Become the best business broker in town

Increase your effectiveness as a business broker with this unique "Practice Builder"

Become the Best
Business Broker in Town
or

How to sell essentially all your listings (9+ of 10)

Created especially for Business Brokers, and others Selling Businesses

If you are presently a business broker or if you are considering entering the field then this information is for you. Allow me to introduce myself and share a bit of how my business brokerage office changed from the typical office selling 1 of 5 to 1 of 7 listings to essentially selling them all! That was fifteen years ago.

My name is Ted Burbank and I began my business brokerage career late in 1979. Back then, and even today, business brokers accept a success rate of 14% to 25% in selling their listings as normal. Yet you don't hear anyone bragging, "We sell 25% of our listings" even though that's about as good as it gets.

Businesses are listed with the subliminal expectation that
they will not be sold!

Let me share with you the catalyst for our transition from a usual business brokerage office where businesses are listed with the expectation that the majority will not be sold to one where the assumption is essentially every listing will sell. My wife and I were at a party and someone asked what I did for a living. Quite a few people gathered around and I explained that I sold businesses. After answering all the usual questions such as “What’s the best business to be in today?” I still had an audience so I continued and pointed out that many entities sold businesses. In fact Century 21 sold more businesses than any other organization. I was quick to add that those numbers were purely a function of their size and not their effectiveness.

For example if every other Century 21 office sold one business a year that might represent several thousand sales. But – they sell less than one of twenty of their listings for an effectiveness rate less than a five percent. Business brokers typically will sell one in five to seven of their listings. However, (drum roll please) my office was successful in selling one in four of our listings.

The adulation and praise was short lived as on the drive home my wife asked “Is it true that you sell one of four listings?” "Why yes indeed." I replied – my chest expanding with pride. "Yes we do."

I was unprepared for her foundation shaking reply. “You mean to say you only satisfy twenty five percent of your customers?” Oh wow! I never looked at it that way. What other professional has a success rate that low? Perhaps a baseball pitcher’s batting average, but I couldn't think of anything else. I was really troubled and decided that we would find a way to improve our effectiveness. It’s not easy being married to an intelligent woman.

It took over a year for us to come up with the solution to the low effectiveness problem. Our effectiveness rate went from twenty five percent to the high nineties and now I want to share with you just how we did it with this book and software package. Oh, by the way, we also changed from "Free Based" to Fee Based practice - yes, everyone of our clients now pays us a retainer. It was not our intention to change to charging fees but it turns out to be what our clients wanted, accept they didn't know it until they heard our presentation

Business Owners, their attorneys and accountants love our three step approach. In fact, when we launched our "Take an Advisor to Lunch" campaign to familiarize attorneys, accountants and others in the "Deal Stream" with our new process. The most common reaction was "How else would you do it?" When we explained the usual business broker's approach their typical response was "Not with my clients."

"We were able to increase our Listing to Sale Ratio by a HUGE factor (almost 4 times)
using the methods outlined in this program"

We want you to have this book and software, not only so you can make more money, but also for you to become more professional and effective selling businesses!

Yes, we want you to:

Make more money,
Gain more respect and prestige as a business professional plus
Have more time for your family and friends.

This book and software contain a compilation of lessons learned and experience gained selling more than 2,000 businesses. This valuable information is not available anywhere else.

It became apparent that business owners who were seriously considering the sale of their business liked our multi step process as evidenced by the increase in our signing new clients and their willingness to pay a retainer.

Business Owners preferred to pay us a retainer and
use the “Three Step” process rather than the
“Work for Free” method used by Real Estate brokers and a majority of Business Brokers.

A transcript of the presentation that has business owners asking “How much does this cost” is included in Chapter five. We never had to ask for a retainer to receive one and neither will you when you follow the instructions outlined in this chapter.

Book: Become the Best Business Broker in Town - 232 pages of step by step instruction and examples to facilitate your becoming more effective selling businesses. Some of the topics covered in the book include:

How the process evolved from Free Based to Fee Based
Lessons learned from Wall Street applied to Main Street
Why the business brokerage terms and language you use has to change
Presentation of services including a sample presentation
Types of buyers and what they might pay and why
How to identify and then find the "right buyer"
How to effectively match buyers with sellers
How to manage buyer and seller expectations
Tips and techniques in developing the report
Wealth creation strategies for small and mid size businesses that you can employ to expand your practice
and much more

Listing Presentation: The book includes a word for word transcript of an actual presentation that results in prospective clients asking "How much will this service cost?" That's right - you may never have to ask for a fee to obtain one.

