How To Sell Just One Franchise: What You’ll Learn at FranCamp NJ 2025

If you had to sell just one more franchise, what would your strategy be? That’s the question at the heart of FranCamp NJ. In a recent podcast with Mainland*’s Chief Growth Officer Nick Powills and Internicola Law Firm Founding Partner Charles Internicola, the duo outline what attendees can expect from the June 2-3 event in Red Bank, New Jersey — and why the agenda is designed to help brands shift from chaos to clarity in their sales efforts.

“If you had to get just one client, how would you go about doing it?” Powills asked. “That’s the foundation of everything we’ll cover at this FranCamp.”

The event — part workshop and part bootcamp — is tailored for both emerging and established franchisors who want to take a focused look at their franchise sales strategy. The hosts emphasize tactical work, not just inspiration. Attendees will be grouped by table captains and guided through a collaborative workbook built around what Internicola calls the brand’s vitals — sales KPIs, positioning, lead funnel performance and messaging.

“One of the biggest gaps we see, regardless of the size of the franchise system, is in the sales process,” Internicola said. “It starts with brand positioning and making sure your KPIs are driving the right behaviors and decisions.”

The two-day event includes an opening night networking reception, followed by a full day of workshops, keynotes and peer collaboration. Special sessions include a keynote from Melting Pot’s Bob Johnston on the realities of brand growth, a panel on “what I would have done differently,” a tech stack strategy discussion and a live franchisee pitching challenge designed to simulate buyer objections.

“We want you to walk out of here with a game plan,” Powills said. “It’s about accelerating your next sale by identifying what’s working, what’s not and how to move forward with clarity.”

Beyond strategy, the conversation dove into how culture is often the missing link in franchise marketing. Powills compared ineffective digital lead funnels to lackluster dating profiles — no matter how good the business is, brands must find ways to show their human side.

A transcript of Internicolas’ and Powills’ podcast has been provided below. It has been edited for brevity, clarity and style.

Nick Powills: Let’s go into it. FranCamp New Jersey is coming up. What is it, June 2 to 3? Let’s talk about the agenda. Anyone watching, feel free to add comments or questions. We’ll address them. Charles, want to preview Tuesday?

Charles Internicola: Tuesday is the brand camp session: Selling Your Next Franchise. We’re going to collaborate and help each franchisor build their own guide — a pathway on how to energize your franchise sales process. The session starts with the brand vitals check-in, assessing franchise sales KPIs. From there, we’ll reinforce the franchise sales process.

Powills: If you've been paying attention to your emails, you got this [shows workbook]. Everyone should have access to this and make a copy. Whether you're a franchisor or supplier, fill this out. Suppliers can fill it out with the mentality of, "How do I get my next customer?" That’s part of the discussion in the roundtables. This is designed so you have all your numbers going into the meeting, making the breakouts productive.

Internicola: The key with brand vitals — one of the biggest gaps, no matter the system size, is in the franchise sales process. Starting with the fundamentals — brand positioning and KPIs — we’ll build momentum. The workbook is structured for collaboration and hard work. It’s a boot camp. The goal is to leave FranCamp with a game plan and elevate the franchise sales process.

Powills: The goal is to focus on: If you had to sell just one franchise, how would you go about doing it? That’s how we’re structuring the agenda.

We start with breakfast from 7 to 8 a.m. — I’ll send a reminder. Then we go through the workbook and the whole process of selling your next franchise. It’ll be a two-and-a-half-hour workshop. You’ll be assigned to a captain. Some of you have failed in the past at sitting at the right tables, so this year we’re putting tags on your name cards.

Internicola: It’s all positive. It’s a social event.

Powills: Of course. Then you tell me, "Nick, make them sit at the table," and afterward you say, "Let them do whatever they want."

Our feature speaker is Bob Johnston from Melting Pot. He’ll talk about his journey — the good, the bad and the ugly. It’s an interactive Q&A session. He’s gone through every storm in franchising.

Then we shift tables for the second half of the day. You’ll leave your group and meet new people. We have a few panels based on what you’ve asked for in the past. One is “What I Would Have Done Differently” in growing the business. Doug, Dave and Sean will talk about the positives and negatives of franchise sales.

After a break, we’ll do a panel on setting up your tech stack — how to put the right systems in place. Sean, Marina and Scott will lead that one. Then we take another break from 3:15 to 3:30.

Next up is “The Franchisor Burning Question.” A few brands will present their Why You, Why Now pitches. We’ll pick the best one. It’s like a live firing squad. We’ll challenge them — the audience plays the franchise buyer and pushes them through breakthrough moments.

Internicola: The point is to accelerate the process. Behind all these discussions, we’re talking franchise sales goals, budgets, franchisee personas, development websites, PR, content generation. Complete collaboration. Brands will present, and we’ll accelerate the process and action items when everyone leaves.

Powills: We have a bit of a break. Anyone can go over to Charles’ office. 

Internicola: We’re right in town by the hotel. We have a brand-new bocce court. So, cocktails, bocce — a mini-event before dinner.

