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A survey of franchise prospects revealed that email and text messaging were their top two preferred methods for initial contact/ The survey also showed that email was still the most trusted form of communication among respondents.
In February 2022, the percentage of franchise prospects inquiring about businesses for sale who cited email or text as their first choice for initial contact was dead even. This marked a departure from recent months due to a dip in the email preference compared to January. The shift suggests that franchise prospects are increasingly open to new methods of communication and that businesses should consider adopting a multi-channel approach to reach them.
With the right mix of channels, businesses can connect with franchise prospects at every stage of the sales process, from initial awareness through to closing the deal.
According to the monthly “mystery shopping” poll by FranchiseInsights.com, nearly 43% of respondents said that email was their second choice for initial contact regarding a franchise they are interested in (higher than the 37.5% who selected text messaging).
When respondents were asked to rank phone, email, and text in order of preference for initial contact, voice came in a clear third. As shown in the graphic below, text messaging had just dropped to third place.
The poll does not explain “why” these trend shifts occurred, but in 2020—the first year of the pandemic—a reduced preference for initial voice contact appeared. Perhaps the return to work from the holiday season or the reopening of epidemic offices in January and February explains the lesser preference for voice calls.
However, this is a considerable decline from the 64% reported as recently as October 2021, when 50% of respondents stated they were “unlikely very unlikely to accept a phone call from a franchise” if they had “not previously gotten a text message or email from that organisation with more information.”
With 35.7% of respondents choosing email as their first choice and 42.5% selecting it as their second choice, email continues to be the most popular and secure method of initial contact. Email is the most efficient route after work hours, on weekends, and on vacations because of its asynchronous nature.
Additionally, it is a more rich medium for delivering information like a video, link, or pdf brochure or giving your succinct “elevator pitch” Email is the ideal way to introduce yourself and start telling your story because company buyers prefer using mobile phones to landlines.
Additionally, Apple’s prompt to enable its “mute unknown callers” function, introduced in the April 2021 iOS version, highlights the significance of emailing a prospect first so that they are aware of your call and will add you to their contacts.
ActionCOACH is the world’s largest business coaching franchise, with now over 28 years experience and tens of thousands of happy business owners coached, we’re continually expanding across Asia Pacific, looking for strong business builders and leaders to run their own Business Coaching Firms.
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