Aynsley Romijnsen, board member of Sales Improvement Group, on the financial aspect of starting your own business.

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"We cannot and may not disclose the exact earnings when you start as a Sales Improvement Professional. This is not only due to legal reasons but also because it depends entirely on you. At the same time, the significant increase in income that many Sales Improvement Professionals experience when they become independent is a compelling reason to take the leap. So, to give you an idea, I'll still provide a picture."

Achieving Your Success Goals

To cut to the chase: many Sales Improvement Professionals quickly generate a turnover that is three or four times their previous annual salary, such as a commercial director. And because the expenses you incur as a Sales Improvement Professional are relatively low, and significant investments are not necessary, the majority of that turnover goes into your income.

Let me add something right away: our goal is for you to achieve your success goals. However, what those success goals are exactly depends on your personal situation and desires. In other words, if a hundred thousand euros in turnover per year is success for you and you've achieved that, we won't push you to increase that goal. Our goal is for you to feel comfortable and run a successful practice in line with your goals. So, at most, we'll discuss in a personal coaching conversation whether your turnover goal truly suits you, or if a bit of growth would give you more satisfaction.

Growth is a Key Motivator

Growth is indeed one of the most important motivators for many Sales Improvement Professionals. Firstly: growth in clients. Secondly: personal growth. And the beauty is: by helping others grow, you also grow yourself. In that regard, coaching conversations are important. They help you grow towards where you want to be in a few years.

Let me outline that growth picture roughly: the first year is often primarily an investment year. Firstly, because of the entry fee: you invest €14,500 to become a franchisee at Sales Improvement Group. Secondly, because it often takes a while before you land your first assignments. Some Sales Improvement Professionals start off slowly, while others secure a project in their first or second month.

In the exploratory discussions we have with you before you start, we assess your personal situation and whether your financial cushion is sufficient to get through those first months without too much stress. If we think your buffer is too tight, then, for your own well-being, we won't proceed. And not just for yours, but if you have one, also for your partner's sake. It's no coincidence that we also consider the importance of a potential family during that exploratory phase, and a partner often joins the second exploratory conversation; starting your own business is something you do together.

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The first three years

In short: the first year is often primarily an investment year. The second year is when you get into full swing. The third year is often the first year that a Sales Improvement Professional generates significant revenue. This revenue roughly comes from three sources: first, the customers you bring in yourself and then work with directly. Second, a percentage of the revenue from others who work with customers you've brought in. Finally, the customers for whom you work through someone else.

We advise everyone to focus on gaining as much work experience with customers at the beginning. So, don't outsource too many projects within the Sales Improvement Group network. You really need that basic work experience. However, we often coach our Sales Improvement Professionals to spend more time on acquiring customers and then having others execute the projects after a few years. Because the less time you spend with a customer in the long run, the more freedom you have for acquisition.

So, you may reach a point where, if that's a goal you aspire to, you generate substantial revenue while rarely being physically present with customers. For example, one of our Sales Improvement Professionals spends large parts of the year in France. Occasionally, he comes to the Netherlands to maintain relationships or do some acquisition.

You're going to make it happen

You can see that the opportunity for substantial income is immense. Furthermore, we often say: you're the master of your own destiny. You have to do it. On the other hand, if we didn't believe in your business plan and success goals, we wouldn't partner with you. So, you have our complete trust and emotional and concrete support, but it's your enterprise: you're going to make it happen.

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