SKYPE - Use It To Keep In Touch

Franchisees and fellow franchise field reps,

Are you using Skype? Never heard of it? You can put a small webcam-microphone combo in your pocket and look at your franchisees while you talk to them if they have one. They can at least see you, if they don't. If they do have one, they can walk the laptop around if they have wireless internet and show you thing they want you to see, like a broken machine or something on a computer screen.

Franchisees can see each other with Skype. This is important if franchisees are in remote areas and aren't close to other fellow franchisees. Sure they talk on the phone, but they feel like they are getting to know the other person better when they see them.

Use Skype to have meetings. Travel costs are going up. One of the best webcams is $100 or less. That is cheap compared to holding a meeting and getting people all together. Maybe your company would pay for part of the cost in exchange for you visiting as often. YOu can have one franchisee on the line, or as many as your want. Having a meeting, but somebody can't make it because they just broke their leg? Have them log in to Skype and you have your webcam hooked to your laptop and it will be the next best thing to being there.

Skype is free. Free. You can talk to your franchisees AND see them, AND it is free anytime of day.

Some company used to advertise "The next best thing to being there" I don't remember who it was, but it should have been Skype.

Fran