Franchisors, there’s a huge mismatch in your new-unit sales funnel – 67% of all franchise inquiries are sent outsite of business hours, times that don’t lend themselves to an immediate phone conversation. And that problem gets tougher for national franchisors, when you consider the vast expanse of the 50 states and 6 main time zones across the U.S.
According to the largest and most current study of online sales leads, the disparity is even greater for West Coast franchises, given the time zone differences and East Coast population density. Data is drawn from the Landmark Interactive network of franchise portals, including Franchise.com, FranchiseGator.com, and FranchiseOpportunities.com
- For East Coast development teams, it is important to staff and/or develop automated responses to the 65% of franchise leads that arrive outside of normal working hours.
- West Coast development teams are particularly challenged by the population distribution of the United States which is heavily weighted east of the Mississippi. For Pacific Time Zone teams, over 71% of prospect inquires arrive outside normal business hours.
So pay attention to WHEN a lead is sent – and pay attention to WHERE it’s coming from. Be willing to call outside YOUR business business hours when it matches the PROSPECT’s time zone.