Franchisee Performance: It's a matter of choice.

by Michelle Wiginton

When starting a new business adventure, or refueling a current endeavor, the goal is to find success within your industry and enjoy each and every day of your professional journey. Along the way, each person involved with your business will have daily choices to make that will affect performance—either positively or negatively.

Choosing to approach your business, employees and customers in a friendly, service-minded and innovative manner each day will set the tone for how you and others perceive your workplace environment. Modeling this positive behavior, through conscious choice, helps others to learn your company culture and teaches others how to overcome the obstacles in life that we all deal with each day.

The question is - How do you create or change your company culture?
Here are some quick tips to make that positive change:

- Post reminders around your workplace. These will constantly remind everyone, you included, what is expected.
- Here is an example for a coffee shop.

“People who love their coffee will tell their friends and come back often to enjoy it. Make each cup of coffee your very best!”

- Encourage & inspire your employees and your customers by being the best you can be. It is a choice.

Having a bad day yourself? Fake it.

- That’s right, plaster a smile on your face and find reasons to be thankful and let the positive aspects of your life rule your attitude, not the other way around. Remind yourself of the reasons you do what you do and focus on your passions and possibilities, not the leaky faucet and the employee who just called in sick.

- And if you do have a leaky faucet – that plumber might just be a new customer and spending some time on the front line today might give you a fresh perspective and an opportunity to connect with your customers and your most critical employees. Wow…when you think of it that way – it doesn’t look so bad

Choose to be Positive – NO matter what

When you start to think of your attitude in terms of choice, you will subconsciously give yourself “attitude opportunities” Did you just get dumped last night? You can lash out at every person who comes to dine at your restaurant , lose future business and significantly decrease your tips for the day OR adopt the “World’s Best Attitude” and give exceptional service, double your tips for the day and celebrate your new lease on life with a pedicure after work. Which choice do you want to help your employees make? Which choice sounds better to you?

If you have a winning product/service and a great attitude, you should expect positive performance from your franchise as a natural outcome. People like to go where they feel welcome, appreciated, respected and where they can find the goods and services they need to make their lives a wonderful adventure. They have choices to make, too. Remember, a difficult customer is not just a challenge, they are a choice. And by treating them with respect and kindness, they may choose your company.

Good choices = sales. (Either today, tomorrow or by referral or karma!)
Bad choices = bad attitudes and that never leads to positive performance.

Choices start at the top and trickle down, remember you are changing thought processes, not your socks, so it will take time. Use future bad choices as coaching moments and help show others how each choice is the opportunity for them to grow and change the workplace for the better. Happy customers=jobs=happy employees=happy franchisees.

Michelle Wiginton
Social Relationship Catalyst & Franchise Development Coordinator
Just Between Friends

Learn more about Just Between Friends at topfranchises.franchisebusinessreview.com.

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