Chapter 8: Selecting the Right Franchisees

As a franchisor, you can check off many boxes in an effort to  boost your chances of building a thriving franchise. But the most important “box” is to connect with the best franchisees for your brand. Your company's expansion attempts could be put off for years if you engage the wrong partners, in addition to the time and money you'll lose. And if it’s the wrong fit for the brand, that puts your reputation and other business relationships at risk.

All these reasons are why it is vital that you invest time in establishing an “ideal franchisee” profile, as well as create a thorough vetting process to weed out the potential bad apples.

Here are some tips on how to accomplish both of these tasks and begin the franchisee selection process on the right path.

Identifying the Ideal Franchisee — Characteristics to Look For

Identifying what makes potential franchisees exceptional candidates for your brand is the first step in recruiting them. Every franchise is different. This is where your brand’s identity and value proposition come into play. For example, if providing the best customer service in the business is a cornerstone of your brand experience, you’ll likely want to ensure you’re finding franchisees with outgoing, patient personalities. 

That being said, there are characteristics that are essential to franchisee success, including: 

• A strong work ethic combined with a willingness to take on whatever tasks, however small, might pop up.
• An understanding that opening a new business is a marathon, not a sprint, and that achieving real, long-term success will require daily effort and dedication.
• An entrepreneurial mindset that is willing to follow proven methods of success.

Attracting candidates with all these exemplary traits might seem as if you’re looking for a franchising unicorn, but you can find them and retain them with a great brand and a franchisee package that offers real opportunities for profitability and growth.  

How to Reach Out to Ideal Franchisee Candidates

“If you build it, they will come” is a sentiment that is only true in fantasy baseball movies. Knowing what types of candidates you’re looking for is only half the battle; finding them and getting them interested in your brand is the other half. Once someone is interested in your concept, you need to understand what type of info they are looking for and how to communicate with them. 

By having answers to their questions and being mindful of how franchisees evaluate potential opportunities, you’ll have a better chance of turning the best candidates into business owners.

Possible channels to find and engage with new franchisees include:

• Current Franchisees: What better sales tool do you have to convert prospects into partners than your current franchisees? If you’ve maintained a solid working relationship with current owners through transparent communication, a supportive home office and regular training, then they should become enthusiastic brand evangelists. Implementing a great referral program is also a terrific way to encourage referrals.
• Website and Social Media: Use your own website and social media channels to promote franchise opportunities. Establish a dedicated franchise page on your current website that goes over all the highlights and finer points of becoming an owner in your organization, and use your social media channels to promote new opportunities and projected locations.     
•  Industry Events and Trade Shows: Seek out annual industry events, conferences and trade shows in your target markets to attend. These events are dedicated to promoting the most exciting local and national franchise brands, so they’re an ideal way to find prospects looking for the right opportunity. Try to participate in speaking events and discussion panels to boost your franchise’s visibility.

Build Enduring Relationships with Current Owners 

Once you’ve found the right franchisees, you need to know how to keep them happy and invested in the brand. After all, the franchisor/franchisee relationship is symbiotic; if they’re happy and doing well, so are you and vice versa. 

Here’s some advice on how to keep your current owners content and connected.

• Regular Facetime: Giving more personal interaction with franchisees will create a deeper relationship with them, bolster trust and respect, and give you a better understanding of how they run their branch. When your “zees” believe they are valued members of your network, they are more likely to come to you with questions, concerns and suggestions to improve the franchise. Set up regular check-ins with owners, and listen to their ideas, input and concerns. 
• Create a Great Training Program: Employees of a franchise brand and franchisees have one very compelling truth in common: both cite a weak onboarding and training program as the primary reason for failure and why they left for greener pastures. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that the best candidates will be able to figure out how to succeed with your brand on their own — even with experienced franchise owners. Make sure you have a robust initial training program, and then implement ongoing training sessions to keep your owners up-to-date and connected to your organization.
• Keep Communicating:  Franchisees need to feel they can share their concerns and make themselves heard if they’re going to be a long-term success story with your brand. Make sure you have a platform available where they can offer ideas and give feedback on a regular basis. Let them know that their insights are considered valuable. 

If you’re going to attract the best candidates, you need to have a full grasp on what they are looking for in a brand, and how they determine which franchise is the right fit for their skills, money and time. Once you’ve mastered that and where to find them, keeping them happy and productive with robust training, development and communication tools will create a sustainable recipe for franchisee success.