Netsertive recently hosted its August 2024 Franchise Executive Roundtable, creating a dynamic space for marketing leaders and executives to connect, share insights, and collaborate on the most pressing topics in franchising today. The latest roundtable delved into two critical areas: Lead Generation Strategies/Tactics and Establishing Franchise Culture & Communication. These discussions provided valuable strategies and practical advice that can help franchisors and franchisees navigate current challenges and enhance their operations.

In this blog post, we’ll explore the key takeaways from each discussion, showcasing the expert advice and actionable strategies that emerged. Whether you’re aiming to improve your lead generation efforts or foster a strong franchise culture, the insights from this roundtable offer practical solutions to elevate your franchise operations.

Breakout Topic: Lead Generation Strategies/Tactics

Effective lead generation is crucial for franchise growth and sustainability. The discussion highlighted the importance of providing clear, actionable local marketing goals, holding franchisees accountable, and leveraging various tools and tactics to drive leads.

Top Takeaways:

1. Provide Clear Marketing Goals: Franchisees need specific, tractable local marketing goals instead of vague directives to ensure focused and effective efforts.
2. Accountability Measures: Holding franchisees accountable to each other regionally or by revenue can drive performance and consistency across the network.
3. Yard Signs: Yard signs are highly effective lead generators. Consider offering incentives to encourage their use.
4. Call Centers: Aim for a 60-80% closing rate in call centers. Internal call centers often perform better due to better alignment with brand values and processes.
5. New Location Development: For new locations, consider using consultants (costing around $30-35k) or organic PPC strategies, though the latter may be slower.
6. Google Ads: Given Google's monopoly power, it's essential to invest in paid search to remain competitive.

Breakout Topic: Establishing Franchise Culture & Communication

Building a strong franchise culture and maintaining effective communication are vital for long-term success. The discussion emphasized the importance of trust, open communication, and leveraging veteran franchisees to champion new initiatives.

Top Takeaways:

1. Trust-Based Culture: A culture built on trust, openness, and giving franchisees a voice is foundational. Transparent communication is key.
2. Captain Franchisees: Use veteran "captain" franchisees as champions and mentors for new initiatives to drive engagement and adoption.
3. Incentives and Competition: Leveraging incentives, friendly competition, and even "bribery" can drive adoption of new practices and tools.
4. AI and Centralized Communication Hubs: AI assistants and centralized communication hubs can streamline access to information and enhance self-service capabilities.
5. Dedicated Communication Managers: Having dedicated communication managers to gather and disseminate information via newsletters, forms, etc., can improve engagement and alignment.
6. Measure and Optimize: Regularly measure engagement metrics and gather franchisee feedback to continually optimize communication strategies.

Conclusion

Navigating lead generation and establishing a strong franchise culture are essential aspects of franchising. The insights shared during the August Franchise Executive Roundtable offer practical solutions and strategies to enhance these areas. By focusing on clear goals, accountability, and leveraging technology and experienced franchisees, franchisors can drive better results and foster a more cohesive, engaged network.

If you need further insights or want to discuss digital marketing strategies, feel free to reach out to us at Netsertive. We’re here to help you achieve your franchise goals and drive success.