We knew we were on the right track when business owners began asking how much we charged. Remember we did not start out wanting to collect fees. Later, we learned we had to charge in order to obtain the client and, later still, we had to develop a formula to use to determine the correct amount to charge. We noticed we often would loose clients interest by not charging or by charging too little - seldom because we charged too much!

The presentation to contract ratio of my top people eventually leveled off at 2 to 1. Yes, for every two presentations they would land one fee paying client! The entire staff's (averaged 20) closing ratio, including the rookies, averaged 3 to 1. In any event, our Fee Based closing ratio was better than was our Free Based one!

Software: Professional Advantage

Report Writer: Software to produce our work product. The exact same software we developed and refined, over a fifteen year period, especially for our fee based practice. The book provides you with the different buyers' rationales and motivations. The software crunches the numbers the same way buyers of small and mid size businesses will. Our Report Writer software has been designed to be used by the Non-Financial Professional and is very easy to use. Simply enter numbers into a template and the software will automatically:

Develop a comprehensive financial analysis of the business designed to provide a view of your client company's from the outside in (An accountant would have to charge much more than the cost of our program for this feature alone)
Illustrate the price and terms different types of buyers would be willing to pay today and why (the range of values can be staggering)
Show how much financing your seller would be expected to provide and, if they were to insist upon a cash price, what an all cash price might be
Identify the best type of buyer to attract as well as the type(s) of buyers you should avoid.
Transaction Structuring Model – Allows you to compute “what if” scenarios by changing down payments, interest rates or terms etc and calculate your ROI and Fairness Testing so you can get back to the negotiating table quickly

Don't let the ease of use fool you. This is very powerful software and an exceptional tool that is highly valued and used by MBAs, CPAs and other financial professionals all over the world. With our software you'll be able to present your client's business in a most professional way. This alone can increase the perception of the value of the business and the price you can get for it.

Document Pack: The CD-ROM includes all the documentation that has been designed especially for use with our unique Three Step Process. This family of documents is not available anywhere else. The three step process will not work with the listing agreements and forms you are presently using.

Three Sample Reports: The sample reports will help you as you create reports of your own. The samples include retail, service and manufacturing/distribution businesses representing small, medium and large private companies. Having completed reports to review facilitates a fast track understanding of why your work will be extremely valuable to your client. The first sample is an example of a basic report - The retainer collected, $1,500 The second and third reports are essentially the same but with more research and customization - The retainers collected, $5,000 and $25,000

Marketing Tools: Sample solicitation letters, post cards, flyers and brochure for you to adapt to your use in marketing your services are also available for your customization on the CD-ROM.

Everything you need to become more effective selling businesses is provided in this package. The combination of our books, software and examples will help you understand and, of equal if not more importance, believe in the value of your services.

How much does "Become the Best Business Broker in Town" program cost?
That's the wrong question. The more important questions are:

How much more MONEY will you be able to earn by selling essentially all of your listings?
How many hours will you save by not trying to sell uncooperative seller's businesses?
How much better will it be to be paid for all that you do
How many more referrals will you receive from bankers, accountant, lawyers and others by employing a
more professional approach to selling their clients/friends businesses?

But Wait -- YES, There's More!

FREE Bonus Book & Software a $200.00 Value

What can We possible tell You
about Selling a Business that
You Don’t Already Know?

Perhaps not much. . .
but maybe enough so you too will sell 90%+ of your Listings

We know the information and tools the book and software contain are vitally important to your becoming the “Best Business Broker in Town” and that’s why we are offering to give you both the book and software FREE as part of your purchase.

This book reveals the details of a New and Revolutionary Three Step Method of Selling a Business that is dramatically more effective than the ineffective Real Estate Sales Model used by essentially everyone attempting to sell a business.

"This is the Only Book of its Kind -You
Cannot Find This Information Anywhere Else"

Many books have been written by Attorneys, Accountants and others offering advice from their technical points of reference. Unfortunately their counsel is framed within the ineffective Real Estate Model." The very process that has contributed to the disastrous End Game results of so many Business Owners.

