Franchising World 2012

By: Stephen Dixon

The pressure to keep a tightened grip on the purse strings has yet to ease for most franchisors, nonetheless most continue to find the necessary funds for franchise expos. There is an important reason why: a steady flow of prospective franchisees are attending these events to validate what they have learned online about the   concept or to compare divergent franchisors and industries. 
Given the importance of being at the shows, many still invest in dynamic booth design and brand messaging. Up and down the rows you’ll see remarkable displays. So how does one franchisor separate itself from the next? The opportunity to differentiate the concept rests squarely on the shoulders of the company personnel who are interacting with prospects. By making the right choice in who is assigned to work the booth, a franchisor will create a great first impression, generate quality leads and set the stage for effective follow up after the show.   
Make the First Impression Count 
It’s been said that “You never get a second chance to make a great first impression,” which is why franchisors should choose staff wisely. In doing so, an important realization to come to is that front-line booth workers need not be extremely knowledgeable about all of the intricacies of the franchise opportunity. If they are, that’s fine, but their role is to demonstrate high energy, friendliness…and an ability to meet and communicate with relative strangers very well. If a prospect desires to take that interest in the franchise to a level where he wants to know investment figures and territory availability, the frontline personnel should then introduce the prospect to a senior franchising team member. If a senior-level franchise development representative is unavailable, a phone follow up should be coordinated on the spot. 
Those in your company who outwardly convey genuine interest in people and are able to learn through conversation the motivation that drives prospects to search for franchise opportunities, often will be the ones who make the best impression while delivering the highest number of quality leads. When everything else is reasonably equal, people will do business with people they like.     
Scheduling a workshop a few hours before each expo to provide talking points, process and goals for booth workers is a good idea. Then, as the day or weekend moves along, listen to how the introductions are going with prospects, provide feedback at appropriate times, share best practices in real time and get a good feel for what is working and what is not working. Each show has its own vibe, because of regional, seasonal and economic variables. Thus, it is also important for the staff working the booths to be open minded and willing to accept feedback.   
Asking the Right Questions 
Clearly, every franchisor that invests time in a franchise expo would like to emerge with as many qualified franchise prospects as possible. That is why it is critical to have the right individuals in place to make the initial introduction to your franchise at expos. The greeting is really the first and can be the most important step in the process. To get the most out of the first and maybe only 30 seconds you or your team member may get with a prospect, ask questions that lead the start of conversations in the direction you want them to head, such as:
   • What industries are you considering?
   • What from your past sparks your
   interest in the franchise opportunity?
   • What motivates you to look at franchising and or our specific business? 
Once you’ve hooked the prospect, a 60-second “elevator pitch” should be given about the opportunity, taking care to tailor the pitch so that one of the answers learned from the initial questions is incorporated. The elevator pitch is followed by a general financial requirement overview that ends with “Would that be within the range of you or your investors?” Should   the prospect not meet your franchise’s financial requirements, end the conversation politely. If the financial answer is affirmative, it is vital that contact information and company informational material is exchanged. To set the stage for effective follow-up communication, try to record anything distinctive about the prospect so that future contact efforts can be personalized. The franchise sales professional that is able to remember specific stories or motivations and include those in the follow up will have a leg up on the competition. 
Follow Up Within Three Days 
We have all attended events, been promised a follow up and been disappointed to be contacted several weeks later or not at all. As we return to our offices after expos, it is tempting to first answer e-mails or to complete other projects. The same holds true for the prospect. He or she probably will have the tendency to file her 75 brochures and business cards in the “later” file if the documents even made it home with them. To get the most out of the investment franchisors make in attending the trade shows, the initial franchisor follow up should occur within three   days of the event. Before the follow-up call, if the booth representatives were not actual franchise sales staff, an immediate meeting should be conducted so that every detail recorded about each prospect is communicated and shared with the team. The initial prospect call is then made and the process advanced by adding the prospect to the contact management system and your normal follow-up schedule. 
It is obvious that the selection of the correct staff to attend franchise expos is essential to maximizing the investment. Those in your company that genuinely make friends easily, are good conversationalists and can facilitate an effective and fast follow up are the best candidates. Sending the right people to represent the franchise can make a significant difference between awarding several new franchises and wasting valuable franchise marketing dollars. 
Stephen Dixon, CFE, is vice president of franchise development at Children’s Lighthouse Learning Centers, a 29-unit educational child care franchise company headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. He can be reached at 817-529-0574 or  sdixon@childrenslighthouse.com  .