here is no magic recipe for success. It's different for every person and every industry. However, there are several key steps you can take to propel you to success. They involve investing time and energy in yourself, your career and your clients. Below are seven tips to help you climb the rungs to a successful career.

1. Identify Your Market and Goals

How will you know you've reached your goal unless you've previously identified what that goal is? Your pool of prospective clients is vast, so you need specific goals to help you focus your efforts.

Setting a goal of a certain dollar amount each month is good, but you need to be more specific. For example, every month identify how many sales of what types of goods and services you plan to sell to which types of clients. Once you've determined your goals, you will be able to use your time and resources effectively to meet them.

2. Ask Clients What They Want

If you don't know what your clients need, then you can't help them. So, ask. In many cases, clients know what they don't like about their current situation, but they don't know what they need to remedy it. Your job is to help them see which solutions will best serve them.

3. Become an Authority

Do everything you can to learn more about this industry and your market. You are not only the sales professional, but you are also the product. Do what you can to make sure your product is on the cutting edge. Attend trainings, conferences and seminars. Talk to your peers and competitors, as well as you clients' competitors.

Read The Green Sheet and other trade publications regularly. Learn all there is to know. Your next step is to make sure everyone else knows how skilled and literate you are. Make presentations at tradeshows or become a mentor to a less experienced colleague. Offer to speak at gatherings that affect your clients, such as their industry-specific meetings.

4. Build a Reputation

People want to work with those they respect and trust, and if they're lucky, someone they also admire. Become that person. Do your best to be the fairest, most ethical and professional person you can be. People talk, so give them something good to talk about: you! Make your reputation stand out from the rest. 5. Dress the Part

Clothes might not make the person but they certainly help. Make sure that you wear professional, clean, well-pressed clothing and polished shoes, and carry a briefcase that isn't tattered or worn. Remember it's always better to be overdressed than underdressed. When in doubt, err on the overdressed side.

6. Be Different

Be unique; be you. We are all inundated with sales offers and "exciting opportunities." Find a way to make yourself stand out so that you are remembered. Find something that you have in common with your prospect and point it out. For example, maybe you're from the same part of the country, or you have children the same age. These shared experiences will make you more memorable. You might not get the sale with the first contact, but they will remember you the next time you call on them.

7. Spend Your Time Wisely

Think about where you invest your time and what you expect in return. If you meet with a prospect who has 40 franchises, then you should spend more time with her than with a prospect who has only two stores. This doesn't mean you're giving the larger merchant better service; rather, you're spending more time with her because the potential earnings are worth more of your time.

Success requires investment. First, invest in yourself. Dress professionally. Educate yourself. Network with colleagues and competitors. Determine what you want and how you will get it. Then, invest in your clients. Spend time with them. Ask questions. Guide them when necessary. With time and effort, your investment will pay off and you'll be on your way to sales success.