our time frame to get started , 10 qualified us financially , and 14 asked for our lead source . There was a lot of room for improvement here but the numbers were not very different from previous years .
Part III
“ Great ! ________ franchise called me back within 1 business day . I ’ m going to call back and request to speak with the person who returned my call .”
Part III of our process included a series of follow-up calls to the 28 brands that placed a return call to a voicemail or request . We were able to connect live with six of those brands before the end of our mystery shop timeline .
Findings As a result of our mystery shopping , we learned that many of the appointment setters and franchise salespersons are professional and upbeat . Many appointment setters did mini-Step 1 calls to pre-qualify a candidate , were positive in handling unavailable territory , and some even offered to meet personally .
We also learned that many of the people we spoke with were telling us features of their brand versus learning about us ( the candidates ); told us that “ Salesperson A ” would call back and then “ Salesperson B ” actually did , which caused confusion ; that a live person ( receptionist ) and director didn ’ t communicate ; that a live person sent us to the website , simply telling us , “ It ’ s the process ”; and that there were a lot of generic voicemails , often with no name or brand .
Recommendations The brands that performed well during the mystery shopping did several key things . They asked for basic information about us such as name , email , phone , address , financials ( how much we were looking to invest in a business ), timeline , lead source , past experience , opening time frame , location , and more . They also presented the brand in a short , concise manner and did not dominate the conversation ; they listened and responded to our answers . Overall , they were excited and enthusiastic about their brand . Many of the top brands were interested in making the process about discovery and finding the right partners .
A few key takeaways from the mystery shopping include :
• Establish a process for “ inquiry ” vs . “ qualified candidate .”
• Match up your sales process with the most predictable buying process .
• Does the phone matter anymore ?
• It is quite important to show up strong from the start !
Website Response
BY MAUREEN DISTEFANO
I
was charged with evaluating franchise brand website responsiveness for the mystery shopping survey . My online moniker was “ Anne Costello .” I evaluated 163 brands and for each that had an inquiry or web-based application I then moved through the following process :
1 ) Completed application meeting the advertised minimum requirements and interest in available markets .
“ It is a strategy of persistence and genuine interest in being a brand resource that sets brands apart online , on the phone , or in person .”
2 ) Provided email and telephone and address as contact information as well as any other required information to submit my interest .
3 ) Spoke to or replied to email responses by the individual brands .
4 ) Evaluated brands on access via a specific link , response , telephone followup , and next steps .
Findings Technological advances have made finding information online very simple and the process of requesting information about becoming a franchisee very easy . Today a response to web inquiries can be instantaneous . But the real memorable impressions come after the initial contact . This is when sales professionals must use resources effectively and efficiently to follow up on leads . Here ’ s what great brands are doing right :
• Have the ability to conduct due diligence without providing too much personal and financial data beyond qualification requirements .
• Rely on group webinars that were advertised on the website or sent via e- reminder at the email address submitted with the inquiry .
• Use a web-based appointment calendar to block a time with the sales director to have an initial information call .
• Emerging brands that use existing franchisees to endorse the brand is powerful .
• Use social media .
Recommendations All the brands I contacted were extremely professional and respectful of my inquiry , regardless of size or if I even met the minimum requirements . However , there are some processes that may need to be updated :
• Gathering information through a lengthy application is a deterrent when a prospect can shop similar opportunities within a food or service concept .
• Cell phones are the typical mode of voice contact ; multiple mandatory listing of telephone numbers such as home / work / cell appear dated .
• A robust website with recent press or personalized information kept me on the website longer and more willing to provide more complete information .
Summary Competition is fierce , and talented and credible salespeople understand the available markets and that being a genuine resource to future franchisees will attract the top future franchise partners . It is a strategy of persistence and genuine interest in being a brand resource that sets brands apart online , on the phone , or in person .
Franchiseupdate ISSUE IV , 2016 43