Why do some people seem to be able to live out their dreams? According to Séan McArdle, motivational speaker and sales training expert, success is the practical application of positive activities consistently applied. In other words, successful people develop a plan that charts their course and they stick to it. McArdle has simplified this technique into a system called LifeMapping that helps professionals expand on five dimensions of their lives: relationships, finance, physical, spiritual/emotional, and intellectual.

We asked Séan to apply the LifeMapping techniques to the role of small business sales. Everyone who owns or runs a business is ultimately responsible for sales.

"To achieve success in sales, you've got to become a top person first and then you'll become a top sales person," says Séan, whose entrepreneurial spirit and can-do attitude is based on his own sales background.

MM: What kind of LifeMapping plan would help someone achieve their sales goals?

McArdle: LifeMapping for the sales executive is designed so that you are consistently working on five dimensions: Prospecting, Communication Skills, Influence Skills, Closing Skills, and Career Skills. Within each of these dimensions you would carry out five simple actions.

One of the keys to LifeMapping is dimensional thinking and goal setting. This means you separate the most important areas of your life, fill each one of them with a primary purpose and follow five consistent actions that will bring results.

MM: What king of simple actions would apply to sales-related dimensions?

McArdle: When I study successful people, it is their consistent actions that they are willing to carry out that brings them abundant results. While the actions can be very simple, the point is doing them regularly. Here are a few examples.

Prospecting is a quantitative sport - you have to touch enough lives to build customers and get referrals. Prospecting actions could be: write five sales letter a week, call five people a day, get one new appointment a day, or make follow-up calls.

The main job of any business owner is to help people make decisions. Business people need to hone their communication skills, especially listening. Actions to develop communication skills could be: listen to your customers, ask the right questions, or customize your presentation to what you've heard.

In terms of influence skills, the goal is to get your product/service into the marketplace. Some simple actions to develop influence skills could be: get articles published, do public speaking, pass along FYI news to customers and prospects, let people use your product, or use computer technology to keep in touch.

Actions to develop closing skills could be: use testimonials as a closing instrument, or develop a powerful assumptive close.

Actions to enhance career development could be: set weekly goals, identify the steps to accomplish goals: or identify a timeframe.

MM: How can a business owner create abundance in a company?

McArdle: Abundance is having more than you need in a company called profit. Too many people think profit is what they have left over. You can create profit by mapping out the ways you bring money in and spend it. Consider the following areas: How does the company bring money in? How can I increase profit and decrease expenses? How do I handle billing and credit? Do I pay attention to effect techniques and apply them to my business? How am I getting my product into the marketplace? Am I spending 20% of my time studying cash flow? Am I paying close attention to capitalization? What are the top five expenditures? How can I spend less to get the same value? Do I look for ways to trade my product?

Remember, every time you can trade your product for an ability to advertise or acquire some resource you need, you are reducing your costs and increasing your ability to spend money in other areas.

MM: How can I motivate myself and others to increase sales?

McArdle: To create power…educate. With new information people can overcome things like cold call reluctance which can be directly tied to a lack of knowledge. The key to achieving abundant results is to acquire new information, then develop and implement actions that bring desired results in every dimension.

Anything is possible when we are given new information. People often forget the value of inherent resources - intellect, senses and the ability to envision and accomplish things. These are free and irreplaceable. Directing your intellect to think dimensionally will let you take control of your life and live out your dreams.