Franchise Marketing Materials That Work
By: Susan E.
Wells
How do you let prospective franchisees know how great your
franchise system is and why they should buy a
franchise? Although some franchisees come to you at
your company-owned stores and beg you to let them operate a
business like yours, you can't rely upon that to develop your
franchise system. You must market your franchise system and
let prospective franchisees know you're out there and communicate
why you're the right investment for them. There are a
multitude of ways to do that, including franchise brokers and
internet websites. Whichever way you elect to market, you'll
ultimately have to communicate in writing to prospective
franchisees what your franchise system is about through franchise
marketing collateral material.
Unlike your Franchise Disclosure Document, your marketing
material is a sales tool - your key sales tool in the first stage
of marketing a franchise from a distance.[1] Therefore,
your marketing material must communicate effectively, must be
directed to your target audience and must be professional,
attractive and enticing.
Your marketing material must clearly and concisely communicate
the key information with respect to your franchise system:
What is the brand name of the franchise system? What business
will the franchisee be conducting? What values does the
franchise system stand for? How is your franchise special or
unique? (What is your secret sauce?) Why should the
prospective franchisee buy your franchise? (How are you
better than the other alternatives for his investment
dollars?) How can the prospective franchisee reach you?
What is the prospective franchisee's next step if he likes what he
sees?
Who is your target audience? Or, better stated, who are
your target audiences? If your target audiences are both
downsized corporate executives and veterans of the armed forces,
some of your marketing material should be targeted to downsized
corporate executives and address how your franchise fits their
unique needs and capitalize upon their unique experience;
similarly, some of your marketing material should be targeted to
veterans of the armed forces and address how your franchise fits
their unique needs and capitalizes upon their unique
experience. Also, in what formats should your marketing
material be produced? If one of your target audiences
communicates primarily electronically, you should make sure that
your marketing material is available in that format. Most
importantly, it should be focused on their needs and perspectives,
not yours. Your focus should be: "What are they looking to
buy?" not "What am I looking to sell?"
In addition to the substance of your communication, it is
important to communicate the image that you want to convey and have
it appealing to prospective franchisees. They are faced with
several opportunities. Your marketing materials must give a
good, professional first impression and be memorable. If you
cut corners on your marketing material, prospective franchisees
might infer that you cut corners in your franchise system
operations and your compliance with your obligations under the
Franchise Agreement. If you make outrageous, unsubstantiated
claims, prospective franchisees might assume that they are too good
to be true (in addition, they could be the basis for franchisees'
lawsuits against you based upon misrepresentation).
If you put your best foot forward with substantive, well
thought-out, attractive and enticing marketing material, you will
communicate a professional, successful image. Prospective
franchisees will also know that you take pride in your business,
have integrity and will do what needs to be done to help them
succeed.
[1] Note that certain federal and
state franchise laws and regulations prohibit the disclosure of
financial performance representations (also known as earnings
claims) unless they are contained in your Franchise Disclosure
Document and certain other requirements have been satisfied.
In addition, those laws and regulations require that franchise
marketing collateral material contain certain information and
disclosures.
3200 North Central Avenue
. Phoenix . Arizona