Recharge your franchise recruitment

In times of economic uncertainty, franchise brands have to embrace change in order to continue to grow, writes Coconut Creatives’ Adam Lovelock.

"We are moving into an age where technology will allow consumers to research purchasing decisions even more"

The franchise recruitment landscape is ever evolving, and recent years have certainly thrown up many challenges for franchisors in the UK.

A mix of Brexit uncertainty and record rates of employment is perhaps the most 'imperfect storm' for franchise recruitment. While there is still plenty of interest in franchising in general, turning interest into franchisees has been tough for the majority of franchisors.

As Google Partners, running numerous campaigns for franchise recruitment, we see first-hand the level of franchise-related searches in the UK. These have slowly dwindled ever since the referendum in 2016, even wiping out the typical January and September spikes in traffic we used to see.

We have to assume anyone buying a franchise will turn to Google numerous times to help research their decision. So, I firmly believe the lack of traffic is a good benchmark of the landscape. I am sure, however, that once the uncertainty clears. we will see an almost instant spike of interest in franchising.

But, importantly, people are still buying franchises, despite the volume of interest being lower than previous years. The conditions may be harder. but brands that embrace change and evolve their strategy around franchise recruitment can overcome any short-term environmental issues.

Seek to educate rather than promote

One of the four Ps of marketing is 'promotion. But this feels outdated in the modern world. Truly cutting-edge brands understand that educating their audience is far more valuable than simple promotion. And this couldn't be truer in franchise recruitment marketing.

Buying a franchise is a huge decision, and one that will be researched thoroughly. If you can play a part in educating potential candidates, you build trust and stronger relationships in your recruitment process. This could be in the form of an eBook about the benefits of franchising, a video of what to consider when choosing a franchise, or an educational webinar about your opportunity.

Just think, if someone compares you with another franchise, and you provide valuable information to them about franchising, whereas the competitor simply tries to sell their opportunity. who, out of the two brands, is more likely to build the better relationship?

Embrace new technology

It's astonishing to think just over 10 years ago it wouldn't have been possible to run social media adverts to attract franchise leads. So where could technology be in the next 1o years and how could it change franchise recruitment?

My personal view is that we are moving into an age where technology will allow consumers to research purchasing decisions even more, without the need to be in contact with a business. Without knowing it, we already trust the research we do ourselves on Google over what we think a business will provide us if we enter a sales process. This is driving technology to help businesses market themselves even better. without direct communication with consumers.

Artificial intelligence is starting to show itself in our daily lives more and more. I think chatbots will learn to communicate for us and will become hugely valuable. Imagine you have a full-time. 24/7 team member who will instantly reply to you. It learns from every communication and can continue communications with your prospects on whatever medium they are most comfortable with. Prospects will begin to rely on chatbots as a useful tool in their education process, allowing them to gain valuable information without the need to speak to you and, in their mind, 'enter a sales process’.

Also, no business can ignore the potential that virtual reality (VR) has to change how we will do business. Although in the very early stages. the level of investment big tech companies are putting in to VR means it's only a matter of time before we all have one of those strange headsets in our house. If you have ever tried VR, you will appreciate how fully immersive the experience is and how it can take internet-based videos to a whole new level. There are numerous ways VR could be used in franchise recruitment. I am certain that brands will have VR discovery days and, if your business has a store front for example, imagine someone being able to walk around their potential business from the comfort of their lounge after only just finding you online.

People are people and relationships count

While the two aforementioned points may feel like a movement away from human interaction. I couldn't be more of a believer that, ultimately, the best franchise brands still understand one key principle: people invest in people. The relationships you build will be the decider.

While educating prospects and new technology will be important, and may mean leads come into your recruitment process later, the deciding factor will be the relationship you build with your prospects. The most successful brands we work with are the ones who have an amazing team, focused on building trust with candidates and investing the time to truly understand their needs, desires and concerns. I hope and believe no amount of new technology can ever take away from the importance of human interaction.

Without a doubt, franchise brands that embrace change, in the ever-changing franchise recruitment environment, gain the best results.

Although we may be experiencing a tougher climate, if you can adapt and succeed now, just imagine the success you will experience when we move into a more booming period for franchising.