August 2019 Archives

How Effective are Your Email Campaigns?

Converting those prospects into franchise sales appointments? Or could you use some help?

New templates, perhaps?

"Our own sales teams at LinkedIn swear by these: five core templates to suit different prospects, different situations, and different stages of the buyer journey"

Personally, although I love LinkedIn's platform, I have serious doubts that I would ever respond to this type email, favourably respond.

I am more likely to swear at it, and not by it.

"Lost for words? Here's your starting template for inspiration:

Subject line:

[Prospect Name], Jessie recommended I reach out

Blah, blah and who cares what the message is. Because, in my experience, these types of messages never end well -- for me.

And sure enough, if morbid curiousity drove me on, I find the following "offer", which is to do someone's homework for free.

Message:

Hi [Prospect Name],

Our mutual connection, [connection name], and I were talking recently about [hot topic]. She said you were an expert on this issue.

I'm writing an article about [hot topic] because it's relevant, timely, yet confusing to many of my customers. Can I include your perspective, [Prospect Name]?

Regards, [Your Name]

Sure, here is my perspective: Read and quote any of the 18 articles I have written on the topic. And no, I don't want coffee.

(Note to self: disconnect from "Jessie" as soon as possible.)

So, if not LinkedIn templates, what is the powerful sales too you might be missing out on? Conversational talk -- because you would never use any of these words, or the sentences, in this template when talking face to face. So, don't use them in an email. You are welcome, no coffee required.

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Here are (3) dangers lurking with the delivery apps.

1. Traffic mismatch. The guest can use your brand's app or a 3rd party delivery app. If the latter, your brand has to pay a commission.

2. The delivery app is going send your customers to a nearby competitor, if they can make a food delivery sale.

3. When something goes wrong with the order, your brand will be blamed -- even if you aren't responsible for the delivery.

What are the alternatives?

1. "Jimmy John's is satisfying customers one sandwich at a time -- but what if you don't live in one of chain's highly coveted zones?

Well, the sandwich maker might just buy you a house.

Jimmy John's announced its "Home in the Zone" contest this week, a first-of-its kind competition where a deserving superfan will win a new home within one of Jimmy John's famous five-minute delivery zones."

2. Panera is accessing new customers from the aggregators, but not using their delivery service.

"We're open to it now because it's additive and, very importantly, the customer experience is protected.

There's a standard of quality that we believe in, and the economics work for us and very importantly, for our franchisees, which a lot of these models don't," Wegiel says.

He says delivery companies told Panera it was one of the top search brands on their sites. Panera was only willing to partner up, however, if aggregators agreed to some conditions.

The company wanted to ensure a deal would add incremental volume instead of cannibalizing what it had already built, which was confirmed through testing."

3. Domino's, the acknowledged leader in pizza delivery, says: "Despite the pressure, Dominoʼs is not planning to partner with a delivery site.

Allison said that he doesnʼt think partnering with third-party platforms creates incremental sales, and that those platforms will end up hurting restaurant profits."

For more, see the discussion on LinkedIn, below.

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For new franchisees, their grand opening is the biggest event that they will put on.

What are your tips for getting it right?

Here are some ideas on grand opening signage, from FASTSIGNS.

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Two years ago, Jim Cramer declared, about the deal Yelp in which Yelp sold Eat24 to GrubHub.

""I think this partnership has the potential to give both companies a major shot in the earnings arm," Cramer said."

Now, 2 years later, we find out that Yelp/Grubhub have trying to trick users to order food from Grubhub controlled telephone numbers, instead of the restaurant's number.

Yes, that will boost their earnings -- until people find out about it....

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Should we expect the vegan revolution to be different this time around, since it is marketed as "plant-based" food?

(In which case, all plant eating animals might qualify.....)

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois thinks that this time is different.

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