Coffee and Analytics: How to Adjust Your Franchise Lead Generation Process for the Rest of the Year

Rather than dive into data on the sales process this month, I wanted to dial into the process of lead generation, as every franchise wants: MORE LEADS .

The winning process, as I see it, goes like this:

• Storytelling on your four walls, including your website

• Ability to build and sustain buzz

• How you process your candidates and the tools you give them to create a positive decision.

Lead generation process

Unfortunately, in franchising, business viability is often skipped over. We instead focus on other brand’s mirrors — on industry averages — cost per lead and deal. Ultimately, your data is your data. While you can certainly leverage benchmarking to understand where you stand, your data will be completely influenced by the viability (perceived and reality) of your business.

To understand your lead funnel , you first have to evaluate the viability of your business opportunity:

• What is the cost to open your business?

• What are first year sales?

• What is the payback period on total investment?

Storytelling and buzz

STORYTELLING & ABILITY TO BUILD AND SUSTAIN BUZZ

Symptoms of low lead generation, goes like this:

You must have a system that turns traffic into customers (franchisees). This comes from a steady buzz of signings, opening, milestones and business updates. This comes from the first message that the audience sees when they land on your website. This comes from the architecture of problem solving as the user navigates your offering on your site. This comes from the simplicity of the form, and then the friendliness of the sales process.

Armed with the right message and process, you then want power. This is where the value of content and PR starts and where digital amplification escalates the process.

When someone lands on your website, lead with value ( why you/why now ) and back it up with educational based content (both on franchising and on your business).

• Do you have a downloadable brochure that is more than an information guide? Perhaps a workbook to become a franchisee with your brand?

• Are you clearly showing a pathway to solving a pain point of the buyer?

Marketing tactics and positioning

In these discussions, it has become evident that the marketing tactics are not the issues — rather the positioning, messaging and presentation of the offering. Thus, I would encourage you to spend a little time this month thinking through this, as well as thinking about the adjustment of message come holiday season (family). Use September as a reset month to gear up for a Q4 and Q1 push.

Remember, tactics are not the issue, rather the blocking and the tackling.