Franchise Sales Enablement | e book

Franchise Sales
Enablement
ALIGN YOUR SALES PROCESS WITH THE
BUYER’S PROCESS TO CLOSE MORE DEALS.

Sales enablement is an evolving trend in franchise development defined as
the delivery of the right information in the right format through the right
channels at the right time to assist in moving franchise candidates through
the selling process. Unlike traditional sales and marketing roles, sales
enablement is a new function that aims to ensure that everyone involved in
selling a franchise opportunity has the required tools, knowledge, processes
and information to optimize the franchise buyer’s experience during the
sales process.
What is franchise sales enablement?
1I N T R O D U C T I O N704-557-0304www.engage54/franchising
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Common Franchise Sales Mistakes:
It’s Not Them, It’s Your Process
Chapter 2
Aligning the Franchise Sales Process with
the Franchise Buyer’s Journey
Chapter 3
Refresh Your Franchise Sales Process
by Enabling Your Sales Team
Conclusion
Why Should You Start Now
Bonus Guide
PR Tips for Franchise Sales by
Fishman Public Relations
3
5
13
15
16

Why is Franchise Sales Enablement
Important?
The Cost:
“Sales and marketing misalignment costs businesses
$1 trillion each year in decreased sales productivity and
wasted marketing efforts.” —HubSpot, 2015
“Sales reps spend up to 43 hours every month searching
for information” —Aberdeen, 2015
More Growth:
“Aligning sales and marketing is proven
to deliver 19% more growth.”
—Sirius Decisions, 2015
More Leads:
“Marketing teams with high visibility into content
utilization see 33% more leads accepted by Sales.”
—Aberdeen, 2015
Success:
“84% of reps achieve quota at companies
with best-in-class sales enablement strategies.”
—Aberdeen, 2013
2I N T R O D U C T I O N704-557-0304www.engage54/franchising

“65% of sales reps say they can’t find content to send to prospects.”
—Kapost
Failing to align marketing and sales is not unique to franchise organizations.
According to Kapost, 65 percent of sales reps across all industries say they can’t
find content to send to prospects. Sometimes the content needed to support the
franchise sales process doesn’t exist. Even when it does, it often doesn’t make it
into the hands of sales executives. When sales and marketing aren’t working
together, you are leaving qualified leads on the table and wasting precious
resources driving candidates into a broken process.
The sooner franchise sales executives and
franchisors face up to the flaws in their
franchise sales processes, the sooner they
can make the changes necessary to
recruit and close qualified candidates.
Chapter 1
Common Franchise Sales Mistakes:
It’s Not Them, It’s Your Process
3C H A P T E R 1704-557-0304www.engage54/franchising

Your selling process doesn’t align with the prospects’ buying process.
That’s right, franchise buyers are not going to follow your sales process
if it doesn’t match how today’s buyers research, investigate and make
decisions about investing in a business. Franchisors that insist a prospect
“get in line” and follow an outdated process in order to learn
about and engage with the brand are living in the past.
Leads are required to jump through hoops like
circus ponies to prove they are qualified. Gated
content and placing high barriers to entry into the
franchise sales process only hurt the organization.
If you think buyers must prove that they can follow
YOUR process and jump through hoops to get
the information they seek, don’t expect to close
many deals.
Management expects franchise sales executives to close
deals without providing them with the resources they need.
Regardless of the experience level, personal charm and budget
allocated to generate leads, if the franchise sales representative
doesn’t have the right content to deliver to prospects to keep them
moving through the sales process, you are setting them up to fail.
The first step in fixing the problem isn’t simply asking for more budget to
create the required assets. Going that route, you’ll most likely face resistance
because you haven’t made your case. Even if you do get a budget increase,
throwing money at a broken process won’t yield any better results. To get more
deals done, you must start by making changes to the process so it aligns with
how prospects buy. After you put the right process in place, assess the assets
you have for each step of the buyer’s journey. This means coordinating with
marketing and leadership to discover all available assets. Finally, you will
identify the content gaps and ask for the resources needed to fill those gaps.
Common Flaws in the Franchise
Sales Process
4C H A P T E R 1
1
2
3
704-557-0304www.engage54/franchising

