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

Implement a franchisee vision plan program in just three steps to make a positive impact on system-wide performance. 

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.

How to Implement a Franchisee Vision Plan Program

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.

Franchise Business Review offers a free guide that walks you through implementing an effective Franchisee Vision Planning program in your franchise system, including a vision planning template for franchisees. Download the guide now.

Measure the Results 

Too often, franchisees come into a system with unrealistic expectations about the business model and the challenges they face, which can erode trust and impact satisfaction. In addition to implementing a franchisee vision plan program, regularly asking for franchisees for feedback is a foundational element of building a strong franchisee-franchisor relationship.

Franchise Business Review’s Franchisee Satisfaction survey measures franchisee sentiment and trust, and gives you  real-time access to data to identify what’s working in your system and where there are areas for strategic improvement in your operations. 

Learn more about franchisee satisfaction surveys or schedule a demo for a confidential assessment of your brand.

Related Content:

How to Design an Effective Franchisee Vision Plan Program

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

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