Franchise growth isn’t magic. It’s a method.
In this conversation, Jason Clark, former Global Growth Leader at BFT (Body Fit Training), explains how the brand grew from about 12 locations to more than 300 studios across 13 countries, selling over 500 territories along the way.
The formula wasn’t glamorous. It was consistent: commit to awareness, create content that answers real buyer questions, and design a sales engine that keeps working when you’re not.
1) Commit to Awareness (Even When CPL Looks Ugly)
BFT kept paid awareness running year-round, especially on Meta. They knew that top-of-funnel awareness feeds every other channel.
Website leads might close better than paid social, but paid social is what sparks the search in the first place. Treat Meta as your digital billboard. It introduces, nudges, and normalises your offer long before a form is filled.
Practical moves
- Keep consistent spend, and don’t “go dark” expecting your pipeline to recover later.
- Judge channels by booked meetings instead of raw lead volume.
- Add “How did you hear about us?” to your forms, but remember many “website” leads began on social.
Example: During BFT’s expansion, Meta campaigns generated up to 60% of initial awareness, even when the cost per lead looked inefficient on paper.
2) Sell the Franchisee, Not the Member
BFT learned quickly that their buyer wasn’t a gym member but a business operator.
Messaging shifted from “be your own boss” clichés to the numbers operators wanted: average revenue at opening, payback period, and membership metrics.
Local nuance mattered.
- Singapore: Focus on numbers first, including costs, margins, and yield.
- New Zealand: Lead with community and whānau, then share the financials.
- Australia and the US: Be open about performance, and keep expectations realistic. Transparency beats hype every time.
3) Radical Transparency Wins (and Filters)
It’s hard to sell a secret.
BFT made information easy to access. Prospects could view P&Ls, territory maps, and franchisee contacts without signing an NDA.
That honesty attracted the right people and filtered out the rest.
Set expectations clearly
- Share averages and ranges, with the assumptions behind them.
- Pair revenue with costs to avoid “million-dollar month” myths.
- Encourage prospects to speak with multiple franchisees, not just top performers.
Result: Transparency reduced unqualified calls by around 30% and improved conversion among serious buyers.
4) Build a Content Ladder (The Iron Man Model)
Think like a movie studio.
Start with your long-form “Iron Man” content, then cut it smaller.
- 3–5 minute deep dives: unit economics, build-out costs, franchisee stories.
- 30–60 second edits: short summaries for Meta, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
- 5–15 second clips: retargeting hooks and stat graphics to stay top of mind.
Host long-form content on your own channels such as YouTube and your website. Let the shorter clips push it out through paid and nurture campaigns.
5) Nurture for a 4–6 Month Decision Cycle
A franchise isn’t an impulse buy.
With a $350K–$400K investment, most prospects need months of information and reassurance. Early on, Jason followed up manually. Later, automation handled it so reps could focus on high-intent conversations.
Nurture ingredients
- Product walkthroughs and USPs
- Territory and demographic insights
- Sample P&Ls and finance guidance
- Site selection and partner support
- Franchisee testimonials from different regions
Impact: Automated nurturing increased meeting show-rates by 22% and cut average decision time by about five weeks.
6) Measure Meetings, Not Just Leads
Dashboards tracked more than form fills. They measured booked meetings per channel.
If a campaign filled calendars with qualified conversations, it stayed. If not, it was improved or paused. Leads don’t pay franchise fees, meetings do.
7) Expos and Portals: The Side Dishes
Fitness expos helped BFT build early credibility, but they rarely produced direct buyers. Franchise expos and portals added 10 to 15 quality leads per year. Useful, but not scalable. Treat them as side dishes, not the main meal.
8) Make Early Franchisees Your Forever Ambassadors
Your first operators in any market set the tone.
BFT supported its early adopters heavily with marketing help, local events, and media exposure. Those franchisees became organic salespeople for the next wave.
9) Design the Sales Engine (So Great Reps Don’t Burn Out)
Jason now helps brands install the kind of system that BFT used to scale.
His “engine” behind the salesperson includes:
- Persona-led paid strategy
- Optimised landing pages with longer qualifying forms to filter serious buyers
- Automated follow-ups and self-serve booking links
- Content that educates around the clock
- Simple, visual collateral anyone can understand
- Warm paths to finance, site selection, and trusted partners
The result is predictable pipeline growth without grinding your team down.
10) Don’t Ignore AI Search
People now ask AI tools questions like, “Is BFT a good franchise?”
If you don’t publish structured, accurate content such as financials, FAQs, and brand comparisons, AI will pull whatever data it can find.
Control your story with on-site pages, schema markup, and transparent information that search engines can parse and trust.
Bottom Line
Consistent marketing spend builds awareness.
Transparent content builds trust.
A structured sales engine converts that trust into territory sales without burning out your team.
Do the boring things brilliantly, and scale becomes a process, not a miracle.
Q1: Is BFT a profitable franchise to own?
Yes. Average first-year studios reach break-even within 12 to 16 months, depending on territory and operator effort.
Q2: How much does a BFT franchise cost?
Total investment is typically $350K to $400K AUD, including equipment, fit-out, and franchise fees.
Q3: How long does it take to open a studio?
Most studios open within four to six months, depending on site approvals.
Q4: Does BFT help with financing and site selection?
Yes. BFT provides finance introductions, demographic analysis, and lease negotiation support in every region.
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