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This is the second of three parts about how to maximize the effectiveness of your Discovery Day. To see or review part one (Fundamentals) in last month's Franchise Update Sales Report, click here.
When your candidates arrive at Discovery Day, naturally you'll start with a warm welcome. Explain the purpose, process, and activities for the day to ensure everyone is "aligned" in the right direction. This provides further clarity for your Discovery Day guests and eliminates any potential confusion that may occur during the event.
Here's one approach to setting the stage: when a group attends, ask each candidate to make a brief personal introduction including their business background, how they found out about your opportunity, and why they are so interested in your franchise. This familiarizes everyone with their peers, validates the desirability of your concept, and accelerates the bonding process among the group. It also gives you an early read into their mindsets and interest levels. Next, review the scheduled events and tell them who they will meet. Wrap up this orientation by reaffirming expectations for their visit:
"Put your best foot forward. Express yourself, ask questions, show your personality. You have all diligently conducted your research. Today it's most important for our corporate staff to get to know you, and for you to get acquainted with our professional support team. This strong relationship is the key to success for both of us. We're dependent upon each other, and we can profit together through our partnership. Our job is to build the car, start up the engine, and provide you with a road map for success. It's your job to follow the course and drive the growth of your business. This is what successful franchise relationships are all about. Today is about ensuring there can be a good fit.
"At the end of our day, I will speak with each of you privately before I present you to our executive approval committee for consideration. If a personal concern does come up during the day, please address this with me when we get together later. After the event concludes, our review committee will meet and review your skill sets, suitability to our culture, and willingness to follow our system. Their key question is, 'Do we believe you can be successful in our franchise system?' Your development executive will contact you within the next 24 hours to inform you of the committee's decision."
When staff are available, a personable facilitator who ushers and assists prospects throughout Discovery Day is invaluable. Their presence makes a good professional impression on your guests, showing them the attention your franchisees are given. It also elevates the stature of your development executive, who isn't always there seemingly waiting to grab their checkbook. From airport pickup to rearranging departmental presentations if needed, the facilitator keeps the schedule moving and can prevent potential mishaps and provide on-site feedback to your development team about the candidates.
Here are some additional practices franchisors have found increase the success of their Discovery Day presentations:
Next time: Preparation for Discovery Day, and a Discovery Day Checklist.
This is an excerpt from my book, "Grow to Greatness: How to build a world-class franchise system faster." To order copies, click here.