How much did you make in your best year?

I know it is some what of a personal question, so if you do not want to give exact numbers maybe expand on how much you hope to make next year, or in the future sometime. I am currently still in school and I only work part-time, so I hope to make about $10,000 this coming year. When I get out of school I hope to make a six-figure income.

When you think of it, one's income is probably not the most appropriate question for a forum such as this because:
1. not all compensation plans are the same; and,
2. the income opportunity differs from industry to industry; and,
3. the forum includes the spectrum from "rookie" to "grey hair";

Perhaps, the question should be, "how have you done against your historic goals" ...

In some companies, commission is paid as a function of quota assigned (ie. NOT as a function of actual sales generated). So, the issue of "performance-to-plan" becomes one of how much science went into the numbers assigned?

If you set goals for "six figure income", that is an admirable target. In some instances, the comp plan is capped, so, "the sky is NOT the limit".

Some companies provide President's Club for major over-performance. Perhaps, this would be a good moniker for success.

In some companies, awards are provided for "over-the-top" performance. For example, I was the ONLY person in Apple Canada's history to win "Golden Apple" (Apple's President's Club) while in a marketing role.

I hope this puts the thread into a better light while still covering your area of interest.

Good luck & Good selling!
Pat

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoneyMaker

I know it is some what of a personal question, so if you do not want to give exact numbers maybe expand on how much you hope to make next year, or in the future sometime. I am currently still in school and I only work part-time, so I hope to make about $10,000 this coming year. When I get out of school I hope to make a six-figure income.

MoneyMaker... I am just curious... What are you studying in school? I am happy to give you some tips in private to help you acheive your income goals; but I do not feel it is appropriate in a forum. Sales hass been often described as the highest paid hard work you'll ever do, and also the lowest paid easy work you'll ever do. If you are willing to work hard, treat people right, and follow a plan; Here's the good news: your goals of earining 6-figures are within grasp.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FollowUpMaster

Sales hass been often described as the highest paid hard work you'll ever do, and also the lowest paid easy work you'll ever do.

Ironically, I view and practice sales as the highest paid easy work and the lowest paid hard work.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluenote

Ironically, I view and practice sales as the highest paid easy work and the lowest paid hard work.

One is true in the beginning, one is true in the end of one's career. I worked hard in the beginning, so that I could focus on working smart later in my career. If I had followed up in the beginning, like I do now; I would have already retired... and I am 32. The PhD from the University of Hard Knocks now has me earing doctorate wages (On 4 day work weeks, and by appointment only). Thanks for the clarification bluenote.

It is not necessarily how much you make but how much you gain that is important. This comment , I beleive, is directly quoting Jim Rohn.

If I was at the stage where I was not a GREY HAIR, as Pat puts it, I mean if I was designing a life, I would be more interested in directing one to get work expereince in sales that provided the kind of training that would develop them and their skills, so that their future was brighter.

What I did in my life was absolutely incredible - I was lucky, mine came with a built in master of sales and sales training as a mentor. The man who I bill as The Father of Cold Calling, as well as MySalesDad. So, for me, I did not need this advice.

From my expereince and the best personal development information available, I can say with complete confidence that you gain as well as earn and the former is more important than the later for your future.

Imagine, as a young person embarking on a sales career; spending 5 hours a week injecting personal development information and sales training into your psyche, using repetition to increase retention in your learning. Working at basic knowledge, like vocabulary, so you were well rounded. That you also mastered the use of visualization and self affirmation techniques and applied that knowledge daily, plus you had a job that got you face to face in B2B selling situations 3 times a day ... where would you be in three years even if you only earned $100,000 average for the first three?

You would be better off than the person who was hired at $250,000 right after gaining their MBA and Doctorate.

In my case I went to S.C.R.E.W. U. (the school of Hard Knocks) too instead of getting the MBA, mostly because I hated school by the end of my Primary & Secondary Education. Ended up taking Xerox PSS II at 17, before school was over, started a business of my own at 22. Became a PSS III Coach at 23, gave the course dozens of times. Started two more businesses (I am now on my last one - make that 7 in total) and finally saw my ugly mug on the cover of a newsstand business magazine at 44, after being featured in an industry publication at 39 and feat rued in another newsstand magazine at 41.

Now, let me make sure you understand. I like money more than the fact that I was on the cover of a magazine. And I know what being a big earner is all about as I have earned more than a million a year twice.

So, I would tell the man schooling to quit and start selling. To self educate vocabulary plus reading and writing skills, maybe through a combination of home courses, book reading and night school. And - this is the critical part - get going with selling right away, as that type of real world expereince is far better than day time schooling and because you can school part time as well as at night but you cannot sell at night.

But don't take my word for it. Start by getting a copy of Robert Kiyosaki's "If you want your kids to be rich and famous don't send them to school?"

Best of luck to you.

Excellent points Steve.

With just a few college credits beyond my H.S. diploma, vocabulary and business etiquette were two gray areas for me that were and continue to be honed through self education. They have become two of my greatest assets regarding my sales experience.

J. Rohn - one of my greatest influences of all time.

"Work hard at your job and you'll make a living. Work hard on yourself and you can make a fortune" Rohn

"The major value in life is not what you get. The major value in life is what you become." Rohn

07:06 PM

That's the quote I tried for Blue, very good. Glad you could put your hands on it.

Imagine the possibilities ... "Anything your mind can conceive, you are capable to achieve!" Surely someone has said this before but it did occur to me nonetheless.