Everything you need to become more effective selling businesses is provided in this package. The combination of our books, software and examples will help you fully understand and, of equal if not more importance, believe in the value of your services.

Why are we Giving You this Information Free of Charge?

· Because you and your team need to understand why the overwhelming majority of listings are never sold

· We fear that without this information the majority of your listings will not get sold

· You need to know why conventional selling methods do not work when selling a business

· You need to understand the ten reasons why selling a business differs from the sale of anything else and what you need to know and do before you attempt the sale of another listing

· We want you to enjoy the benefits of employing a more effective and professional method of selling small and mid-size companies

Your Listings Have No Value Until They Sell!
Unfortunately, Most Listings Do NOT SELL*

What a Tragedy!

Why is this so? The reasons are both simple and complex and can be summarized – Wrong Process and Improper Preparation. We have turned the spotlight of reality on the problem and outline the straightforward solutions in this book and software package.

We want you have a copy of this important book because we know all to well that you cannot enjoy BIG PAY DAYS unless you sell your listing. This book and software combo provides a step by step roadmap to your selling 90%+ of your listings quickly and quietly.

The "eye opening" information the book contains is essential information that you and your team really need before you take another listing.

The effectiveness of those attempting the sale of a Private business does not present a pretty picture. Most all who attempt it fail. First, you need to know why this is so and secondly, how to make sure you are successful selling your listings.

Selling a business becomes much easier once you understand that it is nothing like selling Real Estate or anything else for that matter. The sale of a small business has its very own unique set of rules. Once you recognize and understand these rules your effectiveness in selling your listings will rise dramatically.

*Business Brokerage Press annual surveys

To summarize success in selling businesses by those doing the selling:

	*Success Rate*	*Information Source*
Business owners	2%	Our survey of 200+ business owners who attempted sale of their business on their own
Real estate brokers	5%	Surveys conducted by Business Brokerage Press
Business brokers	14% to 25%	Surveys conducted by Business Brokerage Press
Franchise re-sales	24%	Surveys by Quick Print magazine of more than 5,000 quick print franchises
Sold from Internet web site	10%	Results published by the largest Business for Sale website (45,000 businesses listed for sale - 4,568 businesses sold)
Investment bankers	90+%	Our M&A manager's experience as director of M&A activities for a major Wall Street firm
Business Selling System users	90+%	Our experience since transitioning to our Business Selling System over 15 years ago

Using our Business Selling System, brokers typically sell 9 of every 10 listings .

How can our " Business Selling System" methods be so superior to those employed by the majority of business brokers and essentially all Business Brokerage Franchisors (The short version)

Our Merger and Acquisition (M&A) division manager came to us from Merrill Lynch where he was vice president in charge of M&A activities for Private companies. What we did was essentially modify the Wall Street process (where they satisfy essentially all of their clients) to one that was appropriate for selling smaller private companies. The result is what we now call "The Business Selling System."

The process employed by essentially everyone attempting to sell a business is based upon a Real Estate Model i.e.:

List the business,	Go
Advertise and create maximum exposure, attract buyers, obtain offer(s)	*Set*
Prepare for a closing (inspections, title search etc)	*Ready*

The secret to the Business Selling System's success is that it is based upon a Wall Street Model i.e.:

Determine optimum value, develop a profile of the ideal buyer and transaction structure, ratify timeliness of selling,	Ready
Prepare company for sale and develop a marketing plan designed to attract ideal candidate, assemble due diligence materials	Set
Begin selling activities maintaining utmost confidentiality, attract appropriate buyer, negotiate contract terms, co-ordinate closing activities	Go

More to the Story

The dramatic increase in our effectiveness rate however, is due to more than a revised "Firing Order." Here are some of the additional factors that contributed to our increased effectiveness and profitability.

