Feeling The Love: Five Keys To A Successful Franchise Relationship
Valentine's Day is just around the corner - a time to celebrate the important relationships in our lives and to show our appreciation for our loved ones.
For most of us, a romantic relationship that is life-long and fulfilling is a personal goal that we strive to achieve. And the same applies to business relationships too - whilst the connections we look to build may not last a lifetime, we look for synergy, shared values, passion and trust as foundations for success.
The franchisor-franchisee relationship is a unique and complex one. It is sometimes likened to the relationship between parent and child, but to describe it as that does neither party true service. A long and successful franchise relationship is not one that is characterised by dependency or control - it is a contractual relationship between two adults and one which if nurtured and valued on both sides can reap significant long term rewards.
So, as we approach this annual celebration of love, what are the five key factors that can help franchisor and franchisee forge a happy, successful and longstanding franchise partnership?
Shared vision
Having interests in common and shared values and life goals is seen as a cornerstone for success in relationships in our personal lives, and the same applies in franchising. The franchisor will have created the product or service, the brand identity and ethos and it is vital that any franchisee coming on board as part of the network shares their passion and enthusiasm for the brand in order to be a great ambassador, to attract and retain customers and to achieve commercial success. Its also important that the franchisor has a clear vision for the business and articulates that to the franchisee - that way, not only will the franchisee understand what is expected of them and what success looks like, it will also help them to understand the motivation and reasoning behind any strategic decisions that the franchisor makes and in turn more receptive to them.
Open communication
Just as within any marriage or personal partnership, central to a positive relationship between both parties to the franchise agreement is open and honest communication. There should be regular conversations between franchisor and franchisee, so that the franchisor has a good awareness of how the franchisee’s business journey is progressing and any challenges that they might be facing. The franchisee must have routes to contact the franchisor when needed, to feel that they can approach the franchisor with any issues they may be experiencing or any feedback, and to know that the franchisor is in touch with what is happening "at the coal face" of the business. And just as in any successful relationship, the ability to listen to each other and give and receive feedback in a constructive manner means that both parties will learn from each other, which in turn will not only strengthen their bond, but also benefit the overall business as well as the franchisee's own venture.
Support
During the lifetime of any personal relationship, there will be periods when each party will need additional help, support and motivation from the other party to assist them to overcome difficulties or to achieve goals. And in the same way, for the franchisor franchisee relationship to be a long term and successful one, the franchisee must feel properly supported throughout the business journey. Not only will that help to identify additional training needs and development opportunities to help the franchisee to succeed and grow and feel professionally fulfilled, if the franchisee sees that the franchisor is present and engaged in the business and spends time on ensuring that the franchisees are helped and supported, then they will feel seen, important and valued.
Address issues when they arise
"Don't go to bed on an argument" as the saying goes. If negative emotions are allowed to fester, or uncomfortable situations are left unaddressed, then the chances are that rebalancing any relationship will become more difficult or even impossible to do. A happy and engaged franchise network is a franchisors biggest asset, but as any franchisor will know, one disgruntled franchise owner can quickly begin to influence other members of the network. Identifying and tackling any issues when they arise may not be an easy or comfortable conversation to have but doing so at an early stage is the best way to get the franchise relationship back on track.
Show appreciation for each other
Respect and appreciation are fundamental to a happy relationship - it is human nature to seek affirmation and to want to be applauded for things that we have achieved. Grand and expensive gestures aren't always wanted or needed, but small and impactful ways of acknowledging successes or thanking a person for effort made or help given will always have a positive impact. A strong franchise network operates as a team, with the whole network working together to achieve shared goals. If a franchisor takes time to share and celebrate individual successes then this will help to foster a positive franchise culture, to make franchisees feel appreciated and to provide inspiration for the wider team too. Equally, a relationship is a two-sided thing and being a franchisor can be tough and unrelenting at times. Small and positive actions such as responding to franchisor communications, expressing thanks for updates and improvements or gratitude for help and support can help to show the franchisor that their efforts are seen and appreciated, and to keep them motivated too.
Building a strong and long lasting franchisor-franchisee relationship takes time and effort. But if that relationship is based on shared vision and goals, with good communication, mutual appreciation and respect, and forged within a supportive environment then both parties will gain real value from it, both commercially and personally.
