Pack & Send is on a mission to boost franchise partner skills, enabling these business owners to maximise their sales potential.
Crucial to this is an integrated support package that draws on expert, professional cross-disciplinary teams and streamlined IT resources.
Raj Chandiok leads the network sales and operations team, and connects with internal divisions of Pack & Send to provide this package of support for franchise partners.
The team of field managers in Australia and New Zealand support and coach franchise partners to achieve profitable, sustainable business growth.
The starting point is to create structured business plans for individual franchise partners. Each plan includes the vision, goals, and strategies for every area of business across sales, marketing, local area marketing, people and culture, business policies and business growth.
“We hold them accountable to implement their plan on time with the rigour required,” Raj says.
Raj points to a key shift towards business building and sales that adds to the brand’s foundational pillars of organisational support, learning, marketing and lead generation, and customer service.
Sales fundamentals course helps franchise partner upskill
Franchise partners undertake a basic level B2B sales course and can upskill with advanced selling techniques.
One hundred franchise partners have participated in the initial two-day course which focuses on sales fundamentals and winning customers.
“Once franchise partners complete the course we spend several months helping them implement the learnings with real customers,” he says.
The advanced selling skills program delivers insights on how to sell in more complex sales environments. An intensive three-month implementation follow-up ensures franchise partners are winning the opportunities and increasing their portfolio of customers.
In order to provide first class support, the national sales and operations (NSO) team has also undergone training and skill development.
“We’ve transformed the team, and freed up our managers to be really good sales and operations coaches,” Raj says.
New CRM is being rolled out
Pack & Send’s focus on technology resources to deliver appropriate support for franchise partners includes a customised customer relationship management (CRM) system, SalesSpeak.
The company is mid-way through implementing this network-wide rollout.
The system captures all sales and marketing touchpoints with customers and enables franchise partners to acquire new and retain existing customers.
A key feature is the categorisation of business customers into four tiers: key accounts, medium accounts, micro and small accounts, and infrequent customers.
“There are very clear strategies for all categories,” explains Raj. “In our key accounts, 80 per cent of the focus is on customer retention and maximisation. For example, we can work with a client’s IT team and engage with their CMO to capture all the year’s events so we can plan and provide shipping solutions to suit.
“SalesSpeak helps up implement key account management through its automated processes,” he adds. “For instance, how do we proactively handle a key account if its revenue is dropping? SalesSpeak allows us to build a solid wall around key accounts to protect from competitors.”
Four ways Pack & Send supports franchise partners
SalesSpeak is one of four enablers for franchise partners. A new website launched last year, positions the brand to business customers. A time-saving contracts platform enables franchise partners to build their own proposals to customers with customised rate cards attached.
“Franchise partners can produce professional proposals in minutes instead of hours,” Raj says.
The final element is a new range of customisable B2B sales packs and presentations with marketing material for different target markets.
Pack & Send is also introducing a sales accelerator program for new franchise partners, led by the learning and development manager.
Team members from finance, marketing, technology and network sales and operations work collaboratively to coach, support and enable new franchise partners to build solid foundations and achieve their business growth plans in the first 18 months and beyond.
Pack & Send’s programs help accelerate business
“When they join they receive structured sales techniques and learnings and coaching on operational excellence,” Raj explains.
For instance, franchise partners learn how to pack regular items their clients want shipped but also how to safely package the more delicate items like a painting or a model ship, and outsize machinery like an engine.
“There is a clear focus on helping them quickly learn about packing, selecting the right carrier and service for the job. They can utilise StoreConnect, our network of franchises to achieve the customer’s goal, sending packages to another Pack & Send franchise near the destination to manage the last mile delivery.”
While NSO is on the frontline with franchise partners, head office works as a team to ensure franchise partners have all the financial metrics and training they need to get started.
“The divisions all come together with an intensive focus to build franchise partners and get them to break even quickly,” Raj says.
NSO managers are side-by-side with franchise partners for their first week in business. Then they spend two days a week, gradually reducing their time while providing lots of support and coaching to accelerate their growth.
“My role is to lead the team and liaise with key strategic partners – all the big carriers – so we can build good relationships and get the best conditions and rates. We work together to collectively grow our businesses,” Raj says.
“Pack & Send has a sterling record of operational excellence and we are maintaining that. There are always areas to improve and we ensure our focus is on helping franchise partners build very strong businesses and achieve goals over 18 months, and beyond. It’s all about business growth.”