Businesses are more competitive than ever before with markets and companies all vying to be top dog and not taking any prisoners along the way. In order to be successful, entrepreneurs need to focus on building confidence and respect within their specialist sector but also within the business world and this is especially important when it comes to customer communications, managing employees and making decisions.

Let’s take a look at seven things that you can do to achieve this:

1. Have your Say

Never be afraid to speak your mind if you want to be successful in the cutthroat world of business. Put your ideas forward during business meetings and this will help other people to have more respect for you in the workplace, as well as help you to feel more confident.

2. Tell People about your Success

It is important to let others know when you have been successful with something. How will you get praise for your achievements if people don’t know what you have achieved and this can include small things such as a Tweet.

3. Smile through Criticism

One of the best ways to deal with criticism is to smile. Teach yourself how to smile rather than dwell on things unnecessarily as over thinking negative comments can be destructive to anyone’s confidence.

4. Make Intelligent Business Decisions

As an entrepreneur, you will need to prove yourself to garner respect and this means you will need to prove that you can make intelligent business decisions. Doing things such as investing in marketing materials like business cards from good value companies such as Helloprint is a great way to help to build trust between yourself and clients and it proves that you are business minded and know which direction you want to take your company in.

5. Smile More in General

You don’t have to only smile when someone or something is bringing you down, as a smile is a powerful tool that anyone can use to lift the mood of themselves and everyone around them. Smile more in the office and you will ooze confidence and this confidence can be infectious, leaving those around you believing you are confident even if you don’t feel it yet.

6. Take Risks

In order to feel more confident and demand more respect in business, you will need to show that you know what you are doing. If you make a business decision that is a little risky but you are confident you will come out on top, then take a risk every now and then as the rewards can be unbeatable.

7. Change your Management Technique

If you are losing confidence because you are not being respected by your employees or clients, then you should try altering your management technique. Ask for feedback about how others perceive your working style and be open-minded about making necessary changes for the better to demand more respect and to boost your confidence.

In order to run a successful company you will need to dedicate a lot of time and effort, and implementing the above pointers will help you to boost your confidence levels and help you to earn more respect.