If you were at the International Franchise Show in April – either as an exhibitor, or just working the floor – how do you feel it went?
Did you get the results you were hoping for?
For us, it felt like a real watershed moment. Things are definitely heating up again in the franchising world, and it was wonderful to see the level of enthusiasm among both visitors and exhibitors. However, it’s also clear that what people expect from franchises, and how they engage with them, has changed a great deal in recent years, so you might have a very different impression.
By and large, it does seem like most exhibitors had no problems getting plenty of new leads to add to their database, so we hope you were one of them. Of course, that’s just the beginning…
After years of working with franchisors at these events, and in the weeks that follow them, we’ve noticed something very consistent: the franchisors who struggle to convert show leads into signed franchisees rarely have a problem with getting the actual leads.
The problem is usually what happens next
Without the right systems, processes, and follow-up strategy in place, even the most promising prospects can go cold, slip through the cracks, or simply drift off to a competitor who stayed in touch more effectively.
For those who didn’t exhibit at Excel this year, the same challenge applies. Whatever method you’re using to attract franchisee enquiries – digital advertising, directories, social media, referrals – the fundamentals are identical: you need a clear, structured process to manage your leads from first contact all the way to signing on the dotted line.
In our experience, recruitment headaches usually trace back to one or more of these three areas:
Lead management – how you capture, organise, and prioritise your enquiries so that the right prospects get the right attention at the right time
Systems and process – having a structured pipeline that consistently moves serious candidates through your recruitment journey, rather than relying on ad hoc follow-up
Marketing – how you’re presenting your franchise opportunity, which channels you’re investing in, and whether your messaging is actually compelling the right people to take action
The good news is that all of these are fixable, and you don’t necessarily need to overhaul everything at once to see a real difference. Wherever you are on your franchising journey – a brand at the very start of your franchise recruitment journey and looking for the right strategy, or an established franchisor who is finding what worked previously simply isn’t cutting it any more – you don’t have to go it alone.
Getting the support you need doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing deal either
The way we work with franchisors at The Franchising Centre is completely flexible, and is always tailored to the specific needs of each brand.
Some clients want us to take the entire recruitment process off their hands, and we have an extensive team of specialists who can do exactly that. Others simply need an expert eye on one specific area – perhaps their ad spend isn’t delivering the right quality of leads, or they want to tighten up their follow-up process, or they’re not convinced their current CRM setup is doing what it needs to do.
From as little as one hour per month, or as much as several dedicated days acting as your fully outsourced team, we can work with you on exactly the areas that need attention – no more, no less. Think of it as fractional recruitment expertise: specialist support that slots into your business at whatever level makes sense right now, with the flexibility to grow as your needs evolve.
The first step is simply a conversation
Every franchise is different, so there’s no one-size-fits-all answer here. The best way for us to understand what you need, and whether we can help, is a free, no-obligation chat about where you are right now and what you’re trying to achieve.
If your experience at Excel gave you plenty to think about, we’d love to help you decide on your next steps. Equally, if you’re working through other channels and wondering whether your current approach is performing as well as it could be, the conversation is just as relevant.
Just click the button below to choose a time that works for you, and we’ll take it from there.
