From the day you open your doors, great franchise relationships are crucial for the success and growth of your emerging franchise business. However, it’s never too late to start building strong relationships with your franchisees.
In fact, it’s essential to take steps to improve your communication and relationship with franchisees, even if you are in the franchise development process. In this article, we’ll share some tips to help you establish and maintain great relationships with your franchisees.
Be Transparent
Open and honest communication is key in any successful relationship. Be transparent about your business practices, expectations, and goals. This transparency will help build trust with your franchisees and create a more cohesive franchise community.
Provide Training and Support
Offer comprehensive training programs for new franchisees and ongoing support for existing ones. This will help them succeed and grow their business. Providing training and support shows that you care about their success and are invested in their growth.
Foster a Sense of Community
Encourage franchisees to share their experiences, ideas, and best practices. This will help create a sense of community among franchisees and strengthen their commitment to the brand. A strong franchise community is crucial for building a successful franchise business.
Listen to Feedback
Be receptive to feedback from your franchisees and take their suggestions and concerns seriously. This will help build trust and show that you value their input. By listening to your franchisees, you can gain valuable insights into how to improve your franchise system and grow your business.
Maintain Consistent Branding
Ensure that all franchisees adhere to the same branding guidelines and maintain a consistent level of quality across all locations. This will help maintain the integrity of the brand and build customer loyalty. Consistent branding is essential for building a strong and recognizable franchise brand.
Reward Success
Recognize and reward franchisees who are performing well. Celebrating their success will motivate them to continue to perform at a high level. Recognizing success is an excellent way to build morale and keep franchisees engaged.
Continuously Innovate
Stay ahead of the curve by continuously improving your products, services, and systems. This will keep franchisees engaged and motivated and help your business stay competitive in the market. By continuously innovating, you can keep your franchise system fresh and exciting for franchisees and customers alike.
Critical Steps to Take Today
Start a Franchise Advisory Council
Establishing a Franchise Advisory Council early in your franchise’s development process is ideal. Your council should provide an opportunity for franchisees to share ideas and solutions and connect with each other. As your franchise system grows and you add more locations and owners, the council membership can rotate, but it’s essential to start right away.
Hire and Work with a Franchise Business Consultant
As your franchise system grows, communication becomes more complex. Hiring a franchise business consultant can help you manage communication and organize franchise operations. Your consultant should communicate regularly with your franchisees and visit their locations. The right consultant can be a valuable investment in your franchise system’s growth and success.
Have Regular Conferences with All Owners
Hold regular webinars and town hall-style meetings to keep franchisees engaged and informed. This communication can be an opportunity for franchisees to contribute their insights and ideas. Listening to franchisees is essential for maintaining a strong and successful franchise system.
In Conclusion . . .
Carefully defining how the franchisor/franchisee relationship should work is key. And remember, clear expectations make everything work better. You start this process before owners even sign their franchise agreements.
Remember, how you start is how you end. As part of the pre-sale discovery process, outline how the franchisor/franchisee relationship works in your system.
Evan is the CEO of Ingage Consulting, Delta Payment Systems and an advisor to Tortal Training. Reach Evan at ehackel@ingage.net, 781-820 7609 or visit www.evanhackelspeaks.com
Evan Hackel, Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker, Podcaster
As author, speaker and Evan Hackel has been instrumental in launching more than 20 businesses and has managed a portfolio of brands with systemwide sales of more than $5 billion. He is the creator of Ingaged Leadership, is author of the book Ingaging Leadership Meets the Younger Generation, and is a thought leader in the fields of leadership and success.