When I work with people who are considering buying a franchise, I sometimes ask them to list the first five franchises that come to mind. Generally all five are business-to-consumer (B2C) franchises such as restaurant or mailbox type franchises. The purpose of this article is to let you know that theres another whole world out there! Business-to-business (B2B) franchises, which provide services to businesses, instead of to individual consumers, constitute one of the fastest growing sectors in franchising. Products and services range from temporary personnel placement to commercial window cleaning. They include sign companies, computer support, business coaching, printing, marketing services, logo apparel and on and on. For a lot of potential franchise owners a B2B franchise may be the ideal fit. Many people who leave behind the corporate world to buy their own franchise have spent years advertising their products and services to other companies or to other departments within their own company. They are comfortable and skilled in this type of environment. They enjoy professional business relationships. They are good at structuring solutions. B2B franchises frequently need less physical infrastructure than B2C franchises. They are usually scalable and many B2B owners value that the business is usually open Monday through Friday, during traditional business hours. A B2B franchise may be less expensive to get into than other types of franchises and may have lower operating expenses. In many cases, overhead is lower and marketing is more targeted, which is generally less expensive than marketing to the masses. One item that can keep overhead down is the amount a B2B franchise pays for rent. While retail space can be pricey, most B2B franchises are located in office buildings, where space is less expensive. Some B2B franchises are even home based. For example, an IT company may actually be an association of high-level IT subcontractors, who travel from their own homes straight to the customers site. Some B2B franchises do need retail space. For example, a staffing company that needs to be reachable to numerous potential employees might be located in a retail location; an auto parts store that caters primarily to auto repair businesses could also be open to the public. As you can see, there are tangible advantages to owning a B2B franchise. But there can also be disadvantages. If you do not have a strong business background you may have trouble working effectively with business people, who tend to be busy and to-the-point. B2B franchises tend to work with a smaller number of large customers, rather than many individual customers. The loss of one client could cause a large dent in your top line. And because competition in the B2B arena tends to be proficient, you have to be at the top of your game. But if you possess strong business experience and are one the scores of people wanting to take the next step in franchise ownership, dont overlook B2B! It could bring you enjoyment, monetary rewards, and some weekends off!
In every business transaction, there should always be two options: either you use your powers of persuasion to convince others or they convince you to help them. It is always one or the other.
To begin the lesson on being the master of persuasion, you must first be highly motivated. Motivation is the driving force that keeps you going.
So, what drives you? Is it building a home for your loved ones? Is it a brand new car? Is it fame or money, status or success? Upon knowing what drives you, you become more enthusiastic in what you do. Enthusiasm is highly contagious.
The next step is to know what motivates other people. The two known chief motivations of all human beings are the following: the want for gain and pain of loss. It could be the desire for money, security, status, or it could also be the fear of losing loved ones, health, or jobs. The fear loss is stronger than wanting something.
To be able to distinguish what a person cares about most, be ready to ask questions before meeting up with a potential client. Always remember that they are driven only by their motive, so work on learning what they want and not what you want.
The third thing to remember is to know how to sell the future. After knowing what the client's motivations are, the next thing to know is what their needs are for the future. Dwell on their desires and dreams and capitalize on them.
Take charge of the conversation from the onset. Deliver your purpose right away, with no hidden agenda, and be sure to listen for sales clues. Take charge and control the conversation but do not manipulate.
Know and believe in what you are selling. If you must, use the product that you are trying to endorse and pitch sales by just testifying on the benefits of the goods. When you personally believe in what you are saying, you appear to be more enthusiastic about what you are trying to deliver.
Have your rebuttals ready. There are bound to be rejections of your sales proposal but be able to counter each one of them. Be able to read body language. A simple nod or shake of the head would mean the success or failure of your sales pitch.
Have good communication skills. A slurring sales representative is less effective than a salesperson with a well-modulated voice. Listen, listen, and listen.
Above all, be willing to help your client. It would be futile to market a product that you are just selling because of the commission. If you are out there to sell your product for the benefit of your buyers, then you are sure to close many deals.
There is a very thin line between success and failure. In the world of business, sometimes the persuasion skill makes the big difference. So would you rather be a part of mediocrity or would you rise above the obstacles and be the best master persuader? The choice is, of course, yours to make.
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Rick Bisio.. has sinced written about articles on various topics from . This article was provided by Rick Bisio, who wrote the book, The Educated Franchisee. Rick has been recognized as one of the most respected franchise consultants in the country who has trained thousands of entrepreneurs on owning and operating a franchise. Rick Bisio..'s top article . Bookmark Rick Bisio.. to your Favourites.
Rene has sinced written about articles on various topics from Franchise, Information Technology. Time Management provides detailed information about time management, business time management, personal time management, time management programs and more. For more information look at http://my-personal-time-management.blogspot.com/. Rene's top article generates over 1600 views. Bookmark Rene to your Favourites.