5C H A P T E R 2
The purpose of this e-book isn’t to convince you that times
have changed but to provide direction on how to make
the change so you close more deals. Let’s work from
the following assumptions:
Prospects want to buy a franchise; they don’t
want to be sold a franchise.
Prospects have questions and apprehensions about
your opportunity, and they want information and answers.
Prospects are primarily self-guided in their buying process and want to
discover and vet opportunities without having to rely on a gatekeeper.
How do you align your sales process with the buying journey of today’s
franchise prospect? The ideal road map spans all industries and investment
levels. To align the sales process with the buyer’s journey, you’ll need to map
out what content assets you have available and what needs to be developed
to keep prospects moving seamlessly through the sales process.
Chapter 2
Aligning the Franchise Sales Process
with the Franchise Buyer’s Journey
1
2
3

The Franchise Sales Process
Discovery
Prospects discover franchise opportunities in many different ways. Targeted
marketing campaigns, franchise portals, word of mouth and online
advertising are some of the means to get prospects into the top of the sales
funnel. Not all lead sources are the same. Some lead sources have an element
of built-in credibility.
Media coverage of a brand or franchise opportunity acts as a third-party
validator and starts building trust even before a prospect is fully engaged.
According to leading franchise PR firm, Fishman Public Relations, “PR has
stood the test of time as one of the single most powerful tools for franchise
sales.” What kinds of press coverage influence a prospect?
• An online feature story on a
business website profiling a
successful franchisee
• A national TV or radio interview
with a franchisor on a trending
industry topic
• A local business journal covering
the expansion of a franchise
brand into a new market
• A trade magazine article
focusing on a brand’s best
practices in operations
• Positive sentiment via blog
reviews about the franchise
brand’s products or services,
which lends credibility to the
franchise opportunity
6C H A P T E R 2
1

7C H A P T E R 2
Research & Due Diligence
In the beginning, prospects are self-guided in their research and discovery
of a franchise opportunity. You won’t have direct contact with them at this
stage. Your digital footprint — the franchising website, review sites, press
coverage, social media presence and others — act as the primary sources
of information as candidates compare your opportunity to others and make
a mental short-list of top possibilities.
At this stage, prospects want to know
• Why should I choose this opportunity over others?
• What makes this the right concept at the right time?
• Is this opportunity profitable?
• Will it be profitable in the long run?
Don’t wait to cover this information on a call. Today’s buyers likely won’t
consent to a conversation until they have these answers. To get this
important information in front of interested parties, you should provide it in
the formats and channels preferred by your target audience. Your website is
the information hub and should include information that validates your
segment and demonstrates consumer demand. Consider adding franchisee
testimonial videos about achieving to keep prospects moving forward.
In addition to your franchising site, third-party validation of your franchise
opportunity can make an impact. Debra Vilchis, COO of Fishman PR*,
suggests using press coverage of the brand as a third-party validator.
“A franchise sales team can send prospects links to news articles about
the brand on a regular basis, illustrating to the candidate that the brand
is relevant and credible enough to be covered in the news.”
*Learn more about the role of PR in the franchise sales process in Fishman PR’s
bonus guide, “PR Tips for Franchise Sales” that follows the conclusion chapter
of this e-book.
2

8C H A P T E R 2
3 Qualify
As much as franchise sales executives don’t like wasting time with unqualified
candidates, candidates don’t want to waste their time with opportunities
that aren’t a fit for them. Cut to the chase with content that helps prospects
self-qualify.
• Do I have the skill set and experience to be successful with this opportunity?
• What are the capital requirements?
• Is there territory available in my area?
Save yourself and the prospect time and
frustration by making the basic qualifications
known upfront. Provide a clear and concise
overview of the financial requirements,
available territories and ideal candidate
profiles on the franchising site, in marketing
collateral and via email. To help prospects
understand who you’re looking for, provide
content that features current franchisees,
their backgrounds and the skills
needed to be successful. Providing
information about current
franchisees will help prospects
self-qualify and entice like-minded
prospects to continue engaging
with the opportunity.

