Greg Nathan’s Best-selling book,  The Franchisor’s Guide to Improving Field Visits, includes a 6-step process for structuring visits with franchisees. Anyone who conducts coaching or business improvement meetings will find this book useful. One of the steps, Nitty-Gritty, is where meaningful conversations should take place. Here are 10 tips to improve the effectiveness of these conversations.

1. Watch for signs of defensiveness, boredom, or distraction. If necessary, slow down, speed up, or change your focus to be more in tune with the behavioral style of the franchisee.
2. Create a safe psychological space. Adopt a calm, friendly and curious attitude, speak openly, minimise distractions and ensure the conversation can’t be heard by customers or staff.
3. Ensure you and the franchisee are both operating from the same information. Often differences of opinion are fueled by incomplete information or uncorroborated ‘facts’.
4. If a franchisee keeps bringing up a past issue, provide evidence you have understood by empathically summarising the key facts and feelings in your own words. Then respectfully request if it’s okay to move on and focus on the future.
5. When reviewing metrics, first ask for their views on what they see and why they think their business is trending in a particular way. Then, if necessary, share your own interpretation.
6. Before jumping in with advice on how to fix something, first ask if they want to hear your thoughts. Providing solutions to a problem you may not fully understand, or for which they may already have an answer, can come across as patronising.
7. When addressing sensitive issues, remind them of your positive intentions, refer to relevant information or previous agreements, and ensure any requests are fair.
8. Demonstrate respect by keeping your phone off and focusing fully on what is happening in the meeting. If you are expecting an important call, mention this beforehand.
9. Where possible, link any requests for action to how these will contribute to business profitability, brand alignment and a better working relationship.
10. Always keep in mind that visits and conversations should be conducted with a franchisee, and not to a franchisee.

If you found these tips useful, they are an example of the information you’ll be exposed to in the Foundation Field Manager Bootcamp.

Announcing new BOOTCAMPS for European and South Africa field managers

Due to popular demand, we are now offering an additional Foundation Field Manager Bootcamps, for European and South African time zones. The average satisfaction rating for these courses is 93%. Note that while this program teaches vital foundational principles, it is not a beginner’s course. The techniques, skills and processes taught are relevant to business consultants and managers at all levels of experience.

In response to requests from Europe, Asia and South Africa, we are also offering the Foundation Field Manager Bootcamp at a Eurasia-friendly time. This will be the last opportunity this year for field managers in these time zones to attend this program at such a convenient time.

Format: Five 2-hour sessions conducted virtually.
Price: AU$670 per person. Discounts apply for bookings of five or more.
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Greg Nathan

No-one understands what it takes to succeed in franchising like Greg Nathan. Greg has been a business psychologist for 40 years and is Founder of the highly respected Franchise Relationships Institute. His unique insights into how franchisees and franchisors can maximize their successes comes from his extensive research, and practical work, with over 550 franchise brands. Greg is author of several best-selling franchising books including Profitable Partnerships, and developer of many influential franchising models such as The Franchise E-Factor. He has also been the recipient of numerous awards for his contribution to the global franchising sector, including the IFA Crystal Compass Award for franchisor leadership, and induction into the Australian Franchise Hall of Fame. Greg’s enthusiasm for franchising, and his balanced, down-to-earth approach, come from his deep respect for small business owners, and his experience as a successful multi-unit franchisee and senior franchisor executive.

www.franchiserelationships.com/