Why Traditional Franchisee Support Doesn’t Work
People often ask me why I started AC Inc. The quick answer is that traditional franchisee support wasn’t working. How did I know this? Because I lived and breathed it on both the franchisor side – out in the field supporting franchisees, and as a franchisee who needed more than someone telling me my lightbulb was out.
Not as easy as it sounds – The challenge of franchisee support
Let me explain. You might know that I grew up as the daughter of a franchise founder whose company grew to almost 500 locations. In my early 20’s our area developer for western Canada needed an additional field team member who could get franchisees successfully up and running and then go back to support them to grow. My dad and the home office team figured I knew the brand inside and out so it should be easy for me.
Little did I know when agreeing to the role that I would face emotional and often disgruntled older male franchisees more than twice my age who had invested their life savings into this opportunity. Let’s just say there were a lot of unrealistic expectations in this picture. And yes, I could teach them everything I knew about the product, merchandising, how to give stellar customer service, and how to organize the walk-in freezer. What did I know about how to motivate franchisees, hold them accountable, and handle them putting me through the wringer for the decisions made by the home office??
Switching sides – Time to be my own boss
When I decided that “being my own boss” looked like a good idea, apart from the amount of debt I had to go into, I found myself on the other side of the franchise relationship as a franchisee. Now I was feeling the pains of having field support teams who lacked the social and emotional intelligence to truly help me achieve my financial goals and desired lifestyle. Telling me my lightbulb was out (which, by the way, was on backorder!) wasn’t helping me grow my business. Traditional support was not working.
What I really needed support with as a franchisee
What if instead, our field support looked like someone helping me get really clear on my longer-term goals and then helping me figure out what needed to be done to achieve them? Notice I said “helping me figure out”? Not just telling me what to do. I don’t know about you, but even though I signed up to be a franchisee and I wanted support from the franchisor, something about being told what to do just rubbed me the wrong way.
What type of support most franchisees need
What if someone had helped me figure out the steps I needed to take to get out of working IN my business so I could work ON it? And ultimately so I could GROW it. And then held me accountable by keeping me focused on my goals. THAT is what I needed. Over the years we have learned it is exactly what most franchisees need.
Why Proactive Coaching Works
Strategic planning, skill development, and goal setting are essential for empowering franchisees to thrive as confident and resilient business owners. By focusing on growth and adaptability, this approach not only improves individual franchisee performance but also elevates the success and reputation of the entire franchise system.
When franchisors prioritize this kind of coaching, they foster a culture of continuous improvement and alignment, ensuring long-term growth and system-wide impact. Proactive coaching not only makes your role as a field coach more impactful, but it also helps franchisees feel confident and prepared for the road ahead.
Effective Communication is Key
Our Effective Communications Foundations course kicking off February 25th teaches field support teams how to combine EQ and SQ principles with active listening and motivational questioning to empower franchisees to discover their own path forward.
