By Heather Ripley
Home service companies are one of the most recession-proof businesses in the country, so it’s no wonder that potential franchisees are attracted to the industry.
Whether they are new to the HVAC, plumbing or electrical market, or are looking to convert their home service business into a franchise, as a franchisor, you need to catch their attention.
But, with the U.S. home service market projected to reach $156.29 billion by 2030, you are now competing with potentially hundreds of other home and property service franchises, specifically, and more than 3,000 unique franchised companies, generally, to gain the attention of new franchisees.
That means that you have to work harder to get and hold the attention of the qualified candidates you want to bring into your franchising fold. To do this, you need to promote your brand and be prepared to treat your Discovery Days like it’s your wedding day. After all, you will probably spend the rest of your professional life with the very people who will be attending this important event.
And that preparation has to include public relations. While most entrepreneurs understand the necessity of a marketing and advertising budget, few understand that it is PR that really helps them to develop a positive reputation and boost brand awareness.
Driving Prospective Franchisee Attendance
The success of your Discovery Days is directly tied to all the work you do leading up to it. In order to attract qualified candidates, you need more than just your marketing and advertising teams to sell your company and its benefits. It’s an effective public relations strategy that builds the brand awareness you need to attract these future franchisees.
You probably already have an avatar franchise owner in mind and know who you’re trying to attract. By working closely with a PR partner that understands both franchising and home service companies, you can make sure that your core values are put on display in front of the right audience.
If your company culture includes a commitment to community involvement, you want to attract entrepreneurs who share your vision of giving back. Or maybe you are ready to grow more quickly. In this case, a PR strategy that involves news releases about your growth and new location openings is the pitch that brings in qualified candidates.
Your unique story is what sets you apart from your competition. It’s also what attracts like-minded franchise owners to investigate your brand. And, while investment costs are certainly a major consideration for many entrepreneurs, most also want to invest in a company that shares their vision, culture and goals.
But, no matter what your objective is, it helps to have a plan to drive potential franchise owners to your company, and, ultimately, to your Discovery Days.
Preparing For Your Discovery Days
Successful home service franchises already have a blueprint for success. If you have developed the processes and built the infrastructure, you are already prepared to entertain potential franchise owners who want to be a part of your success.
But you still need to “wow” them during Discovery Days.
This is generally the first time you will be meeting your candidates in person. Don’t squander this opportunity by not being familiar with your attendees. Make sure you study their bios, financials and goals—and make sure your department heads do, too.
Many publications offer tips to franchisees about what to expect from their Discovery Days, but in competitive industries like home and property services, it’s also good that your corporate team be prepared to afford attendees every chance to get questions answered while they also get a feel for your franchise family.
No doubt some of the questions will include:
- What benefits do you offer your franchisees? Do you have a centralized marketing budget, and do you provide technology solutions to your franchisees?
- What are your national marketing plans, and how do you allocate marketing funds to individual franchisees?
- How long will it take to become profitable? Will you allow candidates to contact other franchisees to determine their profitability?
- What are your growth plans?
- What types of ongoing training and coaching do you provide?
- What makes you different from your competitors?
Be prepared to answer these questions, but also be willing to showcase your uniqueness. You need to demonstrate why yours is a great franchise opportunity and explain how your culture and vision match with their own.
The Big Day
Prior to the Discovery Day, you and the candidates have simply looked over one another’s backgrounds. They may have filled out an application, and you probably have provided a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
But, if the lead-up to Discovery Days is like a courtship and engagement party, then the day itself is like a wedding. It’s the critical moment when you both make the ultimate decision to enter into a franchise relationship.
Discovery Days are also a great time to leverage your relationship with a PR partner to help you make the sale. If you’ve been working with an agency, chances are you already know what your best stories are and how to tell them.
You can also rely on your use of a PR partner as a selling point for your future franchisees’ success. This could be as simple as letting your candidates know that your marketing plans include the PR strategy of providing a new opening release and a pitch to their local media. Since earned media is considered more trustworthy than paid advertising, this added boost to building their local brand awareness can make the critical difference in which franchise your candidates choose.
Most Discovery Days are standard and provide franchisees with the opportunity to learn the processes and meet with corporate department heads. But if you truly want to stand out from the thousands of other opportunities these candidates have, you need that extra “something.”
Public relations helps you bring that extra something that makes your franchising opportunity head and shoulders above the rest.
Heather Ripley is founder and CEO of Ripley PR, an elite, global public relations agency specializing in the franchising, skilled trades and B2B tech industries. Ripley PR has been listed by Entrepreneur Magazine as a Top Franchise PR Agency for six consecutive years and was recently named as one of Newsweek’s America’s Best Public Relations Agencies for 2024. Heather Ripley was recently named as a 2024 PRNews Top Women honoree in the business entrepreneur category. She is also the author of “NEXT LEVEL NOW: PR Secrets to Drive Explosive Growth for your Home Service Business,” which is now available on all audiobook platforms. For additional information, visit www.ripleypr.com.