Typical Example of Overconfidence

Typical Example of Overconfidence

And how it pisses you off….

I am a person who is very confident i.e. whenever I start some activity or job, I pre judge that success will touch my feet, and that’s a good quality as it helps you to cater to your job with enthusiasm and passion.

But on the other hand this confidence can also turn itself into overconfidence and I was able to know this the hard way, so I thought to share with you so that you may be able learn by my mistake.

I have always been involved with different events and sponsorship related to it. So this time when the organizers of a Fest approached me for the sponsorship thing I got quite excited as I always love this job and thought that I would be able to break some records and bring some really good sponsors. I made a plan to target only Grand Sponsors so that we don’t have to go to many sponsors and our work can be done.

It was a good approach and considering it some companies whom we thought to contact were BMW, Volkswagen for the money part and the Bikenervala, Haldiram for Food sponsor.

I was given the task of sponsorship and I initiated the talks with BMW and in our first conversation with them, they proposed something from their part i.e. they won’t be able to offer the money but they can send their cars to pick up the speakers! Wow! It had never happened in our college and everyone would be amazed to see BMW as a sponsor and I told this to everyone, without getting anything finalized from their part.

We start discussing the proposal but now when I asked them to sign the agreement they started delaying it. I felt quite dizzy as it was just a paperwork and can be done easily. But still I kept my hope and kept giving them a reminder when they introduced a new person suresh, and told me that when he finalizes the proposal we can sign the agreement.

I was still quite positive as the 1^st person we had a chat with was convinced with our proposal but the event day was coming close and still I haven’t sign the agreement.

When one day I gave him a call and asked him to tell his final decision as delaying it would waste everyone’s time and they asked me to call in afternoon. I thought that today I would be able to tell everyone that ‘BMW is confirmed’.

But here is what their response was ‘Prashant we thought that event is somehow in middle of the month, if that would have been the case we would have definitely helped you out but as you are requiring cars at the end of the month when maximum sales happen we won’t be able to send a single car’.

Oh! My god, how can he give such a lame excuse? I had my complete faith in them. But, now I have to tell it to my friends who somehow have already confirmed that BMW is coming to escort them.

 I was sitting with them and thinking how to tell them. I wanted to take a break but we had other works to do also. That was the time I really understood what the difference in confidence and overconfidence is and how little difference is between them.

My mistake was just that I told them about BMW before everything got finalized while I should have told them it only after the signing of the agreement. Still I can’t explain you how I felt that day but when I recollect those moments, I feel bad for breaking the hopes of those few who thought I am bringing the BMW as the partner and we would be escorting in BMW.