Page 132 - Entrepreneur - USA (January - February 2020)

THE FRANCHISE

best franchisors) use them in roughly that proportion. And they munication. Every day, try to think of a franchisee you haven’t spo-
know communication must flow up as well as down. ken to in a while—and give them a call. Check in. Ask how you can
The most successful franchisors diligently provide their fran- help. Ask what they’re struggling with.
chisees with frequent, useful communication—which means more Of course, as a franchisor’s system grows, eventually they will
than the occasional email, newsletter, or perfunctory visit from lose the capacity to answer every call or personally respond to every
their field representative. Today, it is all too tempting to rely on the concern. But person-to-person communication can still happen.
internet for communications, but deper- Consider launching a dedicated fran-
sonalizing the relationship is a big mis- chisee support line, one where a human
take. Time and again, well-intentioned being answers—never an automated
emails or texts can be misinterpreted Well-intentioned emails or attendant. Set up a technology plat-
and create a firestorm. Do not make the texts can be misinterpreted. form to track all communications with
mistake of believing an email can sub- Do not make the mistake franchisees. (Those records of calls and
stitute for human contact. of believing an email can summaries of emails can be vital if a
Relationships are built with dialogue, substitute for human contact. dispute ever arises!) Companies can
and good franchisors are careful to cre- also appoint one person as the commu-
ate multiple venues for constructive nications manager—someone who can
two-way conversations, from annual ensure all system-wide messages and
conventions and regional meetings to advisory and advertising coun- alerts use consistent tone, and contain accurate information.
cils. But in addition to this kind of institutionalized communication, Formalizing these systems is also a step toward conducting valu-
simple, day-to-day accessibility should never be overlooked. able research. Having spoken with hundreds of franchisors, I can
If you’re a franchisor, and a franchisee calls you? Pick up the say with some certainty that very few of them conduct any mean-
phone! If you missed the call and receive a message or a voicemail, ingful research on franchisee attitudes and opinions. Instead, they
respond the same day. On the flip side, be proactive in your com- rely on their gut instinct. But gut instinct is often biased by our

Franchise

Opportunities

Available

Contact
Annette Bagwell
abagwell@goldencorral.net
800-284-5673 ext. 4479

See more pictures and information at
www.goldencorralfranchise.com/ent