How do you identify if a prospect isn't the right fit for AtWork, and how do you let them know?

We asked Jason Leverant, President, COO, from AtWork "How do you identify if a prospect isn't the right fit for your brand, and how do you let them know?"

AtWork has been in the franchise industry for more than 30 years. During that time, we’ve developed a pretty good sense of what works and what doesn’t in a prospective franchise owner. Since the temporary staffing industry isn’t as linear or structured as other franchise concepts, an owner’s fit can have a dramatic impact on their chances of success.

With that in mind, we have gone to great lengths to take a very objective approach to this process, using a scorecard system (think Topgrading for franchising). This scorecard system identifies the primary attributes that we know make or break a prospective candidate.

Early in the evaluation phase, our franchise development team uses the scorecard for each prospective owner, ensuring that they meet the core components required to be successful in our industry. We operate under a red-yellow-green system with greens approved to go through the process, reds declined, and yellows a “proceed with caution.” The goal is to take subjective opinions out of the process and trust our systems. Final approval to grant a franchise comes after discovery day, once the prospect has had an opportunity to prove themselves to the corporate team.

As a sales-minded guy, I always want to focus on the positive, thinking that everyone has an equal shot at success. But the reality is that not everyone is a fit for our franchise, and we have to let them know. Of course, it can always feel awkward to have to let someone know that they aren’t a fit for the brand when they are excited and really want to join your organization. People tend to take the news very personally, so you have to be tactful.

We’ve found that the most effective way to do this is a best practice in life: clear and transparent communication. We let any prospect know that, after 30-plus years of experience in the staffing industry, we have a strong understanding of who can be successful and who will experience challenges in our industry. If they don’t meet the test, it would be a disservice to allow them to join the franchise system and set them up for failure. It doesn’t mean that their skills and abilities don’t have value. They just don’t align with what makes a successful staffing business operator.

It’s also smart to do this early in the process before they have started really falling in love with the brand. The last thing you want to do is take someone through the entire validation process and then break up with them before, at, or after discovery day on something that could have been addressed early on.

There are times where you may add some value to candidates who are turned away by referring them to other franchise concepts where their skills, abilities, personality traits, and other factors are a better fit. This can be challenging because we don’t know the requirements of our fellow franchise brands. But, if possible, this provides a positive experience for the prospect.