9C H A P T E R 2
Information Exchange
If you’ve successfully kept a prospect in the sales process up to this point, it is
time for the first phone call. This is NOT a sales call. You’ve come this far, don’t
blow it with an impersonal sales spiel. This call is a chance for you to gather
important information about the prospect. The information you uncover will
play a critical role in the success of the sales process
from here on out.
At this stage, the franchise sales representative
should ask questions about the prospect:
• What are your goals and aspirations for your
financial situation, lifestyle, family, etc.?
• What is your background?
• What skills and experience do you have?
• What motivates you?
• What are you passionate about?
• What do you fear?
The sales representative should tailor the
rest of the sales process according to what they
learned about the prospect. Instead of forcing a franchise buyer into a
generic process where they are force fed cumbersome content and
required to attend exhaustive webinars on every last detail of the franchise
opportunity, franchise sales executives should leverage what they learn about
the prospect’s goals and needs to create a personalized experience.
Content should demonstrate how the opportunity will address the prospect’s
specific goals and why they will be successful with the franchise opportunity.
For example, if a prospect is looking for more work/life balance and your
opportunity affords that, send them franchisee interviews talking about how
their life is finally balanced, and they get to participate in the lives of their kids.
4

10C H A P T E R 2
Proof of Concept
The prospect really likes what they’ve learned so far about the franchise
opportunity, but if they are going to feel comfortable investing their money,
they need proof that the franchise model and support systems are up to par.
• What tools and support services are available to me as a franchisee?
• Will the marketing program drive revenue?
• What systems are in place that will make me feel secure?
• How will you guarantee my success? (We aren’t suggesting that you
make revenue claims, rather what information can you provide to make
the prospect feel more secure about investing with you?)
Franchise sales reps should make content available that clearly outlines the
tools and support available to franchisees. Show prospects how the systems
and processes contribute to the success of the franchisees. Prospects get
cold feet and drop out when they don’t have confidence that they will be
successful with a franchise opportunity. Help
them overcome their fears and hesitation
by proving to them that the model is built
for winning. Franchisees can really help
in this step. Point prospects to video
content about the support services,
marketing programs, POS
technology ... whatever it is that
goes into your success formula.
5

11C H A P T E R 2
The Real Deal
To maintain the trust needed to close a franchise deal, prospects will expect
to hear the truth from you, their trusted guide.
• What is the franchisee-franchisor relationship like?
• How long will it take me realistically to reach my goals?
• Are the current franchisees happy?
• What is the loan default rate?
• What am I agreeing to?
• What am I responsible for?
• What happens if I violate the
agreement?
Franchisee testimonial videos,
third-party franchisee surveys and
conversations with like-minded
franchisees can help ease fears and
answer questions that would otherwise slow
down the process. Provide the prospect with
a guide when you send the Franchise Disclosure
Document (FDD) to help them make sense of the overwhelming document.
Review the FDD with the prospect and answer their questions to keep the sale
on track. Be transparent, and don’t try to hide the realities of being a franchise
owner. Face issues head on, and be prepared with content to help prospects
overcome objections and concerns.
6

12C H A P T E R 2
Information Exchange
The final hurdle you must navigate on your way to getting a yes
is the financing piece. Candidates have to figure out how
they are going to make the franchise purchase happen.
• What are my financing options?
• Where do you suggest I get financing?
• Can you recommend a lender?
If you want to secure the deal, it is in your best interest to support the prospect
by connecting them with trusted lenders. Help them find the right option to
make the deal happen. Provide a contact list of lenders. Offer resources that
help the franchise owner understand what options are available. This is the
last hurdle in the buying journey. Don’t drop the ball. Be helpful.
Decision
Most franchisors host an in-person meet and greet for qualified candidates
that have the intention of buying the franchise. You need to make sure that
things go smoothly. As the franchise sales representative, your job is not done
until they sign on the dotted line.
• Do I believe that the leadership and support staff are going to
contribute to my success?
• Do I like the culture and the people?
• Am I impressed by what I’m learning and seeing?
Use content to manage the prospect’s expectations about the in-person
meeting. Make sure that their experience is organized and meaningful. The
last piece of content that you’ll present them with is a contract. If you’ve
gotten this far, the chances are excellent that you’ve closed this deal.
7
8

13C H A P T E R 3
It’s your turn to take action and build a franchise sales process that works with
the way your franchise prospects buy. In the chart below, we’ve filled in the
process that franchise buyer’s go through and their needs at each stage of
their decision-making journey. Your job is to fill in the assets you have at your
disposal. The chart will show you where your process is weak. You can use the
chart to initiate the conversation about what you need to close more deals.
Chapter 3
Refresh Your Franchise Sales Process
By Enabling Your Sales Team
FRANCHISE SALES PROCESS PROSPECT NEEDS CONTENT/ASSETS CONTENT/ASSETS NEEDED
Discovery Is this opportunity
interesting to me?
Research & Due
Diligence
What is the
opportunity?
Qualify Is this opportunity an
option for me?
Information
Exchange
Will this opportunity help
me achieve my goals?
Proof of Concept How will their systems
and support help me
be successful?
The Real Deal What is it really like to
be part of this system?
The Numbers Do the numbers work?
Can I get financing?
The Decision Do I believe in the
leadership and support
staff?

