You want to sell more because selling is part of your role! Trouble is, you're not a natural sales-person. This article reveals the principle reason you don't make the sales you want to, and gives you five ways to overcome it.

Whether you're a business coach, relationship manager with a bank, lawyer or accountant, there is a business development angle to your position which means you're expected to bring in the money!

Unless you have a clear sales function, you've probably not formally been given any sales training,. You're just a technically competent and knowledgable professional who loves doing what they do WITHOUT THE SELLING!

Ever wondered why you're not selling as much as you need to? It's simple - you don't have the time! Or rather, you have lots of time but you spend it on non-selling actitivies!

If you're like most people, you're not just technically competent, but you have some kind of selling angle to your role. For instance, a lot of my banking clients have to manage customer portfolios and also uncover new business opportunities. And you know the biggest thorn in your side? Your boss telling you to do non-sales things!

If you've got a sales role, you need to be selling! If you've got a marketing role, you need to be marketing. And you need to hold your managers accountable in freeing you up to do that, because it takes time!

"Everyone lives by selling something."

Robert Louis Stevenson

Are you free to focus on critical lead-generating and converting activities? That means relationship building, networking, connecting, questioning, presenting and probing. It doesn't mean admin, compliance, paperwork, fire-fighting, low level tasks and research. Too often we get wrapped up in the ‘urgent but unimportant'.

When your sales director or boss tells you to get out there bringing in more business, ask them which of all of the other admin tasks they've given you should be ditched in order for you to make that time to sell! They're probably measuring you on targets, sales and business. So measure them on how they free you up to do that.

If you want to win more business, do the following five things:

1. Spend most of your time on selling activities.
2. Dump, delegate or out-source non-selling activities.
3. Become really good with your time.
4. Focus on your most profitable customers or clients to leverage referrals.
5. Manage your boss and ensure they keep you doing what you do best.

Here's a challenge for you that I'm going to join you in. What do you say we both make ten more sales calles this week? And make half to people who have bought from us before, and half to new prospects. Do you think if we did that every week, we'd make more sales?

Remember that the core activity for anyone with a dominant sales angle to their role is to meet with qualified prospects and potential referral partners. Anything beyond this is not core business development. Think about it!