Franchise Update Magazine Issue II, 2012 | Page 50

Grow Market Lead

It’s closing
time
BY STEVE OLSON

Discovery Day Tune-Up

W

12 tips to improve your results

hether you have one
franchise or a thousand,
Discovery Day catapults
your recruiting process to
its crescendo. It’s “Confirmation Time,”
and engaged candidates serious about your
franchise are now at your doorstep. Are
you really prepared to invite them in?
How scripted, rehearsed, and polished
is your “meet and greet” event?
According to a study conducted by
Dunhill Personnel years ago, 85 percent of
what your prospects absorb at Discovery
Day is visual, not informational. Seemingly minor details can make lasting impressions, and steer a candidate’s decision
to join or pass on your franchise. Check
out these 12 tips that have enhanced the
Discovery Day experience resulting in
more franchise closings:
Tip 1: Assign a tour guide. When
staff are available, a personable facilitator who ushers and assists prospects
throughout Discovery Day is invaluable.
Their presence makes a good professional impression on your guests, showing them the attention your franchisees
are given. It also elevates the stature of
your development executive, who isn’t
always there seemingly waiting to grab
their checkbook. From airport pickup to
rearranging departmental presentations if
needed, the facilitator keeps the schedule
moving and can prevent potential mishaps and provide on-site feedback to your
development team about the candidates.
Tip 2: Provide an advance agenda.
Furnish the schedule of events, names,
and bios of department executives your
attendees will meet, specific travel information, and any other helpful instructions
or information; ask for contact names
for family emergencies. This preview
heightens the importance of the event

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Franchiseupdate Iss u e II, 2 0 1 2

and provides useful information in assisting attendees in preparing for their
trip. Savvy franchises post this on their
website using a password-protected page
for “Discovery Day Guests.” It’s more
efficient and stimulates curiosity from
new site visitors.
Tip 3: Get your housekeeping in
order. Your guests are influenced by everything they see, touch, and hear at your
home office. This includes bathrooms,
paint, carpets, shrubbery, plants, trash,
office décor, etc.
Tip 4: Post a welcoming board. Display your visitors’ names on an attractive
display stand. Recognizing their presence
shows your candidates they are important
to your company… and helps your staff
members remember who’s attending!
Tip 5: Post department names.
Identifying different department areas
with door tags or labels shows organization and professionalism, and provides
your visitors with a better sense of how
your company works.
Tip 6: Display your “Franchisee
Wall of Fame.” Photos of owners featuring your top franchisees and franchisee
advisory council are impressive to your
guests, bringing home your powerful relationship and appreciation for franchise
owners. Unfortunately, not enough franchisors leverage the impact of showcasing
their franchise stars at their headquarters.
Tip 7: Furnish a personalized notebook. Provide the schedule of events,
meaningful reports, presentation outlines,
and other relevant material that candidates can take home with them.
Tip 8: Standardize your corporate
dress. Whether in company polo shirts
or suits, establish a consistent dress code
for Discovery Day. Franchising by definition means uniformity; an “anything

goes” attitude toward attire does not
communicate a professional image.
Tip 9: Schedule departmental presentations. It’s essential that your field
support, real estate/site selection, advertising and marketing, and customer service departments participate in Discovery
Day. Qualified buyers want to meet the
people they will be working with. Likewise, key personnel should speak with
prospective franchisees and offer their
insights in qualifying them.
Tip 10: Invest in multi-media. Quality, well-prepared presentations make the
difference in motivating buyers. PowerPoint, video, TV and radio commercials,
an intranet, and software demonstrations
enhance the impact of your messages.
Tip 11: Conduct a complete facilities tour. Don’t keep your guests prisoners all day in the same room. A closet
remodeling franchise made this mistake
until a prospect finally asked to see their
warehouse and was happily surprised: “I
never realized you are producing such great
product!” The candidate signed on the
next week. Don’t assume tours aren’t
important. Even with a no-inventory
service business, prospects often don’t
realize the commitment of personnel and
resources required to support a franchise
network until they see it for themselves.
Seeing is believing!
Tip 12: Analyze individual vs. group
presentations. Track your current closing rates to establish which environment
may be more suitable and successful for
you. A home-care franchisor discovered
their greatest success with personal, oneon-one Discovery Days. Yet an advertising franchise found group presentations
far more productive for their recruitment success.
Discovery Day can be an exceptional
experience for your franchise candidates.
Invest the time and resources to ensure
your brand presentation exceeds their
expectations. The payoffs are certainly
worth it for all! n
This article is an excerpt from Amazon.com
best-seller Grow to Greatness: How to
Build a World-Class Franchise System
Faster by Steve Olson. For ordering information, go to www.franchising.com/specials/
growtogreatness.php