Why Selling Feels So Scary (and How to Shift Into Confidence)

Written By Jennie Hays

Are you unknowingly undervaluing yourself in sales? Discover the 3 red flags that might be holding you back: underpricing, not asking, and overexplaining.

If sales feel like pressure instead of connection, you’re not broken—you’re blocked.

And you’re definitely not alone.

I hear this from entrepreneurs all the time: “I’m great at what I do, but when it comes to sales, I freeze. I stumble. I discount. I feel like I’m begging instead of inviting.”

That’s not because you’re bad at sales. It’s because your nervous system is going into survival mode. The good news? That can be rewired.

Why Sales Trigger Survival Mode

When sales feel uncomfortable, it’s rarely about skill. It’s about imposter syndrome showing up in your body.

Instead of feeling confident in your value, your system slips into self-doubt:

  • Am I really worth this?

  • What if they say no?

  • What if I sound pushy?

I get it. As a former paramedic, I know firsthand how the body can either work for you or against you. In emergencies, my team could bring someone back from cardiac arrest because our bodies had been trained to act—even when fear was screaming. That same biology is at play in sales. If your body hasn’t built the “muscle memory” of confidence, it will default to freeze or fawn.

3 Signs Imposter Syndrome Is Running Your Sales

Here’s how to know your nervous system—not your strategy—is hijacking your sales process:

1. Underpricing

You set your rates lower than you need because you’re worried no one will pay. That’s not generosity—it’s fear. Strong pricing reflects strong self-belief, not your client’s bank account.

2. Avoiding the Ask

You finish a beautiful call, the client is interested, and then… silence. You never actually invite them to work with you. That hesitation isn’t about tactics—it’s your body bracing for rejection.

3. Overexplaining

You start stacking benefits, rattling off program details, answering questions they never asked—all in an unconscious attempt to prove you’re “worth it.” But oversharing only signals doubt. Clients don’t need a lecture—they need to know you can solve their problem.

A Quick Reset Before Your Next Call

Here’s one simple nervous-system shift you can try right away:

  • Pause and breathe. Slow everything down.

  • Soften your eyes. Let your focus go a little fuzzy.

  • Picture the ask. Imagine yourself saying it out loud and give yourself permission to feel uncomfortable.

That tiny reset won’t remove the landmine—but it will help you step around it until we clear it for good.

Ready to Rewire the Fear?

If you’re tired of hustling, discounting, or freezing every time you try to sell, I’d love to show you how to shift this at the root level.

That’s exactly what I do in my live session: Sell With Ease: Rewiring Your Brain for Confident Sales.

You’ll learn why this happens, experience live nervous-system resets, and walk away knowing how to show up to sales conversations with calm confidence instead of panic.

Check the next date here: jenniehays.com/events

Final Thought

Sales don’t have to feel like pressure. They can feel like connection.

You don’t need to push harder, talk faster, or slash your price.

You need to clear the block that’s been in the way.

You’re not broken—you’re blocked. And blocks can be removed.

Jennie Hays
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