Powills: Wednesday breakfast, we’re doing another speed networking group so everyone can get to know each other and build relationships.

Here’s the beauty of it — it doesn’t seem like anyone wants to learn anything. We just all want to hang out and drink and have fun. But you know, we’re trying to give you some pathways to excellence as well.

Internicola: So, Nick, when we’re having conversations in Q1 and Q2 — some brands had a great Q1 but feel like Q2 slowed down. Even substantial brands are now looking for new pathways for growth.

The workbook is detailed and intensive, and it’s going to be part of your FranCamp experience — both at this conference and in future ones. We’re going through every fundamental of a franchise brand. And for those who aren’t coming or are watching this later, if you’re an emerging brand, there’s no reason you can’t compete with FSOs and more established systems if you do your homework and get your messaging right.

You know what my one big takeaway is that I’m looking forward to in the workbook?

Powills: What’s that?

Internicola: Aligning brand and marketing. It’s actually where I was at when I said that. A lot of brands have inconsistencies — between what they say in private conversations about their value and what you actually see on their website, or in media, or throughout the franchise sales process. That comes up way more often than it should.

Powills: I’ll add to that. Here's something I’ve been thinking about. I used this example multiple times today. It might sound dumb, but if you listen, it’ll make sense.

When we think about franchise marketing and how to get someone into the funnel, you’ve got to understand the predictable steps: awareness of your opportunity, awareness of franchising, research, then a lead, then an engaged lead, and finally, a deal.

And the disconnect between how brands position their opportunity and how buyers actually buy? That’s where we’ve got to focus.

In 2021, we asked our PR clients to map the candidate journey. One question was, “What pushes you over the edge in the final stages?” The answers were culture and business model.

Charles, you and I interviewed a franchisee with Footprints Floors during COVID. He was a restaurant GM. He went to a discovery day for a restaurant brand and was so turned off by the culture, he left the restaurant industry and bought a Footprints Floors instead.

So here's my example — it’s about online dating.

When I was single, I had a profile and a few photos. I was a big boy back then, and photos weren’t going to help me. My success rate was low online — just a picture and a few words. But in person? My success rate was way higher because I could show my personality. That intangible — culture — that’s what made the difference.

Franchising is the same way.

If I think about it, the reason franchise expos actually worked back in the day is because you could meet someone face-to-face. You might even go have dinner, drinks, or coffee after. That allowed you to showcase the culture — the human side behind the business.

So I’m saying all this because whether you’re a franchisor or a supplier, you need to think about your franchise dating profile. What is it saying about you? If your website only pushes the business opportunity, that might be good, and you might be proud of it, but if your brand isn’t a unicorn, you need to rotate in the culture.

And honestly, I think [Preservan’s] Ty [McBride] does a fantastic job of this. His drumbeat around his brand is all about culture — not just about repairing or restoring wood. He puts out content that shows who he is as a leader. So when a candidate comes in, they already feel like they know him — and then they look at the business opportunity.

And Charles, you’re the same way. Nine out of ten times, when you tell me about a new brand talking to your law firm, you say, "They told me they’ve watched all of our videos." That’s because they were able to understand your culture before even talking to you.

Internicola: Exactly. And I think what becomes a unicorn isn’t necessarily the business itself — it’s the genuine voice. That’s what we’re trying to get to at FranCamp. Peel away the unnecessary stuff and get to the real, compelling brand story that connects your management team to the opportunity you’re offering.

I think everyone wants to get there. And not just for this event, but in general. With all the changes happening with SEO, AI search, and the way people find franchise opportunities — things are shifting.

It used to be, you’d go to an aggregator site to find “Top 10 Franchises.” Now, you might type in "burger franchise" and get AI-generated lists. PR now influences those AI responses, so it’s all interconnected. There’s a real opportunity to lean into being genuine.

And let’s give Dan [Feltman] credit — his LinkedIn posts for The Garage Floor Company are great. The only thing I’d say is, I’d love for them to focus a bit more on the opportunity side of the business. But what Dan’s posting is a reflection of who he is and what his team’s about.

And I’m genuine about this — if someone’s on the team, I’m ready to go to battle with them.

Powills: So for Chicago — get your registrations in soon. We’re going to have limited spots. New Jersey filled up fast. Luckily, we were able to get a larger space for this one.

And just a reminder — Charles and I put a ton of time and effort into these events to make them great. We’re grateful to all of you who help lead tables, to our sponsors and to everyone who comes with the intention of building real, lifelong connections.

Internicola: Absolutely. If you need anything, reach out. Red Bank, New Jersey is a great town — nice hotel, tons of restaurants, and our team is nearby if you need anything.

Reflecting on past FranCamps — the first day is long, but the momentum that follows is always worth it.

Powills: Alright, we’ll see you guys in a week. Get your brand vitals ready — that’s all we ask. Don’t overthink it. Just come ready for a great discussion.

Internicola: Looking forward to it. See you soon.

Watch the full podcast here.

Growing and selling franchises is difficult. No great franchise did it alone. Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisors grow their franchises with confidence? Visit www.1851growthclub.com and see what we can do for you.