Greetings,
There was a comment/question on the last blog about agendas. Please read the question and answer.
Having an agenda is a great thing. Sticking to the agenda even loosly is an even better thing. I suggest both sides have a written agenda for a visit. Actually, it shouldn't be called a visit, it should be called a "business consultation". That helps make it more professional and have a great likelyhood for it to accomplish something. You relatives come to "visit".
First, either the representitive should call and ask you about coming for a business consultation and asking for an meeting day, time, agenda, and time period available.
It works the same way if you call as a franchisee and set up the appointment. Then the rep should type out the agenda with your issues and their issues with approximate times alocationed for each topic and send it to you. If you told the rep you have 2 hours to meet, but the agenda is full enough for 6 hours, then you should be able to select the critical issues that you wish to cover or change the time you will have to spend together before it is finalized.
I do this, and then I double check that everything is set before I make plane reservations. Then I send the franchisee a reminder email about the vist, then I call again a couple of days before I show up.
Unfortunately, about 1 in 20 visits, I arrive to find the franchisee gone or too busy to meet and I am redirected to a secretary. I am not happy when this happens. Aside from being rude, it is a tremendous waste of money and the franchisee will be put on my list of people I rarely visit, unless it was unavoidable.
Franchisees, please keep in mind that I am coming to help you and we only have so much time each year together. If I arrive and you want to ignore the agenda and spend your time telling me about your vacation, kids, going to the bank, and taking every call that comes in the office, I will still be sorry when you go out of business.
Fran
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Sunday, March 23, 2008
I'm Coming To Visit
Hello Franchise,
I'm going to be in your area in two weeks and I want to come by for a consultation.....
What are you thinking at that point? Let me guess.
I'm too busy. I don't need anything. I don't want to be inspected. I don't want her to see what I am doing. I don't want to hear the latest propaganda from the corporate office. She is just a spy for the corporate office. She is just looking for something to write me up for. I haven't done anything she asked me to do last time she came. She is going to hit me up for the paperwork I havne't turned in.
What am I thinking? You might be surprised.
I want to be kept in the loop of what you are doing so I can help you stay on the right path. I need to be able to tell the corporate office how you are doing. I want to make sure you know about all the new programs we are launching. I want to know if you need any special training so I can get it arranged. I want to find out what you are doing that is working well so I can pass it on to the other franchisees.
I want to make sure that the customer is getting a consistant experience so the brand is protected and everyone's business stays valuable.
I am comming to visit you in a couple of weeks and I hope you have your agenda of things to talk about ready so that we talk about what you want to talk about, not the list of things that just went through your mind when I said I was coming.
Fran
I'm going to be in your area in two weeks and I want to come by for a consultation.....
What are you thinking at that point? Let me guess.
I'm too busy. I don't need anything. I don't want to be inspected. I don't want her to see what I am doing. I don't want to hear the latest propaganda from the corporate office. She is just a spy for the corporate office. She is just looking for something to write me up for. I haven't done anything she asked me to do last time she came. She is going to hit me up for the paperwork I havne't turned in.
What am I thinking? You might be surprised.
I want to be kept in the loop of what you are doing so I can help you stay on the right path. I need to be able to tell the corporate office how you are doing. I want to make sure you know about all the new programs we are launching. I want to know if you need any special training so I can get it arranged. I want to find out what you are doing that is working well so I can pass it on to the other franchisees.
I want to make sure that the customer is getting a consistant experience so the brand is protected and everyone's business stays valuable.
I am comming to visit you in a couple of weeks and I hope you have your agenda of things to talk about ready so that we talk about what you want to talk about, not the list of things that just went through your mind when I said I was coming.
Fran
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Franchise Consistancy Part 2
Hi from the road,
Last time we looked at the question of whether or not it would be OK to start selling diet ice cream if our franchise didn't offer diet ice cream.
It might not seem like a problem, but what happens to the customer who buys diet ice cream and likes it, but gets mad when she stops at another store in the same franchise just to get that diet ice cream and then finds out that they don't carry her favorite ice cream that she made a special stop for. The customer's expectations have been confused and let down.
What if the customer doesn't like the diet ice cream and it even makes her sick. She complains to the main corporate office. Then what? Not only does that make you look bad, it reflects on all the same franchisees.
What if you are out there doing things your own way not following the operation plan and then you decide to sell the business. What kind of value do you think it has? If it needs you to run it, and you have been making all your own decisions, and it isn't like the other franchises, then why would they buy it? The further away you are from what are you supposed to be, the less the value for both you and other franchisees associated with the brand.
Remember it isn't about you. It isn't about the franchisor. It is all about the customer and the organization as a whole. Think back to why you bought a franchise. You wanted to be part of a team and part of a whole.
Come on back to herd....or at least come back to the ranch.
Fran
Last time we looked at the question of whether or not it would be OK to start selling diet ice cream if our franchise didn't offer diet ice cream.
It might not seem like a problem, but what happens to the customer who buys diet ice cream and likes it, but gets mad when she stops at another store in the same franchise just to get that diet ice cream and then finds out that they don't carry her favorite ice cream that she made a special stop for. The customer's expectations have been confused and let down.
What if the customer doesn't like the diet ice cream and it even makes her sick. She complains to the main corporate office. Then what? Not only does that make you look bad, it reflects on all the same franchisees.
