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Keep ReadingEffective coaching is a crucial tool for boosting performance. Most franchisors offer extensive training for new franchisees to get them up and running. The fundamentals matter, of course, but what about the franchisees who have already mastered the basics of the business? Ongoing coaching is what helps them take performance to the next level.
Legendary NFL coach Vince Lombardi once said, “They call it coaching but it is teaching. You do not just tell them…you show them the reasons.” Whether we’re talking about the gridiron or franchising, the same lesson applies.
If you want your franchise “team” to take their performance to the next level, you need to help them identify their goals and give them the guidance they need to stay on track. These four tips, shared by Greg Nathan at the Franchise Relationships Institute, can help you show them how to get there.
4 Tips for Coaching Franchisees
- Instill motivation. Franchisees like to know how they’re performing in relation to others in the network. Give feedback against financial benchmarks so they can see where they stand. This type of feedback is highly motivating, especially by longer standing franchisees.
- Play defense. Look for warning signs BEFORE franchisees are in trouble. Financial and business acumen leads to productive discussions about how to use data to improve profitability.
- Promote teamwork. Establish meetings that encourage collaboration and sharing. Franchisors need to facilitate frequent small and large meetings of franchisees without being overly controlling. Franchisees like meetings that are positive, interesting, and enable them to share thoughts and ideas.
- Recognize the captains on your team. The best learning often occurs when franchisees help each other. Provide opportunities for ongoing learning and group mentoring. Franchisees want access to meaningful, ongoing training in the areas of financial management, people management, marketing, and personal development.
By creating a culture of learning and support within your system, both you and your team are positioned for a win.
For more ideas on coaching your franchisees to success, read Greg Nathan’s book, The Franchise Relationships Book of Tips, and download FBR’s eBook, How to Design an Effective Franchisee Vision Plan Program, which includes a step-by-step plan with tools and templates for helping franchisees link personal goals to business goals.