Dale Carnegie Training: Adapting to International Marketing Challenges

As an established brand with more than 100 years in the business of personal, professional, and organizational transformation, Dale Carnegie Training is a recognized market leader in the U.S. Although the man himself is well-known internationally as the father of modern professional development, a variety of factors contribute to limiting the visibility of Dale Carnegie Training outside North America.

As a result, a key component of marketing our opportunity overseas is educating potential franchisees on the brand itself, its cultural applicability, and the business climate. 

Our main goal when marketing Dale Carnegie worldwide is ensuring our concept is a fit for the market. The personal and professional development principles detailed in Dale Carnegie's famous book How To Win Friends and Influence People are renowned for how generally applicable they are, regardless of country or cultural boundaries. However, the franchise opportunity itself often needs to be adapted slightly to fit individual local markets. So our marketing efforts are customized accordingly.

Similarly, we work to adjust the business model to suit the market so franchisees can best present our services to local businesses and professionals - for example, whether franchisees should prioritize on-site development classes, go virtual, or primarily offer the curriculum at a Dale Carnegie office location.

Finally, the main challenge in marketing our franchise abroad is finding the right individual to act as a brand ambassador in an international market, especially in countries or regions where there is not already a strong brand presence.

Beyond the personal fit, there is another important educational piece at play: ensuring potential franchisees understand the characteristics and expectations of our franchise system. To achieve these ends, we devote significant resources to carefully vetting candidates in international markets to make sure they're the perfect franchisees to represent our brand and carry on Mr. Carnegie's legacy.

 Adam Gogolski is marketing director for Dale Carnegie Training.