What if you are out there doing things your own way not following the operation plan and then you decide to sell the business. What kind of value do you think it has? If it needs you to run it, and you have been making all your own decisions, and it isn't like the other franchises, then why would they buy it? The further away you are from what are you supposed to be, the less the value for both you and other franchisees associated with the brand.
Remember it isn't about you. It isn't about the franchisor. It is all about the customer and the organization as a whole. Think back to why you bought a franchise. You wanted to be part of a team and part of a whole.
Come on back to herd....or at least come back to the ranch.
Fran
Friday, March 14, 2008
Franchise Consistancy-Is It Important?
Greetings from the Arid Southwest,
Is franchise consistency important? If you go in McDonald's would you be surprised to see them serving BBQ sandwiches? Or course you would! Would it upset you? Probably not, as long as they had "added to" not "substituted for" whatever you came in for. That is the way many franchisees think.
It is important for all franchises to have a consistent operating system and for franchisees to know how important it is for them to follow it. When franchisees go down a different path, they devalue the brand for everyone. It is the responsibility of the franchisor to protect the brand for all the other franchisees.
What if the operating system doesn't work for everyone all over the country? What if you have an ice cream franchise in a city where people are very weight conscious but your franchise don't offer sugar-free ice cream? You know you would sell a lot of sugar-free ice cream.... Nobody would probably even find out.....What harm would it do? We'll talk about the harm next time.
Fran
Is franchise consistency important? If you go in McDonald's would you be surprised to see them serving BBQ sandwiches? Or course you would! Would it upset you? Probably not, as long as they had "added to" not "substituted for" whatever you came in for. That is the way many franchisees think.
It is important for all franchises to have a consistent operating system and for franchisees to know how important it is for them to follow it. When franchisees go down a different path, they devalue the brand for everyone. It is the responsibility of the franchisor to protect the brand for all the other franchisees.
What if the operating system doesn't work for everyone all over the country? What if you have an ice cream franchise in a city where people are very weight conscious but your franchise don't offer sugar-free ice cream? You know you would sell a lot of sugar-free ice cream.... Nobody would probably even find out.....What harm would it do? We'll talk about the harm next time.
Fran
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Franchisees I Don't Like to Visit
Franchisees I don't like to visit are rare, but there are a few with traits I don't like to be around,
Franchisees who are "know it alls" and argue with everything I say. I don't mind if they will listen, then we can discuss different points of view, then we can agree to disagree, but outright arguing that they know better about everything, even if they don't have any experience yet in business.
Franchisees who think we are all call 24/7. I do work a lot of extra hours and will often answer the phone on vacation or nights. Having a franchisee outraged that I didn't get their call on Saturday or Sunday doesn't help my wanting to go out of my way for them in the future.
Franchisees who think they should receive "special attention" because they have my money or think "they have more potential" than someone else. You do not move to head of every list just because you think you should. Every franchise agreement says support will be given as the support person deems necessary.
Franchisees who think you should always buy their meal because you have an expense account and because they pay royalties. Royalty money is paid to use the brand, not to buy all future lunches and dinners when you are visited.
In general, franchisees are a joy to work with and I enjoy visiting them and being part of their business and helping them be successful.
Fran
Franchisees who are "know it alls" and argue with everything I say. I don't mind if they will listen, then we can discuss different points of view, then we can agree to disagree, but outright arguing that they know better about everything, even if they don't have any experience yet in business.
Franchisees who think we are all call 24/7. I do work a lot of extra hours and will often answer the phone on vacation or nights. Having a franchisee outraged that I didn't get their call on Saturday or Sunday doesn't help my wanting to go out of my way for them in the future.
Franchisees who think they should receive "special attention" because they have my money or think "they have more potential" than someone else. You do not move to head of every list just because you think you should. Every franchise agreement says support will be given as the support person deems necessary.
Franchisees who think you should always buy their meal because you have an expense account and because they pay royalties. Royalty money is paid to use the brand, not to buy all future lunches and dinners when you are visited.
In general, franchisees are a joy to work with and I enjoy visiting them and being part of their business and helping them be successful.
Fran
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Franchisees I Like To Visit
Hola from the deep South,
Other than a couple of personality clashes, I like all the franchisees I am around, but some I like better than others. Here are a few things I appreciate from the franchisees or like to be around.
Other than a couple of personality clashes, I like all the franchisees I am around, but some I like better than others. Here are a few things I appreciate from the franchisees or like to be around.
- Coffee is ready when I get there in the morning and is offered to me right off the bat. The only thing worse than not having any coffee to drink for a morning meetings, is having smell coffee and eventually break down and ask for a cup.
- Franchisees who ask my opinion and then follow it.
- Franchisees who treat me like a friend and offer to make my stay in town better by offering to go to dinner or do something social.
- Franchisees who buy my lunch occasionally, even knowing that I have an expense account.
- Franchisees who thank me for coming there and even tell me how much they appreciate my help. Yes, it's my job, but I go above and beyond and they realize it.
- Franchisees who have done what I asked them to do since the last visit. I helps me feel like I am making a difference and it helps me not be judgemental about what I think they should have been doing with their time.
Next time, franchisees I don't like to visit,
Fran
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