Do you want to make more money? I know, dumb question. It's not my first. Anyway, I know you want more money, and today I will tell you how to make more money. (BTW, this information applies to commissioned sales people only)

You only have three options available. They are:

1. Increase your closing ratio.
2. Increase the average size of your orders.
3. Increase the number of sales presentations you make.

It's that simple. Okay, you probably want a little more information than that.

1. The first thing you need to know is what your closing ratio is now. If someone were to ask you, could you tell them exactly what your closing ratio is? I'm not talking about a guestimate. Like with anything else, step one in improving is identifying where you are starting from. There are some variables in this equation that you could use to fudge the numbers. For instance, you could reduce your presentations to "sure deals" only and your ratio would shoot up, but you would make less money. (see #3 above) Or you could decrease what you charge, but again you would lose money. (See #2 above) So we have now established that to make more money you have to increase at least one of the above while keeping the other two at least the same. Out of the three, increasing your closing ratio is the most difficult for most sales people because it generally requires some changes in selling behaviors. Things like doing a better job of qualifying prospects or doing a better job of analyzing your prospect's needs. The fastest way to increase your closing ratio is to get some great training and then use what you learned. I have some very good training in case you or your manager are interested.

2. Increasing the average size of your order is actually the easiest of the three, but it may require a serious discussion with yourself. Ultimately, you just need to ask for more each time you present. Higher rates, more spots, additional products (interactive, NTR, etc.) are all ways you can increase your order size. Every time you write a proposal, increase the amount you usually ask for by 25% and see what happens. One more tip, you will need to be ready with a sound rationale in case the client asks why you are asking for more than you usually do. If your plan is sound and it addresses a real need you know the client has, you don't have to be dishonest. You just have to be confident and articulate.

3. Increase the number of presentations. This can only be accomplished by getting better at time management. Plan each day. Prioritize your activities. Do not get sucked into activities that don't contribute to getting in front of a client or prospect until you have accomplished all your important activities for the day first.

Any one of these methods will increase your income. We have already established that they are all inter-related. So, if you increase all three you will see a significant increase in your earnings.

Now we find out if you REALLY want to make more money.