Content/Assets
Note the specific content you have for each stage. Keep the prospect’s needs
in mind. Content and assets could include specific pages on your franchising
site, email communications, reports, FDD guide, marketing collateral, media
coverage, FAQ sheets, franchisee and leadership video clips, franchisee
surveys, etc.
Content/Assets Needed
Most franchise brands will find that they have gaps between what information
a buyer wants and needs at a given stage and what content or assets are
available. In the content/assets needed section, note the gaps and what
materials need to be created.
Instructions
14C H A P T E R 3
NEWS

Stop fighting franchise prospects by trying to force them into an outdated
and futile process. When you transition from being a salesperson to being a
trusted resource and guide, the process of selling franchises will become easy,
efficient and effective. You can’t do it alone. Fight for the tools and resources
you need to be successful. 54 can help. We’ll help you take an honest look at
your sales process, including determining what information your prospects
need and at what time, taking inventory of available assets, formats and
delivery methods, and developing the content to convert prospects into
franchise owners.
For more information, contact
Jack Burris, Burrisland
jburris@engage54.com
704-557-0304
www.engage54/franchising
15C O N C L U S I O N
Conclusion

Over the past few years, a marked shift has taken place in the franchise
sales process that has triggered franchisors to put even more emphasis on
PR and related content that can be found by potential franchisees. Surveys
such as the Annual Franchise Development Report show that increasingly,
candidates are conducting more self-directed research. They scour the
Internet, looking for both positive and negative information to help educate
them about their potential investment before taking the step of contacting
a franchisor representative or filling out a lead form.
With nearly half of franchisors reporting that lead flow
comes from “the Internet,” clearly franchise candidates
are seeking information to help them find
concepts they connect with and believe in.
The “story” they find online is almost
always the result of PR efforts —
or lack thereof.
16B O N U S G U I D E
Bonus Guide
PR Tips for Franchise Sales
by Fishman Public Relations

How can franchise brands leverage PR in the franchise
sales process?
In addition to securing media coverage, franchisors should put more focus on
how to leverage the coverage with every potential franchisee. Franchisors
often make the mistake of thinking of media placements as “one and done.”
Sure, media placements definitely generate leads the day they appear in a
media outlet, but franchisors can extend the life of the placement in a
variety of ways:
• Sharing it over social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook,
LinkedIn, Pinterest
• Posting it on the franchise opportunity section of your website
• Linking to the placements in your email signature for weeks or months
after it comes out
• Creating a video reel of placements and uploading it to YouTube,
sharing the link with prospects
Franchisors can utilize a feature story about a franchisee that appeared in a
high-level business publication, for example, in their advertisements and
promotions by mentioning or linking back to the article or video. Franchisors
can also link to stories and videos in company newsletters, which can
result in employees sharing the link with their social networks.
A franchise sales team can send prospects links to news articles about the
brand on a regular basis, illustrating to the candidate that the brand is
relevant and credible enough to be covered in the news.
Do you think enough brands are using PR in their franchise
sales process?
Many franchise brands today are doing a great job at traditional PR, but need
to expand the way they define or think of public relations. We consistently
see familiar faces in trade publications, business magazines and on TV, and
several brands have a lock on being visible via TV, print and online news sites.
However, with the ever-changing landscape of social media, there is no such
thing as “doing enough.” Every day a new website, blog, video sharing app or
podcast pops up. The world at large now listens to influencers, and franchise
17B O N U S G U I D Ewww.engage54/franchising

brands now more than ever need to leverage relationships with them.
Influencers can be bloggers, celebrities or Internet sensations, as well as
regular “moms” and “millennials” with large, dedicated followings across
Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube or other social media networks. Some
franchisors are starting to realize the need to rely on influencers to market
their products and their franchise opportunities, while others are stuck solely
directing their PR firms to conduct traditional media relations. A balanced
mix of the two approaches is critical.
Where does PR belong in the franchise sales process?
PR belongs in every step of the franchise sales process — beginning, middle
and end. If a franchisor is looking to expand their brand through franchisees
in a new market or grow in an existing market with new franchisees, they
can get the word out before a franchise sales rep gets a foot off the plane.
Reach out to local business journals, daily newspapers and news radio with
information on upcoming expansion, the type of franchisee you’re looking for
and how many new community jobs the expansion will create. This will help
generate leads and really rev up the franchise sales process. One company
who has seen extreme success with this method is Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery.
When Tilted Kilt decided to pair a press release announcing it was actively
recruiting franchisees throughout the Midwest with proactive pitching to
designated markets, the company secured several media placements
highlighting its expansion.
Once a franchise brand has an Interest prospect, they should be showing off
their media placements every chance they get. Whether it’s a deck with the
different types of local press the company has gotten when opening a new
location or national coverage that has grown brand awareness countrywide,
sharing the PR you have secured for your brand will help gain credibility with
your prospects.

