Grow Market Lead
Sales
smarts
By Marc Kiekenapp
Mystery Shopping
A key to increasing sales
O
ver the past four years we’ve
been honored to conduct the
mystery shopping research
for Franchise Update’s annual
Leadership & Development Conference.
The results are used to determine the
annual winners of the company’s STAR
Awards for best performance in responding to inquiries from qualified prospects.
While invaluable statistical data, information, and analysis of franchise sales
performance can be found in Franchise
Update’s Annual Franchise Development
Report, real-life responses to our inquiries
shed another kind of light on what constitutes best practices by some—and on
what, if not worst practices, are areas with
plenty of room for improvement.
With the start of the new year, I want
to share some of our more general, anecdotal findings—what we actually heard on
the calls—in the hope it may help all of us
do a better job at franchise sales.
We found a wide separation in the
manner in which sales people handle candidates. Many sounded like robots making the 32nd call of the day (we’ve all been
there), while others conveyed enthusiasm
and professionalism in their messages and
conversations. Year after year, the “pros”
follow a written system with prompt and
courteous follow-up.
Mystery shopping your sales team is an
enlightening experience—and a valuable
training tool for achieving better results.
The personality of the sales person and
their belief in the franchise system are
still the most powerful marketing tools
to possess.
What follows are some of the highlights
from our mystery shopping phone survey:
1. Incoming toll-free development
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phone systems were marginal at best
• Have you called your own numbers
lately? During business hours? After business hours?
• How many hoops do you have to
jump through to leave a message?
Phones should be answered live during
business hours. Record a concise, profes-
If you could
only train and
monitor these
four key steps,
I believe you
will award more
franchises
in 2012 and also
be in the running
for the STAR
Awards later in
the year.
sional, and exciting message! At least 50
percent of the systems we called would
turn away an interested candidate.
2. Most franchisors had an auto response/initial email letter
• The quality and message varied from
exciting to boring and run-of-the-mill,
standard responses. “Boring” would be
short, with no graphics, no industry statistics, and very little investment information.
“Exciting” had nice graphics, a picture of
the retail store or van, and a testimonial
or short video that prompted prospects
to want to learn more.
3. First personal contact
• Only about a third of the franchise
companies we contacted chose to actually
make a phone call after the initial letter.
• Another third used an automated
CRM system with either an email string
or private portals with educational information driving prospects to call back or
complete a form.
• The other third did nothing. Yes,
nothing!
4. Actual conversation on first contact
• The majority of sales consultants
rushed through the call. Take your time,
this is an opportunity to make a good
impression.
• Others wouldn’t shut up!
• Most didn’t ask for enough information to know if they really had a buyer;
nor did they take the time to build a rapport to do so.
• Make sure you have a written script
or checklist to complete so you can accomplish a qualifying call. Don’t read it,
follow it!
• Take the time to talk about the candidate, why they want a business of any kind,
what kind of support they have at home.
• After that, the number-one question
to ask is why they feel that now is the time
financially to invest in a business for them
and their family.
Conclusion
I hope this is helpful to your franchise development department. If you could only
train and monitor these four key steps, I
believe you will award more fra nchises in
2012 and also be in the running for the
STAR Awards later in the year.
Mystery shopping is a fabulous tool to
keep everyone on track and to keep your
skills—and those of your sales team—up
to par. I would encourage you to mystery
shop your team with their knowledge more
than just once a year before the conference so you can make adjustments and
grant more franchises. Role-playing has
been overlooked for years. Working with
your team and practicing your profession
can reap big benefits for all.
Happy Selling,
Marc