In a franchise network, customers don’t buy from a location but from a brand. That means every point of customer contact, every operational process, and every staff member plays a role in delivering a unified experience. Yet many franchise systems rely on fragmented or inconsistent training to uphold that standard.
“Franchise education should be a strategic imperative,” said Michael Gullan, CEO of G&G Advocacy, an eLearning consultancy that assists companies in educating and empowering their teams to drive revenue. “Whether onboarding, product training, sales, safety protocols, or compliance, educating a franchise network is the only way to ensure consistency, sales, and ultimately success.”
Franchises need replication
The franchise model is built on the principle of replicating a proven and successful business system. However, replication is impossible without education and training. According to the International Franchise Association, 42% of franchise failures are linked to poor training and inconsistent support during the first year of operations. “A new franchisee can have the best location, brand, products, and intent—but without comprehensive training and ongoing education, they’ll struggle to execute,” said Gullan. “Education ensures every operator and employee can consistently replicate your standards, not just your signage.”
Onboarding for long-term success
Onboarding sets the tone for everything that follows. It’s not just about compliance or paperwork—it’s a cultural orientation, a performance primer, and an opportunity to align goals. According to The Society for Human Resource Management, franchise brands with structured onboarding see 54% greater new hire productivity and 50% higher retention. From understanding the business, process, products, and service standards to mastering point-of-sale systems, new franchisees and staff need clarity, confidence, and practical readiness. “A robust onboarding program is the first step toward operational excellence,” said Gullan. “And with franchise networks often spanning large areas, online training can be done at scale, across multiple locations.”
Operational training for consistency and confidence
Whatever sector a franchise operates in, from food and beverage, health and wellness, retail, home and commercial, or automotive, its procedures, inventory control, and operations are the backbone of every franchise. However, operations executed inconsistently across locations can erode margins and brand trust. A study by Franchise Business Review shows that franchises with strong operational training programs report 23% higher unit-level profitability.
“The traditional Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that take the form of lengthy manuals are outdated and ineffective,” said Gullan. “Today’s SOPs should be living, teachable systems that are interactive and reinforced regularly through webinars, digital learning, and mentoring and coaching—all of which can done at scale, online.”
Sales training is critical, but not everything
Sales training is undeniably critical to business success, as it directly influences sales performance and revenue growth. But it’s not everything. The true effectiveness of any sales or referral channel—be it a consultant, agent, or customer-facing employee—hinges on more than just sales techniques. It relies heavily on their product knowledge, customer handling skills, and confidence in the service they represent. A well-trained team not only closes more deals but also enhances customer satisfaction. According to Salesforce, 78% of customers will forgive mistakes if the service experience is excellent.
“Sales training should include product training, customer engagement, upselling, objection handling, and conversion strategies,” said Gullan. “But it must be integrated with a broader education in branding, operations, service, culture, and communication.” In other words, sales effectiveness is not just about selling—it’s about aligning with the entire business ecosystem. When training encompasses the whole customer experience and company ethos, it creates salespeople who are not just persuasive, but trusted, knowledgeable ambassadors of the brand.
Product knowledge drives trust and loyalty
Whether you’re launching a new menu item, promoting a seasonal product, or explaining a technical feature, product training ensures your team can communicate accurately and confidently. According to PwC, 87% of customers say knowledgeable employees are key to choosing where to shop.
“Product training and education should be updated regularly,” shared Gullan. “Repetition and consistent reinforcement ensure your teams understand your products and services like the back of their hands so that they can convert with confidence, based on credible facts, better experiences, and fewer errors,” Gullan explains that product training is most effective when it’s part of a comprehensive, role-specific learning journey that also covers how to position the product, what’s happening in the market, what the future holds, how to deliver it reliably, how to support it safely, how to sell it persuasively, how to communicate its value authentically. “Teaching what only part of the learning need is, educating on the why, how and who complete the learning experience,” concluded Gullan.
Safety, compliance, and risk management protect your brand
Compliance and safety aren’t optional in industries like food service, retail, health, and beauty—they are brand-critical. One mistake at one location can have legal, reputational, and operational consequences across the network. From product handling to workplace safety and data protection, every team member must be educated and empowered in what to do and why it matters. Compliance and safety training is not a regulatory checkbox in food service, retail, health, beauty, and childcare industries—it’s a core brand safeguard.
“Your brand is only as strong as your riskiest location. That’s why compliance and safety training must be built on repetition, accountability, and relevance,” said Gullan.
Too often, safety and compliance training are treated as a one-time onboarding event. However, the nature of risk management demands ongoing education and repetition. Policies change, laws update, teams turn over, and human memory fades. That’s why world-class franchise systems implement regular, recurring microlearning modules, on-the-job refreshers, and annual certification or retraining requirements to keep safety in mind. Gullan suggested the following best practices:
- Monthly Content CapsulesTM on compliance topics to reinforce behavior.
- Scenario-based eLearning is based on real-world, everyday risk situations.
- Readily available and downloadable checklists and resources, and walk-through guides to support teams when they need it.
- Analytics to track completion, knowledge acquisition, and knowledge gaps.
- Live drills or mystery audits to test real-time readiness.
Ongoing education is the difference between surviving and thriving
Training is not a one-and-done activity. As technology evolves, customer expectations shift, and market conditions change, franchise teams must continue learning to stay competitive. LinkedIn’s 2024 Workplace Learning Report found that companies with strong learning cultures are 92% more likely to innovate and 56% more likely to be first to market. eLearning is a highly effective form of franchise education and could be supported by in-person coaching, performance support tools, and access to an always-updated knowledge base. “A fully embedded franchise education programme does more than ensure consistency—it drives performance, sales, and revenue,” said Gullan.
“We used to invest reactively—in damage control, support calls, and retraining after mistakes. Once we invested in education proactively, the calls stopped, the NPS scores climbed, and franchisees started thinking like partners, not passengers.”
Franchise Operations Lead, National Service Brand
“We used to wonder why some locations flourished and others lagged. Once we rolled out network-wide sales training, the gaps began to close. It wasn’t magic—it was education.”
Lead, Quick Service Franchise
“After implementing network-wide sales training, our franchisees began to act less like local business owners and more like brand partners. That shift alone led to a 15% increase in conversion rates.”
National Franchise Director, Retail Sector
Successful franchise networks know that brand reputation is built on consistent frontline execution—delivered by informed, empowered people and backed by reliable support teams. However, even the best systems are only as strong as the training their people receive. Education isn’t a support function; it’s a strategic advantage. If your franchise is serious about consistency, growth, and long-term resilience, education must be embedded into the core of your model—continually, deliberately, and everywhere. “Franchises that neglect training don’t just stagnate—they fall behind. Those that thrive train early, often, and with intention,” concluded Gullan.
