Franchise Update Magazine Issue IV, 2014 | Page 57
BY MARC KIEKENAPP
Dial Out for Sales?
Outsourcing your franchise sales process
E
veryone agrees that within
the world of franchising, the
franchise development niche
has become more difficult.
Economic uncertainty making risk less
than attractive, one of the tightest lending
markets in recent memory, and qualified
candidates seeking higher returns have
combined with elusive lead generation
tactics, extreme broker fees,
and declining conversion rates
to make franchise development
more confusing than ever.
As development professionals, our job is to move
our brands forward through
growth. To do so, typically
we recruit marketing and advertising professionals to provide deeper insight into lead
generation. We recruit public
relations professionals to generate third-party support for
our brand. We recruit software
companies to help us manage and track
customer contacts.
So why not get creative where the
rubber really meets the road? Why not
take a truly creative tack in driving your
brand forward through growth? Why not
free up budget dollars for additional lead
generation strategies?
Why not outsource your sales process
to professionals seasoned in most aspects
of owning and operating a franchise company? You rely on professionals for most
other aspects of the development process.
Why not selling?
Many people call themselves franchise
professionals, but what I am suggesting
is people who possess real experience as
C-level executives in successful franchise
companies. There is no lack of experienced
personnel in our industry, and when you
find the right match you enjoy the following benefits:
• Fully qualified candidates ready to
invest in your brand. At discovery day it
is your job to say yes or no.
• Fully executed agreements and fees
delivered to your door following discovery day approval.
You rely on
professionals
for most other
aspects of the
development
process.
Why not selling?
• The caliber of sales staff that your
candidates really want to talk with; people
who have previously been in their shoes.
• A sales staff who can consult on any
and every aspect of investing in a franchise
opportunity.
• A pay-as-you-go business model that
reduces standing overhead, freeing budget
dollars you can divert to lead generation.
• Fully transparent and accurate conversion statistics you can use to better
invest marketing dollars.
Does it sound like everything you asked
for as VP of development? It can be, when
you get creative in your approach to selling. And you will not be the first, as more
and more companies are outsourcing the
sales process with increased productivity and increased savings. But first you
must accept that there may be a more
creative way.
As vice presidents and directors of our
departments, we cannot be experts in all
aspects of franchise development. We can
only create and manage the elements of
success while working with others who are
masters of their trade (such as marketing
and advertising agencies). I have found
that most department heads are reluctant
to suggest using outside sales services as
they believe they were hired
to be masters of the sales process. I was no different in my
earlier years in franchise development. Then I realized
my reluctance to use outside
vendors only impeded the
growth of both the brand and
myself. When I realized that I
was hired to move the brand
forward through growth, I
got more creative.
Outsourcing the franchise
sales process to seasoned professionals who work with candidates from inquiry through execution
of the franchise agreement is not unlike
hiring the most seasoned salespersons for
your team
—except that by doing so you
can increase lead generation activities by
redirecting reduced overhead costs (successful outsourced sales professionals are not
applying for a sales job at your company).
A little creativity applied to the franchise sales process will go a long way. You
already know that, as you recruit marketing,
advertising, public relations, and technology professionals to make your development department excel. Why not seek out
the best sales professionals available who
will make your development department
sing? They are out there.
Happy selling,
Marc
Franchiseupdate ISSUE I V, 2014
Grow Market Lead
Sales
smarts
55