5 proven ways to make the most of discovery days

Five proven ways to make the most of a franchisor discovery day

So you’ve been in the market for the perfect franchise opportunity for some time, but you’re yet to find ‘the one’. There are a few that have sparked your interest and one of them has invited you to a discovery day at the company’s head office. Talking over the phone and sending emails are great, but this is the perfect chance to see what a franchisor is made of.

It’s important for the franchisor to be prepared ahead of a discovery day. Many Homecare by Kare Plus discovery days are planned months in advance, however you should also make sure you’re thoroughly prepared. After all, this is your chance to learn the information you need to make a decision that could shape the next five to 10 years of your life.

With this in mind, here are five tips on how best to prepare for a franchise discovery day. Remember, this is just as much about the franchisor assessing your suitability as it is you assessing the franchisor:

1. Put in the work

The most important thing you can do ahead of any discovery day is to prepare and research for the franchise and industry you’re interested in. Our franchise sales team at Homecare by Kare Plus encourage applicants to do their due diligence ahead of any potential meetings and will try to provide you with as much information as possible at this point.

While researching a franchise opportunity, you may want to ask yourself the following questions:

• What services does this franchise offer?
• How active is its online presence?
• What are individual franchises publishing online?
• Who are the competition? What makes this franchise unique?
• What’s the long-term outlook for this industry?
• Are there any testimonials for this franchise?

Finding the right industry to match your personal and professional ambitions is key and the research stage provides the perfect opportunity to do so.

2. Look the part

Your appearance is an important aspect to consider during the discovery day. As previously mentioned, we as franchisors are assessing your suitability as much as you are us. This is why it’s vital to dress suitably on the day; it not only shows how seriously you are taking the process, but also your suitability as a franchise owner.

Showing up to a discovery day in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt will leave a negative impression with the franchisor and almost certainly make the company doubt your suitability. No franchisor will expect you to arrive on the day in your best designer clothes, but the sensible choice is to dress how you would for any other important meeting.

3. Take in your surroundings

Commonly referred to as the bricks and mortar of a business, the physical space in which a franchise operates plays a vital part in its performance. Discovery days provide a glimpse of a franchise business, including the staff working within it, how the different teams interact and the office culture in general.

At Homecare by Kare Plus, we have an open plan office, meaning visitors can always get a sense of how many staff we have working at any one time and how busy they are. Any good franchisor will want to show you its office, so you should definitely take this into consideration if a discovery session is being held off-site. We also try to ensure visitors have the chance to meet with heads of department, as we believe these individuals best represent our franchise offering.

As Brian Chesky, co-founder of Airbnb, said: “Culture is simply a shared way of doing something with a passion.”

Assessing office culture during one short visit is not realistic, but you can still take the culture in. Are the staff busy? Are they dressed smartly? Are they on the phone or conversing with each other? These are all things worth watching out for, as they will give you a better understanding of the internal operations of your potential future franchise partner.

4.Be engaged, ask questions, take notes

We previously mentioned how important it was to look the part, but you also need to act the part too. At Homecare by Kare Plus, we want to meet discovery day attendees who are engaged, active and showing an interest in what we have to say. The decision to purchase a franchise is not one that should be taken lightly, which is why we are always on the lookout for those people who are clearly very engaged with our opportunity.

Showing up early for the appointment will create an excellent first impression, although you don’t want to arrive too early as you may inconvenience the franchisor. Anywhere between 10 to 15 minutes before the meeting is the perfect window and also allows you plenty of time to take in your surroundings.

Take plenty of notes throughout the day, as you will be able to use these later while studying any extra materials the franchisor provides. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, as this is your chance to silence any doubts you may have. Try to visualise your questions beforehand and make them concise, relevant and likely to produce informative answers.

5. Take time to reflect

The day is almost over, you’re tired and you’ve absorbed a wealth of information. It can be tempting to start reviewing your notes and reflect on the day as soon as you arrive home, but it’s worth waiting until the next day. Once you’ve had some rest, make sure you take the time to read your notes and any additional materials you’ve been given.

This is the point at which you will need to decide if the franchise is the right fit for you. It’s a decision only you can make, which is why it’s essential you take time to reflect on the discovery day. As mentioned above, review your notes and the materials provided by the franchisor. Analyse your feelings about the day to decide if you want to move forward or not.

At Homecare by Kare Plus, our franchise sales team work alongside potential franchisees from the beginning of their journey to the point of signing their franchise agreement. We do this because we want to ensure you’re not only the right fit for us, but also that a Homecare by Kare Plus franchise is the right fit for you.

The author

Thomas Hughes is content marketing executive at Homecare by Kare Plus.