Brand Evangelism

FRANCHISE SALES POST 3: avoid franchise sales. Do this! Adopting a sales mindset in franchise expansion is not going to cut it today.  ❣ quality prospects are highly discerning and prefer to discover opportunities on their own. Throwing resources at sales is inefficient and demotivating.  ❣ when overt sales do generate deals, there will be franchisees that are dragged into it, which will have negative consequences, like distorted expectations, second-rate operators joining etc.  ❣ words matter. To “buy/sell” a franchise frames it as a commercial transaction, when in fact you want to place emphasis on joining a team, enriching a community, uniting people under shared values and ambition. We never do franchise sales at Dodo Brands. We look for business partners. And this approach has been a majoer learning for me at the company that I have internalised because it establishes the right incentives and delivers the right outcomes for everyone. This is not to say that there is no place for sales practices, like having funnels, tracking metrics, even doing proactive approaches. But having a sales operation in a classical sense is not going to be the right impetus here. Instead, in my opinion, the two legs that the franchise expansion will walk on, besides your conviction, are evangelism and “wow” prospective franchisee experience. What I mean by evangelism is deliberate systematic effort to spread among broadly-defined target audiences the awareness about your brand, its people and business. This is about creating opportunities for the right people to discover your brand. The initiatives that fall into this scope are similar to what recruiters at the best companies do to attract top talent and founders / CEOs do to attract investors. At Dodo Brands, we started doing this in highly unconventional ways since day one (in fact, even earlier). And now there is a dedicated team driving awareness. This category of initiatives will be the subject of my next post in this series. The wow prospective franchisee experience is self-explanatory. The premise here is that if we manage to provide such experience, the brand will end up with the most suitable operators. The initiatives in this area are aimed at efficiently processing prospects in a personalised manner, resulting in everyone (i) having complete and accurate information, (ii) experiencing the brand, including its culture and people, in order to make an informed decision as to whether this is the right opportunity and (iii) allowing the brand to determine whether there is a good fit with each prospect. The franchisee experience and how we make it “wow” will be covered in post 5. But to summarise for now, the approach that I advocate and find effective in the long-run is two-fold:  1️⃣ Evangelise in ways that attract the right prospects and make your brand stand out.  2️⃣ Provide state-of-the-art, professional and real experience to your prospects and the right ones will become franchisees.

What Brands Can Learn from Churches and Tribes ******************** As a consultant, I am always looking for lessons to share with my clients and students. Over the years, I have learnt great brand building lessons from churches and tribes. A church or tribe is more than just a group—it’s a deeply connected community bound by shared faith, beliefs, and interests. As a brand builder, I’ve been reflecting on the powerful lessons these communities offer for building strong, engaged brands. Here are a few key takeaways: 1. A Clear and Compelling Purpose: Churches and tribes thrive because they stand for something beyond transactions—they offer meaning. Brands that articulate a strong mission and purpose attract not just customers, but believers and advocates. Lesson: What does your brand truly stand for? How does it inspire people beyond the product or service you offer? 2. A Sense of Belonging: People don’t just attend churches; they belong to them. Tribes create deep emotional connections where members feel seen, heard, and valued. The best brands build communities where customers feel part of something bigger than themselves. Lesson: How does your brand foster belonging? Are you just selling, or are you creating a community that customers identify with? 3. Consistent Rituals and Engagement: Churches have regular services, traditions, and engagement points that keep members connected. Tribes have customs and shared experiences. Great brands don’t just engage when they need a sale; they build ongoing touchpoints that reinforce loyalty. Lesson: How often are you engaging your audience? What rituals—content, events, or experiences—keep them coming back? 4. Evangelism and Word-of-Mouth: Churches grow not just through advertising but through passionate believers spreading the word. The most successful brands leverage advocacy, ensuring customers become evangelists who bring others in. Lesson: Is your brand giving people a reason to talk about it? Are you equipping your audience to spread your message? 5. Leadership That Inspires: Great churches and tribes have strong leaders who embody the values of the community. Similarly, brands need visible, authentic leadership that resonates with their audience. Lesson: Is your leadership reinforcing your brand’s message? Do people see your brand as a movement worth following? At their core, both churches and tribes remind us that people crave connection, meaning, and shared experiences. Brands that understand and apply these principles won’t just have customers—they’ll have loyal followers. What other lessons can brands learn from churches and tribes? Let’s discuss. #BrandBuilding #Community #Marketing

How do you create an Evangelist for your business? It's great to have clients. Fans are even better. But when someone truly loves what you've done for them... ...there's the potential for them to become an Evangelist. Not unlike Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - but for your brand. They'll joyfully tell others about you and the transformation you provide. But how do you "create" an Evangelist? I think there are three key components: 1. Provide an exceptional core service 2. Overdeliver with another unexpected outcome 3. Create "Surprise & Delight" moments That last one is the easiest to miss or take for granted. If you can truly surprise your clients and create moments where they can't help but think about you, appreciate you AND share you, it's a gamechanger. I recently started working with Andrew Windham and Nolan Bradbury for financial strategy. The experience has been powerful, and the core service is certainly there (#1). I didn't realize they would help enroll my wife in our financial planning so well, which has been a great outcome I didn't expect (#2). And yesterday, I received a huge box in the mail. I opened it up to find a personalized gift for me and one for my wife. These are meaningful because they relate directly to our financial goals. Surprising. Delightful. And here I am posting about it on LinkedIn. Well done, guys! Are you an Evangelist for any brands? What got you there? I'd love to hear in the comments.