If you’ve ever looked closely at purchasing a franchise, chances are pretty good that you’ve heard about Discovery Days. A franchise’s Discovery Day is when a serious franchisee candidate goes out and visits with the franchisor that they are considering. It’s a big step for both parties, as it is a way for the candidate to prove their commitment to join a franchise, and a way for the franchisor to present their concept in the best light. It gives the candidate a “day in the life” and is usually the first time the two of them will meet face-to-face.
At the FBA we train our franchise consultants to serve and participate throughout the entire cycle of a candidate’s journey to owning their own franchise. There is a focus built on fostering and developing trust between the candidate and the franchise consultant. The franchise consultant is the expert and they are adept at using their knowledge to sort through and find concepts that match these goals. Part of the FBA process is attending calls and Discovery Days with their candidates. These are the high points of the process where they are serving as a true consultant and not just a research assistant. They know the right questions to ask and how to extract the information from the franchisor.
Through various trainings and programs offered by the FBA our franchise consultants regularly attend Discovery Days of the franchises they represent. At these events, the consultants use these meetings as a way to better understand the franchise and their unique process. The result from this experience is that they are more informed and better able to serve their clients.
Eleven FBA franchise consultants were recently invited to attend a “franchise consultants only” Discovery Day by the vending machine franchise concept Healthier 4 U.  The franchise flew them all out to their corporate headquarters in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The first night, the leadership of Healthier 4 U hosted a networking party for the consultants. The event took place in an amazing hotel on the Las Vegas strip and was filled with music, drinks, dinner, and entertainment. There were also several Healthier 4 U associates in attendance who are actively selling for the brand. This gave the consultants a great opportunity to learn, on a personal level, some of the key points about the business that will help them explain and promote the business to their clients.
This was also when the CEO of Healthier 4 U unveiled their latest commercial and marketing strategy for the concept.
Natalie Luke of UNYC Franchise Systems says, “It was a very powerful networking event. Brokers tend to work alone in their offices. So not only did we get to learn more about the leadership of H4U, the brokers got to talk with one another about the business and share ideas about what is working and what is not. I personally loved it because it was a rare chance to network face-to-face.”
On the day of the actual Discovery Day, the consultants were brought to the Healthier 4 U headquarters. There they were introduced to the vending machine industry. H4U explained the key reasons why someone would want to enter the vending industry and the types of people that do well in the business.
According to the franchise consultants who were at the event, the entire day was a thorough and professionally staged event. All their questions were explained and they were able to see and work with the machines. The leadership was very good at discussing their concept and their passion for the business was clear.
FBA franchise consultant, Kathryn Baker, said: “We learned a lot about how you are differentiating yourselves and how to present this very interesting concept to clients. Thank you for your hospitality!”
In the end, the franchise consultants were all thoroughly impressed and understood not only everything about the concept but how they could partner with them.
Dave Sullivan of Priority 1 Franchising is a senior franchise consultant with the FBA. He had this to say at the end of the Discovery Day:  “I was extremely impressed with your company, business philosophy, customer support, equipment and emphasis on helping your owners become successful. I spent over 15 years helping people start vending businesses through out this country and I know how important quality equipment and quality support are to people who are starting a vending business. For the clients I have that are looking to get involved in the ‘Healthy Vending’ business I will recommend them to Healthier 4U Vending.”
Word is still buzzing about the concept and the Executive Director of the FBA reached out to them to say, “Thank you so much for treating our brokers so well. They are raving about your brand. We are grateful that you gave them that opportunity. Thank you!!!”
The success of the event speaks to how powerful a Discovery Day can be to the people who attend it. That is, if the concept is able to clearly and professionally wow the audience as Healthier 4 U did. It’s no wonder that at the conclusion of these Discovery Days the franchisor will usually ask the candidate to make a final decision and sign the check. They are emotionally powerful and it’s at these moments when you’re typically ready to pull the trigger.
That’s even more reason why, if you’re looking to purchase a franchise, you’ll want the expertise of an FBA franchise consultant there by your side. They are your partner through the process and will be prepared to ask the tough questions. Their unbiased advice just may save you from purchasing a lemon and losing your investment.