the answer to either of those two questions is yes, how can you make the most of that success to win the trust of your prospects?

For those without a success story, a paradigm shift may be in order. People who see themselves as failures tend to follow the path and act the way that a failure does. If you don't think you have a success story, lean on somebody who does and follow the path that they took. This way you can act as a second testimony for the success system itself, even if you haven't reaped all the rewards yet. It will lend you more credibility than trying to create something new.

The successful business man is already in flow. He believes himself to be successful so he lives according to his belief. Even when a successful man suffers a setback, he's still successful because he'll work his hardest to find a solution that will turn his "bad" luck into "good" luck. Even in setbacks there can be great discoveries.

Building relationships of trust start with trusting yourself. Believing in your service or your product and knowing your training will convert more prospects into customers because they will perceive that you are successful and you will win their trust.