Dear Success Seeker,

Are you worried about how to increase your income? Do you lie awake at night fretting or dreaming about how to get the money you need and want? You may have a viable business yet still struggle to grow it. So let me share what I consider the single most effective way to increase your income, regardless of where you are and what you do....

Let's begin with a short process that will set the stage for this topic. Take a moment to jot down the names of a few people you know who earn a high level of income in their own business or financial practice. Now ask yourself, "On a scale of 1 - 10 with 10 being excellent, how would I rate this person's ability at sales?" and write down the score you gave them. I'm not just asking about how well they can sell their own product or service. People who have good sales ability can sell anything - their ideas, themselves, etc. Next ask yourself, "To what extent does this person actively engage in selling?" In other words, do they constantly and assertively promote things or seek to influence others? Write down that rating. Lastly, score yourself in the same two areas.

When you look at the ratings what do you notice? I'd be willing to bet that you gave the high-income earners a high score in sales skills or sales actions - probably in both. And you can almost certainly see how your own personal score, regardless of whether it is high or low, is directly correlated to your income. My point is this. It doesn't matter how amazing your product or service is or how strongly you desire to be more successful. Without sales skills and activity you will simply never earn a lot of money. This is not a good thing or a bad thing; it is simply a fact of life!

Over the years I have coached thousands of small business owners and sales professionals. There is always a direct correlation between their ability and willingness to sell and their income. Yet most of the self-employed entrepreneurs, financial advisors and real estate investors I coach are reluctant or downright resistant to anything related to sales.

By nature I am not a salesy person and I feel uncomfortable in the sales process. Many years ago I was fortunate enough to be hired by Xerox, one of the world's finest sales organizations. While there I learned not to compare myself to other ‘natural' or aggressive sales people. Instead I accepted my discomfort at selling and focused on two things within my control that made me the top performer on our 26 person sales team in Calgary. (1) Continually improving my skills; and (2) Increasing my sales activity. I am still working on both of these to this day.

Given that your financial and personal success are directly correlated to your sales ability and activity, doesn't it make sense for you to focus on both of them? Especially since they affect your chances of getting what you want in other areas of your life as well. So why not embrace sales rather than resist it? If you buy into the stereotype of sales people being slimy and manipulative, you are focused on the wrong thing. Some sales people are like that however most are skilled and caring professionals. The sales process is essential for every successful venture, whether it be business or non-profit. As cosmetics magnate Mary Kay Ash once said, "Nothing happens until someone sells something." This is true in your business as well. No matter how strong your desire to help people, if you resist the sales process you are destined for frustration and struggle.

This newsletter is not the place to give you instruction on how to sell. There are countless books, courses, newsletters, videos and website available on the subject. What is required is that you dedicate yourself to always learning and developing your skills in this area.

Regarding sales activity, the good news is that this is an area where you can get results immediately! I rose to the top at Xerox occurred because I realized that "Sales is a numbers game." Even a terrible salesperson can sell a lot if they talk to enough people. And the best salesperson in the world will earn nothing if he or she doesn't initiate sales activity. You could almost certainly increase your income today by simply by contacting some people and talking to them about what you do. You could even list who these people are. You just need to take action.

To your success!

Andrew Barber-Starkey, Master Certified Coach
Founder and President, ProCoach Success System