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The Candidate Lifecycle: FranFlow + FranTracker™ Aligned

Updated this week

FranTracker teaches the placement process in 6 educational phases:

  1. Reading Your Prospects – Candidate Interview & Qualification

  2. Pre-Registration & Franchise Matching

  3. Franchise Presentation – Recommendations Review Call

  4. Candidate Introductions

  5. Coaching Process

  6. Legal & Placement

FranFlow expands this into 12 pipeline stages to support automation, tracking, and reporting.

Below is the aligned breakdown.

1. New Lead

Move a candidate here when:

  • A new inquiry is created

  • A form is submitted

  • A lead is imported

  • A sync creates a new contact

  • No outreach has occurred

Move them OUT when:

  • You attempt first contact

→ Move to: Contacting

Do NOT:

  • Leave leads here after outreach

  • Use this as a holding stage

2. Contacting

Move a candidate here when:

  • You have attempted outreach (call, text, email)

  • They have not responded yet

Move them OUT when:

  • They reply in any way
    → Move to: Engaging

  • They book a call
    → Move to: Intro Call Scheduled

Do NOT:

  • Move them to Engaging without a response

  • Leave them here indefinitely without follow-up

3. Engaging

Move a candidate here when:

  • They respond to outreach

  • A two-way conversation begins

  • You are qualifying them informally

Move them OUT when:

  • A formal call is scheduled
    → Move to: Intro Call Scheduled

  • They stop responding after engagement
    → Move back to: Contacting

Do NOT:

  • Skip this stage

  • Move directly from Contacting to Presentation

4. Intro Call Scheduled

Move a candidate here when:

  • A calendar event is booked for a discovery / intro call

Move them OUT when:

  • The call is completed
    → Move to: Reading Your Prospects

  • They miss the call
    → Move to: Intro Call No Show

Do NOT:

  • Leave completed calls in this stage

  • Move someone here without an actual booking

5. Intro Call No Show

Move a candidate here when:

  • They fail to attend a scheduled intro call

Move them OUT when:

  • They reschedule and book a new call
    → Move back to: Intro Call Scheduled

  • They disengage
    → Move to: Long-Term Nurture

Do NOT:

  • Keep serious candidates stuck here

Important: This connects to the workflow automation for appointment no shows. Check out the workflow automation content to learn more!

6. Reading Your Prospects

(FranTracker Connected)

Move a candidate here when:

  • You have completed the intro call

  • You have gathered:

    • Goals

    • Investment level

    • Financial position

    • Market preference

    • Ownership model

  • You are analyzing fit before recommending brands

This is your qualification confirmation stage.

Move them OUT when:

  • You are actively preparing franchise matches
    → Move to: Pre-Registration & Franchise Matching

Do NOT:

  • Present franchises before this stage

  • Skip this step if qualification isn’t complete

7. Pre-Registration & Franchise Matching

(FranTracker Connected)

Move a candidate here when:

  • You are performing:

    • Territory checks

    • Business model alignment

    • Brand research

  • You are building 3–4 recommendations

Move them OUT when:

  • A recommendations call is scheduled
    → Move to: Franchise Presentations

Do NOT:

  • Move here without confirmed financial qualification

  • Present brands without territory validation

8. Franchise Presentations

(FranTracker Connected)

Move a candidate here when:

  • You are actively presenting franchise recommendations

Move them OUT when:

  • Candidate selects 1–2 brands to explore
    → Move to: Candidate Introductions

Do NOT:

  • Leave candidates here after presentation

  • Move to introductions without clear interest

9. Candidate Introductions

(FranTracker Connected)

Move a candidate here when:

  • You formally introduce them to a franchisor

  • Introductory brand calls are scheduled

Move them OUT when:

  • Validation and deeper evaluation begins
    → Move to: Coaching Process

Do NOT:

  • Skip this stage if brand introductions occur

  • Keep them here after validation calls begin

10. Coaching Process

(FranTracker Connected)

Move a candidate here when:

  • They are:

    • Speaking to franchisees

    • Reviewing the FDD

    • Attending discovery day

    • Evaluating final decision

Move them OUT when:

  • They commit to move forward
    → Move to: Legal & Placement

  • They pause but do not decline
    → Move to: Long-Term Nurture

Do NOT:

  • Move to Legal & Placement without brand commitment

11. Legal & Placement

(FranTracker Connected)

Move a candidate here when:

  • They select a franchise

  • They enter agreement review

  • They are working with a franchise attorney

  • They are moving toward signing

Move them OUT when:

  • Franchise agreement is signed and fees are paid
    → Mark placement complete (remain here for reporting)

  • They withdraw before signing
    → Move to: Long-Term Nurture

Do NOT:

  • Move here for “maybe” decisions

  • Move here before official brand selection

12. Long-Term Nurture

Move a candidate here when:

  • They are not actively progressing

  • They have not declined

  • Timeline extended

  • Financial readiness delayed

Move them OUT when:

  • They re-engage
    → Move back to appropriate active stage

Do NOT:

  • Delete Opportunities prematurely

  • Treat this as “Lost”

Core Movement Rules

  1. Only move forward when the real-world event happens.

  2. Do not skip stages.

  3. One active Opportunity per candidate.

  4. Use Long-Term Nurture instead of deleting serious leads.

  5. Stages 6–11 should align with FranTracker activity.

Related Articles
Let’s Compare: FranFlow & FranTracker™
What is a Smart List? How should I create and manage Smart Lists?
What Is an Opportunity and when should I use one?
How to Audit Your Pipeline
How to Use Notes in FranFlow
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