Joel Libava
You’re not going to believe what this franchise business consultant just wrote.
Are you ready?
From A Franchise Business Consultant
Here’s what she said.
“I am here to give franchisee candidates impartial, expert advice.”
Did you hear that?
It was the sound of my Crown…exploding.
I’ll explain.
Do You Know What Franchise Consultants Do?
In a nutshell, franchise business consultants offer free franchise matching services.
And if you’ve been looking at franchises to buy for more than a couple of weeks, you’ve probably been contacted by one or two of them.
Note: I’m not revealing the name of the broker who said this nor the website it was posted on. Just because.
“Hi, I’m Lisa Gerardo, and I help people find the right franchise based on their budget and what they want in a business. And my services are 100% free to you!”
Prospective franchise candidate: “Wait. You’re going to help me find a franchise to buy for nothing?”
Lisa: “That’s right. We get paid by the franchisors we work with. And it doesn’t cost you any more money* to work with us.”
*That’s debatable.
Prospective franchise candidate: “Wow. That sounds great! How many franchises do you work with?”
Lisa: “Hundreds of different ones. There’s bound to be a few you’d like.” Etc. Etc.
Except Lisa will never tell you how much the franchisors pay her for one successful “match.”
Why is that King?
Because these “consultants” get a check overnighted to them (from the franchisors they have sales contracts with) for anywhere from $20,000 to $80,000 or more.
Have you read my comprehensive article about franchise consultants and how they really work?
Why “I am here to give franchisee candidates impartial, expert advice” Is A Flat-Out Lie
Lisa Gerardo isn’t her real name.
But what she said is a lie. Here’s why.
Let’s say you’ve been working with Lisa for a couple of months, and you like one of the franchises she’s attempted to “match” you to.
But then you decide to (wisely) look at a competitor of the franchise she showed you.
You: “Lisa, I like the residential cleaning franchise you showed me. But I found another one, and they seem to be good too. Plus, it’s $50,000 less upfront. I may end up going with it.”
Ruh Roh.
Lisa: ”Interesting. What’s the name of the franchise?”
You: “Amanda Maids.”
Lisa: “I’ve never heard of them. How long have they been around? How many franchises do they have? Are the franchisees making money?”
You: “Actually, the franchisees are doing quite well. But they are newer.“
Lisa: “Well, that may be a problem. Are you sure you want to invest in a franchise that doesn’t have a long track record? It’s risker you know.”
Etc. Etc.
In most cases, the conversation will continue to head down that path. Which path? This one:
“I’ve spent all this time with this guy, and now…all of a sudden, he’s going to buy a franchise I don’t have a contract with? I have $27,000 riding on this! This is total bullshit! I was the one who came up with the idea of a residential cleaning business. Damnit! I need to stop him from doing this!”
From doing what?
From buying a franchise that’s $50,000 less than the one a franchise business consultant recommended?
A franchise where there’s way more territory available?
A franchise opportunity that’s newer and maybe even better?
I’m Trying To Educate You Here
There’s no way in hell that someone who has the potential to make a sweet $27,000 sales commission on a franchise she presented is unbiased.
Sure, Lisa (or Robert) can say “I want you to do what you think is best,” but c’mon now. Really?
Do these people think you were born yesterday?
Seriously. Run like hell when you hear that, too.
One more thing.
If you’re one of those franchise buyer’s who says, “I don’t care how much a franchise consultant makes as long as he finds a good franchise for me,” stop. It’s a cop out. Why?
Because it 100% does matter how much he makes off of you.
End.
P.S. Here’s Pink Floyd doing “Run Like Hell” Live. Enjoy!
