Ripley PR Recommends 5 Best Practices to Maximize Franchise Discovery Days

National franchisors can attract more qualified leads with advice from one of Entrepreneur Magazine's top ten franchise public relations agencies of 2019

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Ripley PR

Nov 19, 2019, 07:05 ET

MARYVILLE, Tenn., Nov. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Ripley PR, a global franchise public relations agency, is offering five tips to franchisors for maximizing Discovery Day events, driving attendance of prospective franchisees and securing more qualified leads.

1. Know when and where to host your Discovery Day. Heather Ripley, founder and CEO of Ripley PR, has planned countless Discovery Days for emerging and established franchisors, and she has found there's more to the timing than just positioning in the sales cycle.

Ripley worked for one of the nation's largest home service franchisors before founding Ripley PR. When promoting Discovery Days, the company strategically chose locations attractive to prospective franchisees. Sarasota, Florida, for example, has pleasant weather throughout the year. Las Vegas, she said, was another hit with their candidates in any season.

2. Have an airtight plan and keep a solid agenda. Charles Bonfiglio, former multi-unit automotive repair franchise owner and CEO of Tint World®, draws on his first-hand experience as a franchisee prospect to host successful events that have contributed to Tint World®'s expansion.

"I've attended both good and bad Discovery Days, and it's obvious the good ones never tried to wing it," Bonfiglio said. "It's important to remember that prospective franchisees are evaluating your system too, and you should have an agenda prepared that respects their time, accomplishes specific goals and maximizes value. Ensure that next steps are crystal clear to your staff throughout the event, and equip them with a contingency plan for unpredictable circumstances."

3. Prequalify to ensure the best prospects are invited. Bryan Richards, vice president of operations at leading home service franchise Mister Sparky, stresses the importance of not only filling seats, but filling them with best possible candidates.

"Franchisors in different industries have asked us how we filled so many seats at our events at Clockwork Home Services," Richards said. "We focused not only on having great attendance, but getting the right people in the seats. You must have a skilled franchise development team to thoroughly vet and prequalify your prospects to avoid tire kickers, which will save you valuable time and resources. Obtaining key information, like whether or not a prospect can secure financing, is critical when speaking to them about attending Discovery Day."

4. Create awareness, drive registrations and promote your event. Properly announcing a Discovery Day with a multi-pronged public relations and marketing campaign is critical to ensure success and attract the highest quality leads.

Ripley says that central to building an attractive franchise model is ongoing positive PR to build awareness and credibility around the brand. A full-service public relations agency with an experienced content team can also develop engaging e-blasts and a digital ad campaign to target prospective franchisees, and they'll be able to support road show-style Discovery Days with dynamic social media ads inviting prospects within a suitable driving range to attend. It's important, she said, that Discovery Day dates are not promoted too far in advance to create a sense of urgency.

5. Showcase your buttoned-up, professional and well-prepared corporate team. Bill McPherson, vice president of franchise development at AlphaGraphics, has decades of experience growing franchise systems and understands what a difference a prepared and professional team can make for your Discovery Day attendees.

"Before hosting your Discovery Day, ask yourself if each Corporate team member that is expected to interact with prospects can be fully trusted to represent your brand," McPherson said. "If the answer is no, the chances of losing a well-qualified franchisee increase exponentially. Each employee must be trusted, personable, professional and well-versed in your key messages and values. The most engaging program can be completely derailed by a poor experience with your team, so we place a high priority on training and employee preparation leading up to each Discovery Day."

Ripley PR was named on of Entrepreneur Magazine's top ten franchise public relations agencies of 2019. The global agency offers strategic communications services for its clients, including crisis management, media relations and social media strategies. The agency's unique combination of strategic business accounting and creative public relations help clients build brand awareness, establish positive reputations and drive increased leads and sales.

For more information about planning a Discovery Day with franchise public relations, visit www.ripleypr.com or call (865) 977-1973.

About Ripley PR
Ripley PR, Inc. is an elite, global B2B public relations agency specializing in construction, franchising, technology, home services and manufacturing. Offering a full range of strategic communication services, including crisis management, media relations and social media strategies, Ripley PR uses a blend of strategic business accounting and creative public relations branding to tell compelling stories and deliver measurable results. Ripley PR is a partner in IPREX, the $350 million network of communication agencies, with 1,800 staff and 115 offices worldwide. For more information, visit ripleypr.com or call 865-977-1973.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Heather Ripley
Ripley PR
865-977-1973
[email protected]

SOURCE Ripley PR