After all your thorough research and various conversations, the final step of the journey toward purchasing a franchise is attending a Meet the Team Day, also known as Discovery Day. This is a time for potential candidates to travel to the corporate headquarters and really get to know the various team members that they’ll be interacting with on a regular basis and receiving support from. So, what can you expect from your day with the corporate team? Buzz Franchise Brands Director of Franchise Development, Austin James, recently highlighted several key components as well as why it’s so important to attend.

Goals of Meet the Team Day

There are two primary goals of Meet the Team Days, with the first goal being that the franchisor has all the candidate’s remaining questions answered. Since this is the final step before making the decision to sign on the dotted line, if there are any hesitations, concerns, or parts that are unclear, now is the time to get it all out in the open. Be sure to write down any remaining questions you can think of ahead of time so that you’re better prepared in the moment when sitting with the corporate team members. Ideally, breaking out questions by topic or department will come in handy when meeting with the different team members.

The second goal of Meet the Team Days is to give both the candidate and franchisor an opportunity to make a final assessment about each other to determine if the relationship will be a good one. Most details can be shared over a phone call or Zoom, but the personal element that’s delivered through in-person communication can’t be fully created without this day to meet with everyone.

The Meet the Team Day Schedule

Candidates will start out by touring the office with their franchise development representative and getting introduced to the corporate team. Throughout the day, you’ll meet with key stakeholders and department heads, from franchise operations to marketing and franchisee support. At the end of the day, the franchisor will typically let the candidate know if they believe they’re a good fit for the business. Assuming they have the same interest level, a member of the franchise development team will schedule a call for the next day or two, after the candidate has had time to sleep on it, weigh the pros and cons, and ultimately decide if this is their future path. The goal of the call is to receive a final decision from the candidate. If the decision to move forward is made, documents will be sent for signing, usually the same day.

The Value of Meet the Team Days

As outlined above, the significance of Meet the Team Days is great, allowing both the franchise candidate and franchisor with the final opportunity to evaluate, explore and feel comfortable with one another. It’s a comprehensive overview of the support that franchisees can expect to receive.

Watch the latest episode of What’s the Buzz on Franchising to get the full scoop on Meet the Team Days as explained by Austin James.

To find out more about the Meet the Team Day process and to hear more about the Buzz Franchise Brands opportunities available, you can email franchising@buzzfranchisebrands.com or call (757) 215-4253.