Only Viable Businesses were listed. Business owners who had waited too long and/or did not have a viable business to sell would not "list" with us. Apparently they realized that they would be sending us on a fools errand and wouldn't mind wasting our time and money but would not waste theirs by paying the retainer that began the three step process (and was refunded upon sale). Our Presentation to Closing Ratio actually went up under the new Three Step Method and, as an added bonus, we no longer had the un-saleable or problem listings diluting our efforts in selling the viable businesses we represented.
Increase in the Number of Referrals from other professionals. Our referrals increased dramatically as more and more professionals in the "Deal Stream" became familiar with our "Three Step Process." They particularly appreciated our controlled and deliberate approach (that involved them in the process from the beginning). With the Real Estate Method, the First Step (FIRE) encourages business owner's to make a "Blind Decision to Sell" by Signing a Listing Agreement without all the decision making facts and information in place. The attorneys, accountants, bankers and other referral sources appreciated the information we provided the business owner: information upon which they could make an informed and intelligent decision regarding selling their business.
Enhanced Cooperation and Respect by all. No longer did we have business owner's who refused or were reluctant to provide tax returns etc. Nasty telephone calls from attorneys regarding any number of issues typically revolving around the fact that the business owner realized selling was not in their best interests disappeared . THE PROBLEM our process solved - the Listing Agreement they signed calls for FULL PAYMENT OF YOUR COMMISSION if they decide not to sell. Our Three Step Method provides the business owner with the realities of the marketplace including likely price and TERMS before they commit to selling (Step Two). It is only after all involved have a clear picture of the likely outcome that we ask for authorization to sell the business.
We Expected to Sell Every Business. The relationship between expectations and reality is very close. The attitude and office environment improved tremendously. Not because we were all making much more money but rather because of the pride and satisfaction that comes with doing an important, life changing tasks successfully.
Increased Ability to Attract and Retain Talented Associates, your most valuable asset. I was fortunate to have a talented core to collaborate with in the development of this 'New System." Success breeds success and the office staff and our services expanded to a point where we made the decision to build our own office building - one that would suit our unique needs and accommodate the growing staff.
Dramatically Increased our Effectiveness in Placing Buyers. My top three associates would consistently place one of every two buyers they worked with into a business. To understand just how incredible that is you have to know the business brokerage community's standard is that one in twenty buyers will make an offer and it would take three offers to conclude a sale. After we made the change, the office average improved to of six buyers into the office would not just make an offer but would actually purchase a business.
Added Pro-Active Paid Searches to our arsenal. This also included acting as an in-house M&A department for small corporations who could not afford a full-time in house M&A department of their own. A couple of our associates decided to specialize in this end of the business
We Were in Control of the Process. No longer were we wasting time with un-saleable businesses and un-cooperative business owners. Buyers were cooperative and following our "Safe Business Buying Process." We began living a somewhat normal life: no more weekends and late nights away from our families.

Summary

The report generated by the program’s software helps you help your business owner make an informed decision regarding the sale of his\her business. When your client ratifies the timeliness of selling their business and they understand and are satisfied with the probable price and terms, it's time to begin selling the business.

The book provides a road map illustrating how to overcome the personal, emotional and financial issues that make selling a business unique and guides you through the process to the consummation of a successful sale.

· The book explains and walks you through the entire process one step at a time:

· Identification of proper buyer candidates

· Learn the secrets to writing compelling ads designed to attract the ideal buyer

· Identify the best advertising mediums to use for the type buyer you wish to attract

· Employ process designed to assured to maintain confidentiality and obtain an optimum price

· Interviewing techniques used by the pros

· How to insure you know everything you need to know about your candidate before they know your client’s identity

· How to facilitate a taking an offer without the deal going "legal" prematurely

· The proper sequence of the release of your client’s sensitive business records and information

· How to handle a buyer's request to interview customers, vendors, lenders and employees and much more

P.S.
Business Brokers - "How to Become the Best Business Broker in Town's" methods and techniques are designed to assure you get paid for all you do, sell essentially all of your listings, obtain more referrals and live a more stress free life. Wouldn't you really enjoy having all these benefits and, as an additional bonus - Become the professional you always wanted to be. It is not an over statement to assert that applying the principles of the Best Business Broker in Town's Selling System can change your life!

P.P.S
Getting into Business Brokerage? - Start on the right foot. Avoid the mistakes and traps that essentially all beginners will make without the information found only in the "How to Become the Best Business Broker in Town's" books and software and nowhere else. No need to wait six or more months for your fist deal to close. Start earning good money right away providing valuable "Marketplace Intelligence" that will impress your clients and their advisors as well. Set yourself apart from the pack by providing valuable information and perspective other professionals are unable to deliver.

