The 5X5 High Income Skills You Need to Learn
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In today’s economy, it’s more important than ever to have a skill set that will allow you to make money.
But what skills should you learn?
- Is it digital marketing or software development?
- Is it the hard skills to become an Engineer or the soft management skills to be a leader that doesn’t suck?
And once you finally narrow down the high-income skills you need, how do you best learn them?
Do you spend more of your precious time learning with free resources?
Do you pay big money for one-on-one coaching or university education?
Or do you pick the middle ground for reasonably priced but narrow-focused online courses?
There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re choosing which skills to learn and in this article, I will share my recommended 5 High Leverage Soft Skills to learn and the 5 High Income Skills.
How to choose the best high income skills?
First, you want to ensure that you’re developing skills that will multiply your leverage. That means developing skills that will multiply your output with the same amount of input.
Note: The Almanack of Naval Ravikant and The Millionaire Fastlane discuss leverage in depth.
Second, you want to make sure you’re choosing skills that are in demand and sellable. There are specialized skills that are always going to be in demand and there are skills that no one will pay for, so choose wisely.
PS: Here is the straightforward method to making $100K a year.
With those criteria in mind, here are five skills that you need to learn to multiply your leverage and allow you to get more out with the same amount of input:
5 High Leverage Soft Skills
1. Communication Skills
No matter what field you’re in, communicating effectively is always going to be a valuable skill and, in my opinion, is the best soft skill to develop to increase your income.
If you can’t communicate your ideas clearly, you will not be able to get ahead in your career, own business, or bank account. Whether you are an owner or an employee communication is one of the most essential management skills.
There are a lot of different ways to improve your communication skills, but some of the best resources I have found are shown below.
Resources
Read: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
- Read: On Writing Well by William Zinsser
Watch: Charisma on Command
Quick Read guide on writing better work emails
The effort you spend on improving your interpersonal skills, the better you’ll become at communicating your ideas clearly and concisely, which will unlock the potential of what you can accomplish.
2. Leadership Skills
Leadership skills are another one of those skills that will help you in your personal and professional life.
The better the leader you become, the more you will be able to accomplish by leveraging other people’s help. Becoming a better leader can align everyone’s efforts into one common goal.
There are many different ways to improve your leadership skills, but one of the best ways is to start leading and continuously improve your conversations and skillset.
Resources
Take: Darren Hardy – Hero’s Journey
Take: Seth Godin’s – AltMBA
Take: Indra Nooyi – Leading with Purpose
Read: Principles by Ray Dalio
The more practice you get, the better you’ll become at leading people effectively, and the more clearly you will see the areas you need to improve.
3. Productivity Skills
Being productive is all about getting things done efficiently and effectively.
If you can learn how to be productive, you’ll be able to get ahead in your career by getting more of the value-added work done in less time.
There are many different ways to improve your productivity. For example, having a more productive to-do list.
The more disciplined you are with your time, the more productive you’ll become.
Resources
4. Automation Skills
In today’s world, everything is moving towards automation, and the value created by humans is less from doing the tasks and more from organizing and creating the tasks.
AI will not replace the talented knowledge worker, and if you can learn how to automate tasks on the computer, machines, in life, and in organizations, you’ll be able to put yourself ahead of the curve by spending more time strategizing on the important tasks to do and less time processing them.
There are a lot of different ways to automate tasks:
Macros
Database creation and queries
Coding/Excel formulas
A.I.
- Software Engineering
Resources to develop your technical skills in automation will heavily depend on what you are trying to automate.
The best way I have found is watching webinars, searching how to perform a specific task (to see if someone else has come up with a better way), and having an open mind to the fact that computers can do repeat tasks way better than humans, provided the task can be perfectly described.
5. Strategic Planning Skills
Planning strategically is a valuable skill because it allows you to see potential problems before they happen and find solutions before they’re needed.
If you can learn how strategic planning works, you’ll put yourself ahead of others who don’t know how to plan for potential problems or how to plan for potential upsides.
There are a lot of different ways to learn about strategic planning, but one best ways is to join masterminds full of people in a similar area; if this is not possible, the following best way is to immerse yourself will the less expensive options below.
Resources
Read: Traction by Gino Wickman
Take: Masterclass Courses: Bob Iger Business Strategy and Leadership, Richard Branson Disruptive Entrepreneurship
The more you know about strategic planning, the better you’ll be at solving problems before they happen.
In addition, finding better ways to solve other people’s problems directly turns into a high-income skill.
Five High Leverage Skill Conclusion
These five high-leverage skills will help set young professionals up for success no matter their chosen field!