Here are some of the best types of PR for your franchise brand to leverage
with potential franchisees:
• Expert Guest Articles: News outlets are often desperate for
quality content from external sources. Bylined articles from
outside experts on a variety of topics help publications fill that
void. Franchisors and franchisees can write guest pieces about
relevant industry news and topics. This helps to establish your
business as being at the forefront of their industry.
• Consumer Broadcast Segments: Being featured on a national
morning show is like striking gold for a franchise brand. It
not only gains the interest of consumers, but also creates a
significant increase in traffic on your website from people
looking for franchise opportunities.
• Franchisee Profiles: When potential franchisees see an article about
a successful existing franchisee with a compelling story, they relate to
the person in the article and are inspired to take action. Franchise
profile pieces are perhaps the most powerful type of PR for generating
franchise leads. A prospect wants to investigate the potential of owning
the same business of the franchisee that was profiled because they
share the same backgrounds and beliefs. They begin to think, “that
could be me.” One brand who has put a focus on franchisee profiles
and seen an exceptional amount of leads flow in is Tutor Doctor. Their
franchisees have been profiled in Inc., Entrepreneur and DailyWorth.
• Blogs: When done properly by providing relevant content, blogging
can become a lead-generating machine for a growing franchise.
Blogging provides a continuous flow of content that gets your company’s
name out there, while showcasing your expertise and thought leadership.
When this compelling content is shared and accepted as a guest post
on an influential blog, it is as powerful as a trusted third-party
endorsement of the company.

If you were to give a franchise brand three tips for using
PR to sell franchises what would they be?
Don’t miss a beat to show off, but PR is not always about “you.” When
your company is highlighted as a top franchise opportunity for the year
in a major business publication — show it off. Write and distribute a press
release announcing the honor and send the release to prospective
franchisees. If you have a franchisee who hit a sales record or created an
initiative that is now brand wide — show it off. Direct your PR team to get
on the phone and/or email reporters to pitch that franchisee to media in
his or her local market and to national and trade publications. If you
have a campaign that receives a slew of media attention, retweets or
Facebook likes, share it on every one of your social media channels.
There is no time to be humble when using PR to sell franchises. At the
same time, it’s not always just about “bragging” about your own brand.
Help establish your brand as a thought leader by having your executives
weigh in on important and newsworthy issues being discussed in the
media. Doing so will lend credibility to the general public and prospective
franchisees.
Stay relevant, take risks and don’t be afraid of the unknown. In the realm
of public relations, there will always be an unknown. Things are always
changing, but if you stay on top of the changes you will be ahead of the
game. Having your brand’s name in the media already provides you with
credibility. But showing that potential franchisee that your brand is also
going after coverage through new media advances you ahead of your
competitors. Dive into social media, bloggers and influencers. If you see
someone talking about your franchise opportunity on Twitter or Facebook,
engage with them. Spark a conversation. There are hundreds of business
bloggers who want to hear about your business model.
1
2

Hire professionals. Most franchisors, including emerging, mid-size and
established brands, will have somebody on their team with a marketing
or advertising background and some PR knowledge, but usually this
position includes multiple responsibilities that prevents the individual
from dedicating the necessary time to generate consistent PR results
for a brand. That’s why most brands choose to utilize their marketing
director to manage an outside PR agency. A PR firm knows what types
of angles will appeal to the media and knows how and when to
communicate with journalists. Because agencies work with media
all the time, they have established relationships. Agencies also invest in
tools such as vast media databases and media monitoring platforms
that brands typically do not have. Mainly, building relationships with
media requires a vigorous outreach and follow-up process that
franchisors simply don’t have time for.
3
For more information, contact:
Brad Fishman
bfish@fishmanpr.com
847.945.1300

Franchise Sales Enablement | e book

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