5 Tips for Successful Franchise Recruitment

In recent years, franchisors have seen a downturn in interest from franchisees. Whether the global economy, the COVID-19 pandemic, or a move towards more independent businesses, the reduction in interest is harming franchisors around the country.

Though the cause of this declining interest may spike your curiosity, we recommend instead focusing your energy on counteracting it. To do this, you’re going to need to reinvigorate your franchise recruitment strategy to ensure that you’re making the right connections and cultivating a serious interest in your franchise.

Below are our 5 top tips for successful franchise recruitment that you can employ now to attract more franchisees to your brand.

1. Approach the Right People

Many franchises are using what is known as a ‘franchisee avatar’ to help guide them toward the right candidates for franchising. The franchisee avatar is essentially a guide that recruiters can use to find the exact candidate that a franchisor wants. It should include all aspects of the desired candidate to make it as easy as possible for recruiters.

Approaching the right people is, firstly, a great way to make a deal more likely. If you’re approaching people who are already looking for franchising opportunities and would fit in with your business ethos, then you have more chance of convincing them to join you.

Additionally, if you’ve recruited the right person, they’re more likely to work well within the brand and stay on long term. Recruitment should not end when the deal is agreed and all franchisors should be working to keep franchisees happy as well as meeting their own aims. A happy franchisee is much less likely to jump ship!

A Note on the Franchisee Avatar

Building a profile of the perfect franchisee may sound difficult, but it’s simple once you begin asking yourself the right questions. These could include the following.

• Are they passionate about your industry? - When you look for new franchisees, it’s important to look at how passionate potential franchisees are about the industry your business is in and the franchise you have set up within it. Passion is a good driving force for making people work harder, so you want a passionate franchisee!
• Do they have the financial means and business acumen to become a franchisee? - There are fees that come with becoming a franchisee, so you need to find franchisees that have the financial means to do so. You always need people who have experience in business so that they’re not totally overwhelmed when they start out.
• Is your franchise going to be a good fit for them? - This one is key. Franchises are like big families, and contracts can last for a very long time. As such, you need to be certain that they’re going to fit in well. Franchisees with a strong interest in your franchise and those who have been working within the same industry are good choices–though you shouldn’t totally rule out newbies either!
• Are they going to meet your standards? - No one can see the future, but you can gauge whether a potential franchisee is going to keep your high standards by looking at their past experience and track record within other businesses.

2. Encourage Referrals From Current Franchisees

Your current franchisees are your best marketing tools. They can show potential franchisees exactly what they can gain from coming on board and, if they’re happy in their position, they’re more likely to be able to persuade potential franchisees too.

Referrals by other franchisees have a tremendous impact on recruitment numbers. Many franchises have found new franchisees through this kind of referral, and it could even be a good idea to incentivize your current franchisees.

3. Look After Your Current Franchisees

While referrals from current franchisees are all good and well, it is important to keep your current franchisees happy, otherwise, they’re not going to want to make any referrals!

Looking after your franchisees isn’t just about checking in now and then, it’s about good communication, thorough training, and recognition of their hard work. Satisfied franchisees are going to work harder, have more brand loyalty, and bring in more money.

Franchisee satisfaction is also a measurable statistic that you can use to recruit more franchisees. Everyone wants to be happy in their work, so if you can prove to a potential franchisee that they will be, persuading them to join will be just that bit easier.

4. Change Your Recruitment Mindset

Oftentimes, recruiters are too sales-y in their approach to recruitment, but finding new franchisees is about finding someone you can take under your wing and nurture. In more successful talks with potential franchisees, recruiters are understanding of their goals and ask very specific questions to show they are listening to what the franchisee wants.

This coach-like mindset is a great way to get to know your potential franchisee on a deeper level and will make them more open to trusting you. Any good franchisee candidate will already have taken a look at your website and gotten to know your business before meeting with your franchising executive. This means that any marketing or sales pitching to them is a little pointless.

These recruitment meetings are about the potential franchisee and not the franchise itself. Take the time during them to work out if this candidate would be a good fit for you.

5. Invest in Your Marketing Strategy

Lastly, to ensure that your recruitment execs aren’t too sales-y, make your digital marketing helpful and detailed. This way, potential franchisees will be able to learn all they can about your franchise before they meet with you. It gives them a chance to work out if they want to work with you and if they’d be a good fit for the brand.

One of the best marketing techniques you can use, and should be investing in, is your franchise website. Unlike many other kinds of marketing content, a website is up 24 hours a day, promoting the benefits of working with you as a franchisee. 

We would recommend making sure that your website includes positive stats about your industry, what makes your franchise better than the rest, reports on franchisee satisfaction, and why becoming a franchisee is a great financial investment.

You should also have an area for frequently asked questions to help limit the amount of time recruiters spend answering the same questions and to consolidate all this information in one place.

Another reason a website is such a good idea is that you can actually track how efficient it is for recruitment. Using analytics, you can keep track of how many page visits lead to someone reaching out as well as which areas people are most interested in.

On top of the website, we would recommend marketing directly to your franchisee avatar niche. You could use professional social media sites, like LinkedIn, to target marketing in their direction, along with recruitment drives and campaigns.

A Note on the Franchisee Recruitment Journey

Something to note about the franchisee recruitment process is that it is not a sale. Many franchisors make the mistake of going into potential franchisee meetings, closing the deal, and then walking away, like you would when buying a house. However, it is a much more lucrative approach to see this as the beginning of a business relationship.

While there is an element of sales and marketing within the recruitment process–after all, you need to prove to people that you’re a good investment–you should always work to build a healthy relationship with each new franchisee to encourage a lasting and fruitful relationship.

Final Thoughts

A good recruitment strategy is the only way that you can keep growing as a franchise. Even with a downturn in interest in franchising, following our top tips can help you to reach new franchisees and expand as a business.

If you’re looking for a place to meet new potential franchisees, then Eden Exchange is the perfect place for you. With a network of active buyers, recruiters, franchisors, and sellers, there’s no place better to advertise your franchise and connect with people who fit your brand. Get in touch today to find out more about how Eden Exchange could help you out.