Communication
Leadership
Productivity
Computer Automation
Strategic Planning
All of the above essential high-income skills will give professionals an edge in their careers by providing a multiple on their output.
So if you are looking to gain more leverage on your time, start learning these essential skills today and then apply them to the below 5 High Income Skills!
5 Skills That Will Make You Money
Sales
The ability to sell is one of the most valuable high income skill that you can have.
Read my review on the #1 Online Business Training Platform, Grant Cardone University
If you can sell and make someone else a lot of money, you will make a lot of money for yourself.
Salespeople often earn high incomes because they can close deals and bring in revenue for their companies that otherwise would not have occurred (so it comes as a positive expense for the business).
There are many different types of sales jobs, so you should look for one in an industry you are passionate about, the higher the ticket item you are selling the more commission you will earn.
Above all, sales is one of the most lucrative skills you can develop, and thankfully it is reasonably straightforward to improve.
Resources:
Take: Grant Cardone – Sales Training
Take: Hubspot – Inbound Sales (FREE)
Take: Daniel Pink’s Masterclass – Sales and Persuasion
Read: Russel Brunson – Expert Secrets
Read: Alex Hormozi C.L.O.S.E.R. Framework
Digital Marketing and Branding
Marketing is one of the best high income skill and in-demand skills that will stay relevant for years to come.
From digital marketing across an enterprise to small social media marketing, companies are always looking for people who can help them market their products or services.
If you have good marketing skills, you can use them to get a job in marketing by contracting your skills on a website like Fiverr or starting your own marketing business.
Resources
Books: This is Marketing by Seth Godin, Storybrand by Donald Miller
Dan Kennedy’s – Magnetic Marketing
Take: Kris Jenner’s Masterclass – Power of Personal Branding
Take: Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein – Advertising & Creativity
Copywriting
Copywriting is a high-income skill because it can generate a lot of money for businesses.
However, it is also a very versatile skill that can be used in many different industries. For example, copywriters can use their creativity and persuasion skills to create compelling text enticing people to buy products or services whether it is a small jewelry business, a mindset workshop, or a Porsche advertisement.
A few key things to remember when copywriting: understanding your audience, crafting a clear and compelling message, and using persuasive language are all key to engaging with the customer.
To learn more about copywriting, see the below resources.
Resources:
- Read: Boron Letters by Gary Halbert
- Read: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
- Take: Jasper AI Copywriting Course (Free)
- Take: Malcolm Gladwell’s Masterclass – Teaches Writing
Web Design and Graphic Design
If you have experience with web development, web design, or graphic design, you can use those skills to make a lot money.
Companies are always looking for people who can help them create websites or design graphics for their businesses.
You can use your skills to get a job as a web designer or graphic designer or start your own web design or graphic design business. Places like Fiveer or ClickFunnels are great spots to begin selling your work and seeing what is popular and for what rate.
Resources:
WordPress – WPBeginner.com
Graphic Design: Canva Beginners Guide
Search Engine Optimization – Ahrefs Complete Guide for Beginners
Content Production
Content production is the art of storytelling through creating content (typically videos).
Content Production encompasses a variety of different skills, including writing, editing, and graphic design. This is one of the best high paying skills you can learn.
Good content producers are in high demand because they can help personal brands and businesses create engaging and informative content that will attract customers and boost profits.
Just look at how much Mr. Beast is worth for example.
Resources:
Online Course on SkillShare
Youtube Channels: Video Editing, Social Media Posts, Canva
High Income Skills Conclusion:
There are many different skills that young professionals can learn to make money.
Sales, marketing, web design, graphic design, copywriting, and content production are all skills that are in high demand and can lead to high-income opportunities.
Coupling these skills with the 5 high-leverage skills can provide more value with the same amount of time spent.
If you want to make more money, consider learning one or more of these skills. Thanks for reading! I hope this was helpful!
F.A.Q.: Where and How to Learn High-Income Skills
There are many ways to learn high-income skills.
You can find classes at local colleges or universities or take online courses. There are also many books and articles that can teach you these skills. The choices will typically come down to how much money you have to spend and your current knowledge level.
In the beginning, it is best to start learning skills with the lowest barrier to entry. If you are tight on money, this is by listening to podcasts, reading books, and watching free youtube videos.
As you further develop your skills, you WILL have more income that should be spent on developing your skillset even further. The best way to do this is by spending money on specific courses to learn as fast as possible.
The more specific the course and the higher the skill level, the more this will cost; however, the more significant the return on the investment.
In my opinion, you need to go through the growth process of gaining new skills and then leveling up those skills. You cannot simply skip to the end by paying for a high-end course or mentorship, as you will lack the beliefs and framework necessary to make that one specific skill profitable.