You’ve done it. Your FDD is approved, your franchise agreement is buttoned up, and your operations manual is ready to roll. You’re legally cleared to sell franchises.
Now what?
This is where most emerging franchise brands hit a wall. The legal work is done, but the actual work of franchise sales is just beginning. If you’re a CEO ready to sign your first franchisees, here’s your roadmap for what comes next.
Step 1: Build Your Franchise Sales Infrastructure
Before you can sell a single franchise, you need the basic infrastructure in place. This isn’t glamorous work, but it’s essential.
Set up your CRM system. You need a way to track leads, manage follow-ups, and monitor your pipeline. Whether it’s HubSpot, Salesforce, or a franchise-specific platform, get something in place that lets you see where every prospect stands in your sales process.
Create your sales collateral. You’ll need a one-sheeter that summarizes your opportunity, a detailed franchise brochure (to only send after you’ve had initial conversations with a prospect), financial performance data (makes sure it matches your Item 19 numbers), territory maps (can be created after you engage with a prospect… no need to map the whole country out until there is a lead in a particular geography), and a compelling brand story deck. These materials should answer the question: “Why should someone invest $300k+ in YOUR franchise?”
Build your franchise website presence. This doesn’t mean a separate website necessarily, but you need dedicated pages on your site that speak to franchise candidates. Include information about the opportunity, investment requirements, ideal candidate profiles, and a clear path to request information.
Set up your technology stack. You’ll need scheduling software for calls, video conferencing tools for discovery days, e-signature platforms for agreements, and analytics to track where your leads are coming from. Franchise sales without proper technology is like running a marathon in flip-flops, technically possible, but unnecessarily painful.
Step 2: Create Your Lead Generation Engine
With infrastructure in place, you need a consistent flow of qualified prospects. This is where most CEOs underestimate the time commitment. Effective franchise sales requires multiple lead sources working simultaneously.
Franchise portals – can work, but LOTS of terrible leads. If you decide to use franchise portals such as Franchise.com, FranchiseGator, Entrepreneur.com, and FranchiseOpportunities.com, etc., our recommendation is to have your CRM treat these leads a bit more automated, as typical contact rates we have seen are in the 10-15% range… sometimes higher, but sometimes lower. Lots of frog kissing! Budget $3,000-$5,000 monthly for portal advertising. Yes, the leads can be hit-or-miss, but they’re essential for volume.
Digital Marketing / social media campaigns. Our suggestion is use a social media company that specializes in targeting franchise buyers. There are a number of companies out there, but BEWARE! NOT ALL ARE CRETED EQUAL! Get references of previous clients and current clients and make sure to call each one. Proper vetting of these digital companies, just because they are affiliated with well respected consulting companies, DO NOT HIRE UNTIL YOU HAVE VETTED THEM! If you are interested in a few referrals to some reputable Franchise Marketing Companies, please reach out to FranLIft and we will be happy to give you some marketing companies that we use. For budgeting purposes, digital marketing usually has a management fee that goes to the digital marketing company that ranges in the $1000-$5000 / month range. Then you pay the actual cost of the ads on top of that. Cost per franchisee acquisition at the time of this writing ranges in the $15k-$25k for emerging brands. So to make the math easy, if you were looking to have 12 franchisees within a 12 month period (1 new franchisee per month), your marketing budget would be in the ~$20k / month range in order to obtain enough leads such that one of those leads becomes an owner. Do not hire a firm that requires a long term contract. Maximum contract should be 3 months, and then should go month to month. If they don’t offer that, our suggestion would be to continue looking.
Launch targeted paid search campaigns. Build Google Ads campaigns around your specific franchise concept and territory availability. Someone searching “best fitness franchise opportunities” or “food franchise under $500k” is actively looking. Capture that intent.
Activate your professional network. Your existing business relationships, industry connections, and even current customers may know someone interested in franchise ownership. Create a referral program and systematically reach out to your network.
Leverage organic content and SEO. Blog posts, videos, and social content about your industry, franchise ownership, and brand story help build authority. This is a longer play, but compounds over time. The post you’re reading right now? That’s this strategy in action.
Step 3: Master Your Discovery Process
Here’s where the rubber meets the road. A lead comes in, now what? Your discovery process needs to be systematic, repeatable, and designed to qualify candidates while building excitement.
Implement a staged approach. Start with an initial phone screen (15-20 minutes) to assess basic fit. If they pass, schedule a deeper discovery call (45-60 minutes) to explore their background, motivations, and financial capacity. Use a consistent script and qualification checklist.
