11 Keys to Great Success in Life and Business: Key 10: Grow Your Sales Skills

Most of us will never win the big lottery, so we have to go out and earn our successes. And earning success equals selling.

In Key No. 8, I talked about the four pillars of success, the only four things a business owner can do to create wealth:

1. Earn new customers.
2. Sell more to your current customers.
3. Hire and manage sales representatives.
4. Buy your competition.

All of these wealth-building activities basically are selling activities—selling customers, selling employees, selling acquisition prospects.

However, many business owners I speak with seem to want to get out of sales and into managing their businesses. But, before you know it, they are behind their desks most of the day, not doing any of the four wealth-building activities.

You know the old saying: “Use it or lose it.” Let me encourage you to not just use it, but to also continuously perfect and practice your selling skills. There are tons of amazing sales-training videos available for free online. Just go to YouTube, and search for “sales training.” There are literally millions of dollars’ worth of amazing sales training tools available for free.

I encourage you to grow your sales skills daily using the following tips:

1. Spend at least 15 minutes a day (preferably during non-selling hours) watching a video about sales skills.
2. Actively engage in at least one of the four pillars once a day.
3. Treat everyone you encounter as if they he or she was a million-dollar prospect.
4. Have a goal to earn one referral a day, no matter what it takes.

2016 can be an amazing year for you. It all relies on your sales skills. Keep growing!

Previously, in our “11 Keys to Success” series we discussed:

• Key 1: “Add Value”
• Key 2: “Find Your Passion”
• Key 3: “Be Extraordinary”
• Key 4: “Start Now”
• Key 5: “Find Great Mentors”
• Key 6: “'Can’t' is a Four-letter Word”
• Key 7: “Be Accountable”
• Key 8: “Major in the Majors”
• Key 9: “Understand Accounting and Finance”

Stay tuned next time for the 11th and final key to achieving great success in life and business.