What's the best approach for attracting franchisees to your brand?

The old, traditional way of pushing out a particular message to your target audience has worked for years – it’s comfortable for anyone who has spent more than a few years in the workplace.

But Millennials, as we hear so often, are different from the rest of us. They don’t want to be sold to. What they seek is a relationship before they consider parting with their cash.

So if you have more than one target demographic, you could be in a dilemma. Which is the way forward?

It isn’t easy to manage multiple messages and approaches with a small marketing and recruitment team. But media opinion suggests a multi-channel approach might work best.

Franchisors might find it useful to consider a variety of ways to share the value of their business with potential franchisees.

Some franchise buyers are clear cut: they have decided what sector and type of business they want to invest in, which brands they believe have potential, and want to get down to the crucial details as soon as possible.

Other franchise prospects might need some love and nurturing before they get anywhere near that clarity.

And that’s where a long perspective can make a difference. Franchisors can take advantage of the franchise buyer’s thirst for knowledge and desire to connect with a brand; they can position themselves as a valued advisor, offering useful and pertinent statistics on the sector; they can reveal the strengths of their brand through educational pieces and showcase their support team’s ability to appease the concerns of potential franchisees.

Yes there is always the challenge of meeting targets and ensuring ROI, and that’s why multiple approaches that overlap and reach possible franchise buyers through relevant connections can be a good solution to the recruitment problem.

If your potential franchisees are not engaged with your brand, there’s little chance they will respond to a hard sell. Passion, trust and a sense of identity contribute to a franchisee’s decision to invest in a brand.

Telling your story, your brand’s story, your franchisees’ stories to franchise buyers gives them the opportunity to relate to the circumstances, challenges and successes and inspire them to see themselves taking a similar path.

Connecting with a prospective franchisee can lead to a bright future.