Challenge the Pros: Jeff Todd on Using Technology to Improve The Quality of Franchisee Leads

How do you use technology to improve the quality of franchisee leads?

Jeff Todd
CDO
Launch Entertainment

At Launch Entertainment, we don’t just use technology; we build our development strategy around it. It starts with knowing who we want to attract and making sure everything we put into the market reflects that. Our franchise development site is designed to speak directly to the type of candidate we’re looking for, whether it’s a seasoned operator expanding their portfolio or a first-time owner with strong leadership and execution skills. We’re clear up front about what we expect, what we offer, and what it takes to be successful. That early filtering saves everyone time and helps keep unqualified leads out of the funnel.

From there, SEO ensures we’re showing up in front of the right audience at the right moment. Once someone engages, we keep the process moving with automated emails, text follow-ups, and AI-driven qualification tools that collect key info, answer initial questions, and even schedule intro calls. This helps us identify strong candidates quickly and keep momentum through the pipeline.

We also use data-driven targeting tools to go outbound when needed, zeroing in on specific industries or investor profiles that align with our brand and growth goals. And we manage it all through a strong CRM foundation, using Monday.com to track leads, coordinate follow-up, and keep our team accountable and aligned across departments.

Our enterprise systems go one step further by creating a bridge between prospective and existing franchisees, which gives us insight into performance and allows us to tailor our approach throughout the process.

At the end of the day, improving lead quality isn’t just about more data; it’s about using the right tools to deliver a better experience both for us and for the candidates we want to grow with.