With 25 years of experience as a franchisor, we’ve learnt a thing or two about the best strategies for our franchisees to win business. Learn how we help not only expand their customer base but also how to nurture and maintain such important relationships.
A common question which is often raised during discovery meetings is ‘how do we help franchisees win business?’ and just as importantly, ‘how do franchisees keep the agents they onboard’? This is in essence one of the main advantages of joining a franchise network. Each franchisor will offer differing levels of support to achieve this depending on the franchisor’s business model.
How Countrywide Signs Helps Franchisees Win New Agents
For Countrywide Signs, the business model concentrates on the local business opportunities within the territory area where the franchisee operates. With independent agents, franchisees can determine their own pricing structure and profit margins. Countrywide Signs moved away from the traditional approach of focusing more on national accounts into a business model to concentrate on franchisees being more in charge of their own destiny. All while having the backing of a well-respected and established brand. Read more about national accounts.
Franchisees are after all independent business owners who deserve the right to choose who to work for and what prices to charge the majority of their customer base. Ideally national accounts should make up no more than 10-12% of a franchisees turnover to ensure a sustainable business model, this ensures that they do not rely on the turnover from clients they have no control over.
So, how do we help our franchisees win local clients and keep them?
Here’s how…
- Every successful business starts with a business plan. We help develop a plan with your own objectives in mind.
- A business plan on its own isn’t enough. It needs to be followed. We’ll help you keep on track by monitoring your progress, setting KPIs and providing guidance along the way.
- Never done marketing? No problem. Our marketing team will help you target your prospects. You’ll be set up with marketing platforms such as Facebook and Google Business for you to build brand awareness in your local area. The marketing team will run tailor made marketing campaigns on your behalf helping you determine a streamlined list of prospects to target.
- With your identified list, it’s all about building relationships. If you’ve never done sales, there’s no hard sell needed. You’ll be helped with the sales process and provided with a structure for how to sell face to face, via email and by telephone.
- As you start to onboard agents how do you maintain the momentum? This is a simple one. Do a great job. Be professional. Focus on quality. The estate agency and lettings world is a close-knit community. You’ll soon have those customers singing your praises and the referrals will come.
- The recommendations will happen but there is no room for complacency. You’ll need to keep building and maintaining those relationships locally, while the marketing department continues to build brand awareness for yourself in the local area.
- Our business development support includes six monthly reviews with the franchisee. Everyone needs a little help at some point. These reviews help bring a new perspective and fresh eyes to address any concerns.
We look for ambition, business understanding and sales experience. These are the true traits of any successful business owner. The ability to erect signs can always be taught but the will to succeed in business is a very different matter.
Becoming a franchisee should never be about expecting to have a ready-made business. It’s about having a tried and tested business model operating under an established brand to help springboard into a business determined by your own achievements.
After 25 years as property signage installers, we’ve learnt a thing or two about the sector in which we operate. What works and what doesn’t. But most importantly always with our franchisees at the forefront.
To find out more about how to win business as Countrywide Signs franchisee, please schedule a call with Adam, our Business Development and Recruitment Manager or get in touch via our contact form.