Ask the hard questions early. Can they access the required capital? Are they willing to relocate or invest in the territories available? Do they meet your operational criteria? Do they understand this is a business, not a job? Wasting time with unqualified candidates is the fastest way to burn out.
Educate while you qualify. Every conversation should leave the candidate knowing more about your franchise system, the investment, and what success looks like. Share your FDD early (after basic qualification). Walk them through financial projections. Be transparent about challenges and opportunities.
Create a validation roadmap. Once a candidate is seriously interested, map out their validation journey: speak with existing franchisees, visit operating locations, attend a discovery day, review territories, and complete financial vetting. Make this path clear from the first conversation.
Step 4: Create and Execute Discovery Days That Close
Your discovery day (or validation day) is your best closing tool. This is where candidates go from “interested” to “invested.” Plan these meticulously.
Design an experience, not just a meeting. Candidates should see your operations, meet key team members, experience your culture, and leave with zero questions about what they’re buying into. Include facility tours, franchisee panels, financial deep dives, and one-on-one time with leadership.
Showcase your support system. Emerging brands win on support and accessibility. Demonstrate exactly how you’ll help franchisees succeed: training programs, ongoing support, marketing resources, operational playbooks. Make them feel like they’re joining a partnership, not just buying a license.
Create emotional connection. Facts tell, stories sell. Share your origin story, your mission, and your vision for the brand’s future. Help them see themselves as part of something bigger.
Always be closing. By the end of discovery day, you should ask for the sale. “Based on what you’ve seen today, are you ready to move forward?” If they hesitate, uncover objections immediately.
Step 5: Build a Systematic Closing Process
Closing franchise deals requires finesse, follow-up, and frankly, persistence. Most deals don’t close on discovery day, they close in the week or two following.
Handle objections professionally. “I need to talk to my spouse.” “I’m looking at other concepts.” “I’m not sure about the territory.” These are all normal. Have responses ready and be willing to problem-solve. Offer additional franchisee references, schedule a call with your CFO to review numbers, or propose alternative territories.
Create urgency without pressure. Territory scarcity, development incentives for early franchisees, or limited availability of your personal involvement as the brand scales, these are all legitimate reasons to move forward now. Use them.
Stay in touch relentlessly. Follow up every 2-3 days after discovery day. Share additional information, answer new questions, and keep momentum going. The deal that closes is often the one where the franchisor simply stayed more engaged than the competition.
Make signing easy. Use e-signature platforms, have financing options ready, and remove friction from the paperwork process. The easier you make it to say yes, the more people will.
Step 6: Track, Measure, and Optimize
Franchise sales is a numbers game, but only if you know your numbers. Track everything.
Monitor your key metrics. How many leads come in weekly? What’s your contact-to-qualified-candidate ratio? How many discovery calls convert to discovery days? What’s your discovery day to close rate? Your average sales cycle length? Without these numbers, you’re flying blind.
Identify bottlenecks. If you’re getting tons of leads but few qualify, you have a lead quality problem. If candidates love discovery day but don’t close, you have an objection-handling or follow-up problem. If your sales cycle is stretching beyond 90 days, you have a momentum problem. Fix what’s broken.
Test and improve. Try different portal listings, adjust your sales script, experiment with discovery day formats, or offer different incentives. Franchise sales gets better with repetition and refinement.
The Reality Check: This is a Full-Time Job
If you’re reading this thinking, “This sounds like a lot of work,” you’re absolutely right. Building a franchise sales organization from scratch typically requires 40-60 hours per week of dedicated effort. And here’s the problem: you’re also running your existing business.
Most emerging brand CEOs attempt to sell franchises while simultaneously managing operations, developing new locations, overseeing marketing, handling HR, and dealing with a thousand other priorities. Something has to give: and usually, it’s franchise sales that suffers.
This is exactly why fractional franchise sales exists. Instead of hiring a $150k+ full-time VP of Franchise Development (who you can’t afford or justify at 5 units), you bring in experienced outsourced franchise development professionals who’ve done this dozens of times before. They bring the CRM, the lead gen strategies, the sales process, and the closing expertise: without the full-time salary and overhead.
You get to focus on running your business while experienced franchise sales professionals handle your growth. That’s the model that’s working for smart emerging brands in 2026.
Your Next Move
Landing your first five franchisees is hard work, but it’s doable with the right systems, discipline, and focus. Whether you decide to tackle this yourself or bring in fractional support, the key is getting started with a clear plan.
The legal work is done. Now it’s time to sell.