Several Ways to Obtain Your Books and Software

Either Hard Copies or Download to your computer	Hard Copies Entire Package	Download Entire Package	Hardcopy Book(s) Only	Download Books Only
The Book – How to Become the Best Business Broker in Town	75.00	Download Entire Package $275.00	Book Only $75. 00	Download Book Only $55.00
The Software – Professional Advantage Report Writer - Buyer Identification, Business Valuation	295.00		Book Only $75. 00	Download Book Only $55.00
The Book - Step by Step Guide to Selling a Business for the Most Money – Quickly and Quietly a $75.00 Value	~~75.00~~ *Free*		Book Only $75.00	Download Book Only $55.00
The Software – Sell a Business Tool Kit a $125.00 Value	~~125.00~~ *Free*		*Save $40* on *Both Books* and Shipping *Only $130.00*	Save $15 Download Both Books *Only $95.00*
Postage and Handling a $20.00 Value	~~20.00~~ *Free*
Total Value	$590.00
*You Save*	*$220.00*
Final Low Price	$370.00
When you order hard copies we will email you a download of the book(s) so you don’t have to wait for the mailman to begin benefiting from this information

100% Satisfaction Guarantee.
If you are not satisfied with your purchase for any reason - Simply return the materials and receive a Prompt and Courteous Refund of Your Entire Purchase Price

- No Questions Asked -

Give us a call if you still are unsure or have any questions or concerns - Call toll free 1 888-556-8118

Add this Book -

It will help you to Become the Valuable Professional You Want to Be
Plus, enjoy additional income sources

Help your clients

Prepare for the Biggest Payday of Their Life -

Wealth building exit strategies for private business owners

It's Hard to Find a Good Business to Sell

Surveys indicate that approximately 25% of business owners are considering selling their company. Only 5% (less in a bad economy) have decided to sell and, as you know, the majority of them have waited too long; allowed the business to decline and have little left to sell.

How many time have you wished you could have gotten to these business owners sooner? The information in this book can get you into the game while the company still has value and is growing. Add several additional arrows to your quiver; it will no longer only be "let me sell your business."

Assist Business Owners With Their Exit Strategies

Become involved as the business owner begins preparing to exit his/her company. Only you can bring the Marketplace Realities to the planning sessions. You will provide Private business owners with the same valuable marketplace intelligence Investment Bankers provide Public Companies. Scores of advisors, books and articles are available to help a Private business owner increase profitability with few if any resources focusing upon increasing value. Your expertise (enhanced by the information in this book) can be that resource.

Become a Valuable Exit Strategy Advisor

You know the marketplace better than any other exit strategy advisor. You might say you are the Private company equivalent of the Public company Investment Banker. You, as well as the Investment Banker, are the marketplace expert. You know the buyers, what and how much they will pay, the buyers to be avoided and those to be attracted. Most important of all; you know the correct process to follow to maximize and obtain maximum value for the business.

A Business Has No Value Unless it’s Sold!

Unfortunately, Most Private Businesses are Never Sold*

The book will open your eyes to just how valuable your experience and expertise, enhanced by the information the book provides, can be to business owners. Some of the wonderful expertise you will be able to share:

How to keep the business in the family even when no family member is qualified or willing to replace the founder
How to DOUBLED THEIR VALUATION in less than one year.
The Dynamic Principle that can cause the Value of a business with earnings of $100,000 to range from a hundred thousand dollars to
MORE THAN TWO MILLION DOLLARS!
Why a simple graph can add more than $100,000 to a business's sale price
How to Identify Profile of their Ideal Acquirer
The role of seller financing and value attainment - Calculate the difference between Price with and without a component of seller financing
How to Sell the Business Without Anyone Knowing It's For Sale

The book illustrates why individual motivations and perspectives may be more important than “the numbers” when making value and buy/sell decisions. This is the only resource of its kind. Based on marketplace experience, not theory.

* Annual surveys by Quick Print magazine and others indicate that 75% of private businesses are closed or sold at asset liquidation values

Hard Copy 75.00	Download 55.00