Consulting vs. Coaching in Franchising: A Real-Time Balancing Act

By Stephanie Benze, Director of Education at AC Inc.

In This Article You’ll Learn How To:

• Spot when you’re consulting vs. coaching (and why it matters)
• Shift from fixing to facilitating with powerful language
• Use coaching tools that build franchisee ownership
• Support both new and top-performing franchisees more effectively

In the world of franchising, the line between consulting vs. coaching isn’t always clear, and that’s exactly the problem.

Field coaches live in the gray zone. One minute, you’re recommending a proven best practice to a new franchisee who’s barely got their bearings. The next minute, you’re holding space for a top performer looking to scale their operation with intention. It’s a constant dance between advising and guiding, fixing and empowering.

But, if you’re unaware of when that shift needs to happen, or worse, stuck in permanent “consultant mode”, you’re likely doing more harm than good. Not just for the franchisee, but also for the long-term health of your system.

Let’s break down the critical distinctions and learn how to navigate this balancing act with more clarity, strategy, and purpose.

Understanding the Gray Zone: When Are You Coaching, and When Are You Consulting?

Let’s be clear: both consulting and coaching are valuable. The key, however, is knowing when, and how, to switch between the two.

• Consulting is fast, tactical, and expertise-driven. You’re giving answers, offering direction, and leaning on your experience.
• Coaching is slow, strategic, and ownership-driven. You’re asking questions, developing the franchisee’s decision-making skills, and guiding them to build their own solutions.

And here’s the kicker: most conversations will contain both.

The real skill lies in naming the shift, for yourself and for the franchisee. Try something like:

🧢 “I’m putting my consulting hat on for a moment to share what’s worked for others…”
🎓 “Now let’s shift back, what do you think could work best for your team?”

Ultimately, this simple cue builds transparency and reinforces that coaching isn’t a lesser mode, it’s a deeper one.

Tool Tip: Create your own “hat-switching cheat sheet” with go-to phrases for shifting modes in real time.

Rewiring the Field Coach Mindset: From Fixer to Growth Guide

Here’s the truth: most field coaches got promoted because they’re amazing problem-solvers. Trainers, ops leaders, former GMs, they know how to get stuff done.

So when a franchisee brings a problem? Naturally, the instinct is to jump in and fix it.

But in reality, that instinct is a habit, not a strategy.

Coaching is about rewiring that knee-jerk reaction and instead asking:

• “Did I leave space for them to problem-solve?”
• “Did I jump in too fast with the answer?”
• “Did I rely on my knowledge instead of building theirs?”

Ultimately, these micro-checks might feel small. However, over time, they completely shift the ownership dynamic of your conversations.

The Cost of Staying in Consulting Mode

“Wanna feel like a human Band-Aid? Keep solving every problem for them.”
– Brecon Gage, Director of Advising

When you live in consulting mode, you’re actually limiting growth. As a result, here’s what that looks like:

• Overdependence: Franchisees look to you for answers instead of building confidence.
• Eroded Trust: You start to feel like a micromanager, not a growth partner.
• Burnout: Coaches carry the entire mental load of the system.

In short, if you’re doing all the thinking, they’re doing none of the growing. That’s not coaching, it’s triage. And it’s not scalable.

Coaching Isn’t Just for Strugglers: High Performers Need It, Too

There’s a myth we hear all the time: “Top operators don’t need coaching.”

A recent ACcelerator participant said it best: “Michael Jordan had a coach. So does Tiger Woods. Coaching isn’t about fixing, it’s about stretching potential.”

Coaching as a System-Wide Growth Catalyst

When done well, coaching doesn’t just help individual franchisees, it transforms the entire system. Specifically, real coaching:

✅ Reduces redundant support requests
✅ Increases franchisee satisfaction
✅ Improves unit-level performance
✅ Drives brand-wide innovation

Consulting is reactive. On the other hand, coaching is proactive. And proactive systems grow stronger from the inside out.

Tools That Shift the Dynamic from Coach-Led to Franchisee-Owned

To avoid falling into “chit-chat” mode, coaching must have structure.

Enter the Strategic Growth Coaching (SGC) Toolbox:

• Vision Planning: Helps them see what they’re working toward
• Action Plans (FUGs/Rocks): Breaks goals into steps
• Scorecards/Dashboards: Tracks progress
• Session Logs/Recaps: Keeps continuity between meetings

Used consistently, these tools don’t just organize the work, they transfer responsibility. In other words, that’s real coaching.

Reframing the “Why” for Franchisees

Some franchisees don’t “get” coaching, and that’s not their fault. They’ve been taught to expect answers.

Reset the relationship by clarifying your role:

• “I’m not here to give you all the answers, I’m here to help you build your own.”
• “I’ll always share best practices, but let’s start with what you’re seeing first.”

Consequently, transparency builds trust. Trust builds buy-in.

Bonus: The Coaching Growth Ladder

Bottom Line: Coaching is a Skill. Build It Like One.

Consulting is easy, but coaching is an art.

It takes practice, intentionality, and a solid structure, but when you get it right, it changes everything.

So whether you’re helping someone through a staffing crisis or helping them prep for multi-unit expansion, remember:

🎓 Don’t just solve problems, build people who solve them.

Stuck on a Rung of the Coaching Ladder?

Whether you’re a franchisor trying to level up your field support strategy, or a coach stuck toggling between telling and teaching, we’ve got the tools (and the team) to help.

• Franchisors: Explore our Executive Advising & Strategic Growth Coaching (SGC) implementation services
• Field Coaches: Get fully certified through the ACcelerator program and coach with clarity, confidence, and credibility

Let’s get you climbing again. Book a time to chat with our team and explore the right next step for your coaching journey.

Looking for level-ups in smaller bites?

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for insights, tools, and tips to sharpen your field coaching skills – one nugget at a time.

👉 Join the Newsletter

Thanks for reading! Now….