Technology Fuels Franchise Growth

Franchising.com:

Beyond the unmistakable impact of the Internet and World Wide Web, advances in technologies used every day by franchisees are continuing to change the face of franchising — and the way franchisees do business.

Many of these technologies are converging, or already integrated: point-of-sale (POS) systems; digital video surveillance; web-based applications; telephony and communications; customer relationship management (CRM); lead generation; employee recruitment, hiring, and training; and more.

One franchisor, Purosystems, is using a VOIP (voice over Internet protocol) system that allows corporate sales managers to listen in live on a sales call and provide information and suggestions only the salesperson can hear. “You can resolve any number of issues, and get to alternative solutions in real time,” says Keith Gerson, PuroSystems’ president and chief operating officer. And it all ties in neatly to the company’s customer relations management system. “You can capture the call and plug it into our GoldMine database, assigned to a specific prospect.”

Franchisees also are using… read on.