No matter the salesperson, every candidate should be brought through the same sales process steps. If your concept will require any type of licenses, certifications, or a type of background check, be sure to properly incorporate that as a discussion or step as early on in the process as possible so it does not slow down or prevent a sale. Be sure any of those types of “requirements” are made clear to your salespeople so it never comes across as a “surprise” during the process.

A franchise sales process is not predetermined in any way. Every franchise will have its own unique set of steps so do not feel pressured to follow another model’s process – make it your own based on your brand requirements, goals, and ideals. A retail type franchise model will have a very different set of sales steps then a service based or an at-home model. You also do not need to keep the process in the same order for each candidate forever. The sales process should grow and evolve along with the growth of the franchise; so, treat everyone as a separate individual – feel them all out as a new or different person and evaluate your process accordingly. Not every candidate will fall into the same bucket – a sales process is a set of guidelines, not laws. Always remember that you are SELECTING franchisees, NOT SELLING franchises – this means you’re looking for the best candidates.

Therefore, before beginning the sales process with a potential candidate, they should be required to complete some sort of Franchise Application form. You want to collect their basic information, background, experience, financial data, etc. You need to be sure that this candidate meets your skill set and financial requirements before spending countless hours with them.