1851

There are several silver bullets to franchise sales &ndash; but each must be fired together to accelerate your growth.

A great brand is vital, obviously, as is your development website (<a href="https://franchisedevelopmentawards.1851franchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=the-biggest-mistakes-franchisors-make-with-validation-2704140" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">read more about franchise development websites here</a>). Above both of those, and ultimately the most important piece of a candidate&rsquo;s decision-making process, is validation.

Recently, as I find myself doing often, I was talking with 1851&rsquo;s Chief Development Strategist Sean Fitzgerald about validation and its importance. We agreed that unfortunately, franchisors typically don&rsquo;t evaluate validation the same way they evaluate franchise sales budgets &ndash; but they should. Here&rsquo;s our take on the five biggest mistakes franchisors make with validation, and consequently, franchise sales:

<ol>
	<li>Franchisors think their system&rsquo;s validation is much better than it actually is. In franchise due diligence, candidates will rarely rat out your franchisees as bad validators. Rather, they will fall out of the sales process quietly or without a great reason. If candidates are dropping out around the time of validation, there may be another reason &ndash; your franchisees. Make sure you are doing regular temperature checks with your current system to better understand their challenges and concerns so that you can proactively address them in the sales process. Being proactive allows you to prepare an alternative view to that of what your franchisees may present.</li>
	<li>Some current franchisees wait until validation to complain. They feel that the candidates are the only ones who will listen to them and gladly take their shoulder so they can pour out their problems. Don&rsquo;t assume franchisees are not complaining. A small complaint of a franchisee can still be a big complaint to a candidate.</li>
	<li>A tepid franchisee response is not good validation, either. If someone asks for advice when buying a car and turns to a friend who drives it and asks if they like it and that friend&rsquo;s response is, &ldquo;Well, it gets me where I want to go,&rdquo; the lack of enthusiasm won&rsquo;t motivate that person to buy. If the friend says, &ldquo;The car is so awesome,&rdquo; then, that person will be more motivated to buy. A lack of excitement from your franchisees can harm your system. Keep them excited.</li>
	<li>Franchisors don&rsquo;t see validation as a temperature check on the likelihood of current franchisees expanding within their system, but they should. If your franchisees aren&rsquo;t growing, they are not helping to sell candidates. Together, this can create a stall.</li>
	<li>When performing due diligence, candidates won&rsquo;t just talk with your best franchisees. They will also look to contact the closest franchise to the location they want to purchase. If you are trying to grow an area with bad franchisees, good luck. Bad validation in a market area makes it 10 times harder to sell in that area. Make sure you work on franchisee happiness within your key growth markets.</li>
</ol>

Validation is not something you can fix or Band-Aid overnight. This is why your entire organization&rsquo;s approach to franchisees is so vital to franchise development and growth. When trying to figure out your growth plan for next year, make sure you are putting effort toward validation so that it turns into a growth asset, not a deterrent.&nbsp;

The Biggest Mistakes Franchisors Make with Validation

1851 Franchise

Franchisors typically don’t evaluate validation the same way they evaluate franchise sales budgets – but they should.

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

the-biggest-mistakes-franchisors-make-with-validation

TruBlue Home Service Ally

TruBlue Franchisees Champion Fall Prevention To Keep Seniors Safe at Home

trublue-franchisees-champion-fall-prevention-to-keep-seniors-safe-at-home

Pet Wants

FOX Reno: Summer Pet Safety With Pet Wants of Sparks

fox-summer-pet-safety-with-pet-wants-sparks

Workout Anytime

Workout Anytime Teams Up with Viral Baseball Star Kyle “KJ” Jackson to Inspire Fitness Journeys Nationwide

workout-anytime-teams-up-with-viral-baseball-star-kyle-kj-jackson-to-inspire-fitness-journeys-nationwide

Sola Salons

1851 Franchise Deep Dive graphic with Sola Salons logo

Sola Salons Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

franchise-deep-dive-sola-salons-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

Paris Baguette Canada

image of paris baguette cake and franchise decorations

What Canadian Franchisees Want to Know: Paris Baguette Profit Potential and Franchisee Support

paris-baguette-franchise-canada-profit-support

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Power Eats: Smoothie King Rolls Out Food Nationwide To Fuel Franchise Growth

smoothie-king-food-menu-power-eats

Keurig Dr Pepper Splits in $18 Billion JDE Peet’s Deal, Creating Global Coffee Giant

keurig-dr-pepper-splits-in-18-billion-jde-peets-deal-creating-global-coffee-giant

McDonald’s Rolls Out Major Value Push To Win Back Customers Amid Inflation

mcdonalds-rolls-out-major-value-push-to-win-back-customers-amid-inflation

Photo of Paris Baguette pastries and beverages 

Paris Baguette Celebrates 250th Café Opening in Frederick, Maryland, Accelerating Expansion and Reviving the Neighborhood Bakery Café

paris-baguette-250th-north-america-cafe

Restaurant Chains Open Their Wallets To Jump-Start Franchise Growth - 1851 Franchise

Restaurant Chains Open Their Wallets To Jump-Start Franchise Growth

restaurant-franchise-incentives-cash-royalty-holidays-fee-reductions

1851 Keyword - The Secret To Succeeding With a Part-Time Franchise Is Picking the Right Model

The Secret To Succeeding With a Part-Time Franchise Is Picking the Right Model

part-time-franchises-picking-the-right-model

"Top 15 Health & Wellness Franchises" note against blue and purple background

Top 15 Health and Wellness Franchises Opportunities for 2025

top-health-and-wellness-franchises

Image of four people in a room. One, wearing an orange shirt, appears to be presenting to the others

Happinest Brands’ Comprehensive, Transparent Approach to Franchise Growth

happinest-brands-transparent-franchise-growth

Franchise Opportunities With High Success Rates - 1851 Franchise

Top Franchise Opportunities With High Success Rates

top-franchise-opportunities-with-high-success-rates

Hooters Leans Into Franchising With Closure of 30 Company-Owned Stores - Agg - 1851 Franchise

Hooters Leans Into Franchising With Closure of 30 Company-Owned Stores

hooters-franchise-model-company-owned-closures

graphic image of a franchisee spotligh aman kaur of voodoo brewing

How This Trio of Friends Is Brewing Up Community With Voodoo Brewing Co. in Prosper, Texas

voodoo-brewing-franchisee-aman-kaur-prosper-texas

Franchise Deep Dive graphic with i9 Sports logo

i9 Sports Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

i9-sports-franchise-cost-fees-profit

Hely and Hiral Patel Bring Their Longtime Dream to Life With The Brass Tap

brass-tap-franchise-pasadena-maryland-hely-hiral-patel

1851 Franchisee Spotlight graphic with photo of Dan Ellestad and Seniors Helping Seniors logo

How This Marine Veteran Went From Military Service to Senior Care and Found His Purpose in Franchising

seniors-helping-seniors-dan-ellestad

The Biggest Mistakes Franchisors Make with Validation

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS