Franchise consultants typically follow up with candidates through a mix of phone calls, emails, and — increasingly — text messages. The challenge for most consultants is that they're running a one-person operation and can't be available the moment every candidate inquiry comes in.
A franchise consultant's follow-up problem is different from a franchisor's. They're managing multiple candidates across multiple brands simultaneously, often without a team. A candidate who inquires at 9pm on a Saturday doesn't get a response until Monday morning — not because the consultant doesn't care, but because they're one person. That delay costs deals.
The consultants who compete most effectively have some form of automated first response — a text that goes out immediately when a candidate inquiry comes in, buys time, and sets up the real conversation for when the consultant is available. Speed on the first touch, human on the follow-through.