If the thought of writing a business plan makes you want to run away, you are not alone. Many people experience dread at the thought of writing a business plan, which is why so many plans go unwritten. The mental blocks we create against writing a business plan can essentially cripple us, preventing us from reaching the success we deserve. In order to get to the bottom of why business plans are such a scary thing, we must look deeper.
The Idea of Selling is Uncomfortable
Again, you are not alone if you don’t feel warm and fuzzy about sales. There are so many reasons why we find sales unappealing, thanks in part to the unfair stigma that’s been created around the practice of selling. It is true that in days gone by, sales were not considered to be a credible profession, but that’s no longer the case. So what’s the real truth about selling?
Sales Can Be Fun
Most people, when they think of sales, think of nothing but the soul-destroying grind of repetitive cold calls and rejection. But really, successful sales require a lot of creativity. Today, there are many outlets from which to sell that go beyond the traditional phone bashing routine Modern salespeople have many options they can use to tell the story of their products and services, and everyone requires a different approach, which certainly demands creativity.
You are not Annoying Anyone
Anyone who has ever been swamped by a salesperson when they walked into a shop understands the meaning of imposition. But that kind of approach is not a sales approach. When you tell someone your product or service story, it’s all about how you deliver it and how well you know what you’re selling. If you have identified who will buy your product and have everything in order, there is no reason to believe that telling that story in the form of a business plan wouldn’t appeal to the right person.
You Aren’t Bragging
No matter what you are doing in terms of running your business, you are selling it in some way. If you’re not working at selling your own product, then chances are you are helping another company promote their own products. Your business plan is about you. In order to sell effectively, you must be eager to underscore the details of what you’re selling. Tell them about the skills you’ve acquired in your journey, where your products or articles have been featured and which other business owners you’ve collaborated with. Give them reasons to keep reading your plan.
A Chance to tell them Who You Are
Your business plan is your time to shine. Unlike those high-pressure salespeople of old, these days the focus is on results and the ability to adapt to change, not on having loads of experience and certifications under your belt. Before you even write your business plan, you will need to ask yourself what you have done in the past to ensure that results were obtained, and the tactics you employed to get through a difficult period. Because it can be difficult to look objectively at the situation, it can help to ask a friend or past co-worker.
In times of doubt, it can also help to look at some of the most successful businesses and inventions of days gone by. How many failures had to come before they succeed, and how far out of their comfort zone did those entrepreneurs have to go before they hit the jackpot? Looking behind can provide you with a lot of inspiration for the future.
Ask any business planning professional, and they will tell you that the key to writing any successful business plan is to get comfortable with the uncomfortable.