Top 5 Essentials for Effective Franchise Recruitment

Selling franchises in Australia and New Zealand is a well-worn path; thousands have gone before you, and thousands will follow. But whether you’re selling a million-dollar restaurant model or a dog-walking model and everything in between – these 5 fundamentals will apply to your recruitment strategy.

Marketing, marketing, marketing

You can’t sell a secret – don’t think for a minute that it’s as simple as posting on your social page and being flooded with calls. You’ll need a broad campaign across multiple platforms and you’ll need to test and tweak, test and tweak. And this won't be a one-and-done; you will need to dig in for the long haul; the good thing is that a good marketing strategy doesn’t need to cost the earth. But most importantly you need to know who your franchisee is and what the barriers are to self-employment in your industry and then tell them all the ways you will overcome those for them. Franchisees are inherently risk averse; they want the glory but might be light on the guts, so a franchise provides the solution with a much lower risk factor.

Don’t muck around

When someone makes the decision to click that button and find out more about your franchise model, they are the most primed they will be. In that moment, they have felt hopeful that this opportunity could bring about the change they are looking for in their life. Whether that’s more time with family, higher income, not wanting to dread getting up and going to work each day, or even just to buy more cats. You want to speak to them as soon as possible, find out their why and then sell the dream. If you really want to

Give them the old razzle-dazzle

Selling franchises is like being on Shark Tank. You have 5 minutes to give the presso of a lifetime. You should have your elevator pitch ready to go and be able to explain the benefits you provide and why they should invest. Selling is just providing a solution to a problem, so before you launch into your pitch, find out what their why is and then position your pitch to meet those points. Buying a franchise is like nothing else; it is the most exciting and nerve-racking thing many people will experience, and often, it’s the only available solution to their why. Don’t undercook your pitch.

Keep them on the journey

If your elevator pitch took them to the rooftop and not the basement, they will want to keep moving ahead, set up the next meeting and provide them with that next bundle of information. Franchise recruitment is a process of delivering key information at strategic times, so never finish a conversation without setting up the next one.

Do your homework

Selecting the right franchisee is critical; your due diligence will include online stalking, background and reference checks, multiple conversations, and scenario-based assessments. You need to know that this person is the right fit for your brand and the right fit for you. Statistically, you will be in this partnership for 8 – 10 years. That’s longer than most marriages, so qualifying is not a step that should be rushed. They will be doing the same.

Finally – don’t overcomplicate things.