While much of the world has gotten used to remote meetings and working from home, repealed COVID restrictions now allow for in-person conferences. Investing some of your marketing budgets to exhibit or even sponsor specific conference activities can be great opportunities to showcase your franchise and engage prospects first-hand.

Choose the Right Conference

There are franchise conferences coast to coast. Do your research and attend the conference that will generate the greatest return on your investment, which in this case is your time, travel costs, all conference fees, and any marketing materials you bring. This is one instance where size doesn’t matter, what does is targeting the niche audience that will be taking notice of your franchise opportunity.

No Space to Waste

If you plan to exhibit at a table or booth, check out the floor plan and register early. Choosing an ideal spot to set up shop is extremely important when you’re trying to get noticed. Selecting a spot near areas with more traffic flow, like near the food stands and corner areas, is a good way to be seen. Consider a space near your competition. This will give you more incentive to stand out and attract prospects who are already interested in your industry or type of franchise.

“Goals Are Dreams with Deadlines”

Setting attainable and measurable goals will give you and your team something to strive for. Making it a competition is a good way to boost morale and make the event more fun. Brainstorm with your team and decide what you wish to accomplish at this conference. Achieving a few goals the first time around will allow you to raise the stakes next time.

Content Creation: The Ultimate Persuasion

It’s not enough to talk the talk, the walk must be walked. No matter how effective your sales team is, they’ll need some supportive content to drive their points home. A simple flyer or pamphlet is a tried-and-true formula and setting up a looping video of “a day in the life” of your franchisees are great ways to get noticed.

For people who are interested in learning more about your franchise, be prepared to walk them through a short PowerPoint presentation. You can do this one-on-one or with a few people. Anticipate questions and be ready with answers. The key is to engage, start a dialogue, ask questions and LISTEN!

Perfect Your Pitch & People Watch

Getting the right sales pitch might take some practice, but once you have it ready, it will pay off. Practice makes perfect. When you’re at the conference visit the other booths, spend some time being a sociologist, and observe the tactics of others.