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Published March 31, 2021

Franchisee Vision Plans: The Most Effective Tool You’re NOT Using

Remember the movie Jerry Maguire? In one scene, Jerry makes an impassioned plea to his star football player client Rod Tidwell: “Help me…. help you. Help me, help you.”

Rod certainly had a vision for where he wanted his career to go. Jerry just needed to align his expectations with Rod’s vision to get them both on the road to success.

Most franchise companies have a crystal clear vision of where they want to go. But the mistake many franchisors make is not requiring their franchisees to have their own vision.

When you look at the top performing franchisees within any system, it’s not the brand’s vision, prior work experience, or specialized skills that sets them apart, but rather, a clear, personalized vision for their business and what they want to get out of it over time.

Yet, rarely do franchisors require franchisees to formally create a plan for capturing, sharing, and linking personal goals to business goals.

When franchisors clearly connect the dots for franchisees, and then coach them effectively, system-wide performance will skyrocket.

Implementing a franchisee vision plan program is the most effective way to set expectations and align franchisees’ goals with the goals of the organization. It does take some effort, but the results are well worth it.

Start putting vision plans to work in your organization with these three steps:

  1. Create a framework. Have your franchisees develop a detailed, written description of what their life and business will look like in the future, typically three to five years out, and define exactly what “success” looks like.
  2. Build a team. Form a Vision Plan Committee, separate from your franchisee advisory council, to create a vision plan template and pilot the program. It should include a mix of newer and more senior franchisees as well as the CEO and members of your ops, communications, and field support teams.
  3. Put the program into action. Once your committee has laid the groundwork, roll out the program. It should be a tool to help everyone align expectations and achieve their goals. If you find things that aren’t working, tweak the program as needed to make it work for your company.

Related Content: eBook


Franchisee Vision PlanningHow to Design an Effective Franchisee Vision Plan Program

What sets the top-performing franchisees apart? A clear, personalized vision for their business. This eBook is a must-read for any franchisor that wants to increase franchisee satisfaction and improve performance across your system. 

About the Author: Ali Forman

As the Marketing Director, Ali’s role is to educate franchise companies about and inspire them to participate in FBR’s research in order to grow and improve their brands. Ali's previous experience includes senior marketing communications roles in the employee benefits, data privacy, and publishing sectors. She lives in Maine with her husband and two sons.
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