Nearly every person in business that I’ve met has been kind and has had good intentions. But even if that’s the case we can all get busy and take for granted the relationships we have in our work.
Growing franchises have a lot of great things going on. But it can be easy to not have the time to build healthy relationships with all franchisees. It’s important to make this a part of your routine as a leader at a franchise.
Here are some additional thoughts on how to build and maintain healthy relationships with your franchisees.
1. Look For and Focus On The Positive
We usually get what we focus on. Almost all franchises that I’ve met are positive. They bring on new franchisees and are excited and positive. The key is making sure this persists throughout the relationship. If you’re looking for the positives in people you’ll usually find great qualities. Then you can help them prosper by focusing on their strengths and helping with any weaknesses.
2. Show Interest and Curiosity
New franchisees are usually excited and full of energy. They also often bring new ideas and perspectives to the business. It’s important to listen with interest and curiosity. You want them to follow the processes that have worked. You will probably have to turn down most of their ideas, but some may be things to test. You want to encourage and build upon excitement and energy that franchisees bring to your business.
3. You Work For Them
You probably already know this, but it’s worth bringing up. Your goal with each franchisee is to help them be successful. If they’re successful, you’re successful. It’s one of the great things about the franchise industry. You both have the same goal. So make it part of your routine to work for your franchisees. If they’re struggling, help figure out a way to make the situation better. If they need short-term help, see if you can step in to provide assistance or provide a referral that can help.
4. Help With Improvement
No franchisee is the same. But they can all improve upon their current position. That’s true for all of us in every aspect of life. We can be better than we are today. Try to get franchisees competing against themselves. Just trying to get a little better each day. Ask them where they want to improve. Ask them what their daily plan is for doing it. Then check in and see if you can help them reach their goals.
5. Avoid Blame
Blame can be a killer in a relationship. It can lead to resentment. It doesn’t lead to improvement. Bad decisions will happen. We don’t all have strengths. The key is avoiding blame and focusing on how to move forward, if both parties still want to move forward.
Conclusion
Relationships are key in business. They’re very critical to the success of a franchise. It’s your job as a leader in a franchise to make sure your relationships with your franchisees are healthy. These are just a few things to look for and I really hope they inspire other ideas so that you’re thinking about current and future relationships. It’s for your success and the success of those you work with.