rd+d: What's the sales infrastructure at Corner Bakery Café like now?
JB: In addition to my position, which is new for the company, I've hired two sales directors with franchise experience and proven track records of success. They quickly became indoctrinated into the Corner Bakery Café culture. We all call ourselves Breadheads, and that culture extends to franchise sales, as well.
rd+d: Is being a Breadhead a secret to the success your team seems to be having?
JB: I can't reveal all my secrets, but part of the ability to succeed when you're selling franchises, or selling anything on a long-term basis, is credibility. We all spend a number of weeks training in the cafés, doing everything from making Paninis to riding shotgun on catering deliveries. As such, we're attuned to most of the functions of the individual cafés as well as to operations on a multiunit level. That helps us gain credibility with the individuals and organizations that we're selling franchises to. Also, I let our executive team know where our strengths and weaknesses are, how we're attacking them, what the strength of our pipeline is and who the individuals in it are. That way, not just the sales people but the entire executive team is able to credibly address prospects' questions and concerns. It's a joint effort.
rd+d: Beyond being able to make a mean Panini sandwich, how do your reps set themselves apart as liquidity returns to the market and competition for franchise sales heats up?
JB: They strive to be what I call the CEOs of their territories. They act more as consultants than sales people and are prepared to address every concern a prospect might have. Ultimately, sometimes it makes sense for a prospect to go with Corner Bakery Café and sometimes it doesn't. But it means everything to them to be able to trust the conversations they're having and not have a hard-sell approach. We make long-term friendships this way and even if we don't succeed with them on a sale for whatever reason, they feel comfortable staying in contact and frequently refer other people in the industry to us. There's a lot of skill involved and a specific sales process that's followed, but it's all geared toward guest satisfaction. We view prospects as our guests and treat them with a great deal of care.