I have a friend and business partner who is probably the world’s foremost expert on buying businesses.

Over the past 50 years he has bought somewhere around 200 (he’s lost count) businesses, and still going strong today.

And one of the jokes he likes to make goes something like this:

“There are three things people are afraid of in life: death, taxes and business plans.”

In fact, from his experience, he says the business plan is the most dreaded part of the whole business-buying process.

And yet, it doesn’t have to be.

Here’s why:

While it’s true you do need a business plan if you want to get money from a bank, an investor or any other financing source…writing a business plan really isn’t all that complicated.

In fact, a business plan basically just a sales document with three main components:

1.) How much money you need.

2.) What you need the money for.

3.) How you’re going to pay the money back.

And that’s it.

See?

That’s not so complicated, is it?

All you need to know besides the above is how to structure a business plan (there are books in your local library that can help you with this free), and you’re ready to go.

Bottom line?

Don’t put off buying a business just because you’re afraid to write a business plan or don’t think you can afford to hire someone to do it for you.

If you simply educate yourself on the topic (again, go to any library and learn it free), you will be up and running with your own business in no time.

The Problem With Telemarketing Staff

Telemarketing is not an exact science; each call is different and it takes a certain breed of personality to do it day in, day out. Many sales people that are selling over the phone get into their own routine, their own way of doing things that result in them having ‘their’ way of selling that is unique to them and no-one else. This could be the introduction, the banter with the customer, specific jokes or the close.

The danger is that over the course of time, every sales person gets into bad habits. They can forget the rules of phone sales and get so focused on their own method, that they miss out crucial parts of the sales structure.

Telemarketing Does Not Change

The method of telemarketing does not change, it is always going to be a numbers game, and when recession hits (or an economic downturn) this does not mean that sales have dried up, just that calling will take higher numbers per close.

The nature of the sales process has remained unchanged for centuries, even Jesus used a selling method when talking to the crowds about the Kingdom of God, and was (as is considered) the greatest sales person of all time (by selling something that does not cost anything, but does cost everything) with the threat of death every day.

Training For Beginners

Any new sales person needs training, to get the basic skills set up and get the confidence to pick up the phone and start prospecting. No business would take a green sales person and just throw them into the mix without any kind of training or equipping.

Many businesses will take a few days to equip new starters, to show them the ropes and ensure that they know the products/services and the technique of approach in selling over the phone.

All sales approaches are different, but all have the following in common:
Introduction – This involves saying hello, doing some basic fact-finding, rapport building and questioning. Pitch – This involves selling the concept of the product/service Closing – This could be a prospective close, back to more questioning, objection closing, price closing etc.

There is a sales process that all sales people use (the sales sandwich of questioning, pitching and closing) and many seasoned sales people can forget. This is only natural and part of life; as we are so involved in the day-to-day, we can forget the foundations and simple things, very often that make the difference.

Training For Seasoned Sales People

Sales people that have been selling on the phone for months, or years can get into their own routines; however things can get lost, vital snippets of the selling process can be forgotten causing a blockage in the whole process.

The problem that this causes:
Frustration – as people are not responding as they once did Stats – more calls are needed to get the same results as months or years ago Commission – less commission is earned due to drop in sales numbers Profit – less profit for the business due to slower sales

For this reason, getting telemarketing training every few months is very wise. Although it may go over very basic sales practices that may seem logical, sometimes it is the simple things that are missed out.

Many training courses (refresher courses) are only a day long, and normally can highlight sticking points in any kind of sales person (new or seasoned) which are normally different for everyone (in the introduction process, the voice tones, closing, questioning etc.).

Telemarketing training can be expensive (in sending a sales force on a training course for 2 days a year) however balanced up on the sales force being effective and selling to their potential, it could just be money well spent.