I have had the pleasure of working with Rohn's organization. We did some promotions for them with my former company Network Marketing News and I received a free weekend seminar ticket including a luncheon with the man. They also shipped me a workbook with 20+ CD's and a three or four DVD set ... I am currently on pace to get through on CD a week including journaling my notes. Great review (I had not reviewed it in 4 years!). The man surely understands that learning is not an event but a process.

If all anyone did was earn large and become a great person, good with family and friends they are a success, so earning amounts are quite irrelevant.

In my case once I make huge money I am not driven to pile it on. I would prefer to guide a group of people into the wilderness, taking a remote week long or longer canoe trip in Northern Canada is more my idea of life than working to make double ... !

Learn to fly, go sky diving, take up scuba, travel, act in a play, explore the wilderness, learn the white water paddling skills, get accredited as wilderness canoe a trip leader, take a wilderness first aid course, take a moving water rescue course and become listed as a guide at a University's Outdoor Rec Club. I have done all of these except one in this decade, with one left to go before 2010 (my goal).

The point is we are rich in many way. Rich in expereince is success too. Spending time with kids, seeing their ball game or hockey game or dance recital or play, these things are as important as making another sales call each week. As are attaining your own dreams ...

I am yet to learn another language (other than French and English), an early goal of mine. But, to me, mastery of sales and sales training is like another language, not that we speak differently. It is that we see people more clearly, reading a person to me is like speaking French, which I do badly by the way (comes with growing up in Canada). Obviously, I prefer reading people!

Imagine all that is yet to come .... and I will see you on the beaches as well as the wild rivers of the world.

	#1
MoneyMaker	How much did you make in your best year? I know it is some what of a personal question, so if you do not want to give exact numbers maybe expand on how much you hope to make next year, or in the future sometime. I am currently still in school and I only work part-time, so I hope to make about $10,000 this coming year. When I get out of school I hope to make a six-figure income.

	#2
OUTSource Sales "Top Sales Expert"	Income Question When you think of it, one's income is probably not the most appropriate question for a forum such as this because: 1. not all compensation plans are the same; and, 2. the income opportunity differs from industry to industry; and, 3. the forum includes the spectrum from "rookie" to "grey hair"; Perhaps, the question should be, "how have you done against your historic goals" ... In some companies, commission is paid as a function of quota assigned (ie. NOT as a function of actual sales generated). So, the issue of "performance-to-plan" becomes one of how much science went into the numbers assigned? If you set goals for "six figure income", that is an admirable target. In some instances, the comp plan is capped, so, "the sky is NOT the limit". Some companies provide President's Club for major over-performance. Perhaps, this would be a good moniker for success. In some companies, awards are provided for "over-the-top" performance. For example, I was the ONLY person in Apple Canada's history to win "Golden Apple" (Apple's President's Club) while in a marketing role. I hope this puts the thread into a better light while still covering your area of interest. Good luck & Good selling! Pat

	#6
Gold Calling "Top Sales Expert"	It is not necessarily how much you make but how much you gain that is important. This comment , I beleive, is directly quoting Jim Rohn. If I was at the stage where I was not a GREY HAIR, as Pat puts it, I mean if I was designing a life, I would be more interested in directing one to get work expereince in sales that provided the kind of training that would develop them and their skills, so that their future was brighter. What I did in my life was absolutely incredible - I was lucky, mine came with a built in master of sales and sales training as a mentor. The man who I bill as The Father of Cold Calling, as well as MySalesDad. So, for me, I did not need this advice. From my expereince and the best personal development information available, I can say with complete confidence that you gain as well as earn and the former is more important than the later for your future. Imagine, as a young person embarking on a sales career; spending 5 hours a week injecting personal development information and sales training into your psyche, using repetition to increase retention in your learning. Working at basic knowledge, like vocabulary, so you were well rounded. That you also mastered the use of visualization and self affirmation techniques and applied that knowledge daily, plus you had a job that got you face to face in B2B selling situations 3 times a day ... where would you be in three years even if you only earned $100,000 average for the first three? You would be better off than the person who was hired at $250,000 right after gaining their MBA and Doctorate. In my case I went to S.C.R.E.W. U. (the school of Hard Knocks) too instead of getting the MBA, mostly because I hated school by the end of my Primary & Secondary Education. Ended up taking Xerox PSS II at 17, before school was over, started a business of my own at 22. Became a PSS III Coach at 23, gave the course dozens of times. Started two more businesses (I am now on my last one - make that 7 in total) and finally saw my *ugly mug* on the cover of a newsstand business magazine at 44, after being featured in an industry publication at 39 and feat rued in another newsstand magazine at 41. Now, let me make sure you understand. I like money more than the fact that I was on the cover of a magazine. And I know what being a big earner is all about as I have earned more than a million a year twice. So, I would tell the man schooling to quit and start selling. To self educate vocabulary plus reading and writing skills, maybe through a combination of home courses, book reading and night school. And - this is the critical part - get going with selling right away, as that type of real world expereince is far better than day time schooling and because you can school part time as well as at night but you cannot sell at night. But don't take my word for it. Start by getting a copy of Robert Kiyosaki's "If you want your kids to be rich and famous don't send them to school?" Best of luck to you. __________________ Hunger for Profit System© want to make more commissions or more profit, then you need to stop wasting time now! http://hungerforprofit.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

	#7
bluenote	Excellent points Steve. With just a few college credits beyond my H.S. diploma, vocabulary and business etiquette were two gray areas for me that were and continue to be honed through self education. They have become two of my greatest assets regarding my sales experience. J. Rohn - one of my greatest influences of all time. "Work hard at your job and you'll make a living. Work hard on yourself and you can make a fortune" Rohn "The major value in life is not what you get. The major value in life is what you become." Rohn

How much did you make in your best year?

Off Topic Discussion